Northern Puglia vs Salento — trulli versus Baroque, Adriatic versus Ionian

North (Bari–Valle d’Itria)

Bari, Polignano, Alberobello, Ostuni, Locorotondo, Cisternino. Trulli, white towns, Adriatic coast. More visited, more photogenic (trulli + white cities).

South (Salento)

Lecce, Otranto, Gallipoli, Santa Maria di Leuca. Baroque, two seas (Adriatic + Ionian), wilder beaches. More empty, more local, cheaper. The Ionian beaches south of Gallipoli are genuinely Caribbean.

Verdict

North: first trip, iconic sights, easier logistics. South: beach focus, deeper culture, fewer tourists. With a week: do both (Bari–Lecce is 1.5h by train, €10).

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