Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
week. Outside the church, you can catch a panoramic view across the olive groves
to the sea.
Accommodations & Dining in Ostuni
€
-
€€
The hotel scene in Ostuni is quite pricey, which makes little sense except
for the fact that it's such a dynamic city to visit. But the B&B market is compet-
itive and very viable.
Bed & Breakfast Sole Blu
and the adjacent apartment
Casa
Colombo
(Via Vittorio Emanuele, 16;
%
0831-303856)
are like staying at
grandma's house when it comes to decor, but the prices are very reasonable at just
€
30 a person for the B&B and
€
80 a night for the two-bedroom apartment.
€€
-
€€€
Also try
Bed & Breakfast in Ostuni
(Via Leonardo Clemente, 20;
%
0831-304684; www.bb-ostuni.it),
which is a little bit pricier at
€
90 to
€
120
a night, but with a far more refined ambience. Here the mini-apartments are
round-roofed huts in the heart of the city. They're nicely appointed but, like all
Ostuni homes, are noticeably lacking windows. Nonetheless, this is a super spot.
€
As Ostuni makes its mark as a tourist town, lots of little restaurants are open-
ing all the time, but two older establishments remain superior.
Spessite
(Via
Clemente Brancasi, 43;
%
0831-302866)
is down a series of stepped streets from
the main cathedral, and is a local favorite for the seafood pastas. Sunday morn-
ings here are packed with locals, so don't even try unless you speak the local
dialect. Other times of the week, you can usually get in without a reservation.
Fresh seafood dishes like the pasta
scoglio
are
€
8.
Or try
Porta Nova
(Via Petrarolo, 38;
%
0831-331472; closed Wed).
It's a
little bit more expensive, but the panoramic view from the terrace is worth it. Its
dishes are also somewhat more creative than the Spessite's, and the locals who eat
here tend to drive nicer cars (and park them at the entrance). The specialty of the
house is seafood and the chef is a local hero.
FROM BARI TO BRINDISI BY THE COAST
The coastal towns between Bari and Brindisi are mostly busy fishing ports and
strange beach-club enclaves. There isn't much appeal on this stretch of coast
beyond the towns of
Torre a Mare,
which is perched above a set of coastal caves,
Polignano a Mare,
with its medieval old center, and
Monopoli,
which is a
bustling seaport almost halfway between Bari and Brindisi. In Monopoli, you
should see the
Museo della Cattedrale
(
Largo Cattedrale;
%
080-748002;
€
1;
daily 9am-1pm and 5-8pm)
for its religious art. Along this route is the excavated
villa that Emperor Trajan built in the 1st century
A
.
D
., called
Egna'zia
(Via Appia
Traiana free admission; 8:30am-sunset);
it's just south of Monopoli.
At a gloriously lush nature reserve,
Torre Guaceto
€€
9
(Via Piazzetta, A/32,
Serranova di Carovigno;
%
0831-989885; www.riservaditorreguaceto.it),
you can
take a
bicycle trek
for
7
(Wed and Sat at 4:30pm, bicycle and
child seat included)
or a
guided hiking trek
for
€
10, kids 4 to 14
€
4
(Tues and
Fri; departure times given when you make a reservation).
Walks last about 3 hours
and will take you all around the “humid zone,” a natural habitat for cranes, egrets,
and red herons, primarily comprising small lakes, reed thickets, and wild grasses.
€
15, kids 4 to 14
€
