· We have stayed at the Grand Hotel Delfino (grandhoteldelfino.it) in Taranto. It is four star with a lovely restaurant and terrace overlooking the sea, air conditioning and decent rooms. Or how about an agriturismo? Friends strongly recommended one in Ostuni - Il Frantoio (trecolline.it). Also not to be missed is Alberobello - we've eaten in the five-star Hotel dei Trulli (hoteldeitrulli.it) which served excellent Pugliese food. In the neighbouring region of Basilicata is the famous Sassi (hotelsassi.it) in Matera. The hotel is cut into the rock, only B&B but plenty of great eating places nearby - it really is a great experience.
A word of advice: Puglia is 'another world' - everything closes for around four to five hours from midday. Women do not walk around a lot on their own especially scantily dressed, and in some hilltop villages there's not one to be seen in the local piazza! Not much English is spoken anywhere, and even if you speak Italian the local dialect is a mixture of Greek and Arabic. However, the food is marvellous, especially seafood and fish, and the scenery breathtaking.
Janice Carrera
· Most of the smart hotels offered by tour operators are in eastern Puglia, around Brindisi, Lecce and Otranto. One option near Taranto is Masseria La Brunetta (masserialabrunetta.it) in Massafra. I haven't stayed there but it looks gorgeous with a great pool, a tennis court and lovely honey coloured stone walls. It's not too pricey either at €80pp per night. Massafra, 12 miles west of Taranto, is a medieval village split in two by a steep ravine (Gravina di San Marco). The ravine and surrounding valleys are dotted with caves, many of which were turned into chapels by Greek monks in the early middle ages.
The website agriturismo.it lists Valle Rita, three miles from the beach and 20km from Taranto, which has nine apartments, each with their own small garden, and a shared pool.
Isabel Lillington
· A luxury hotel, Hotel Akropolis, has just opened in the historic centre of Taranto, with a stunning view of the bay. I would also recommend the Villaggio In in Martina Franca, half an hour's drive away. You can choose from a range of restored stone houses in this magical baroque hill-top town, which is pleasantly cool in the heat of the Apulian summer.
Incidentally, the roots of the Apulian dialect are 75% Latin, 20% Greek, 5% Germanic and Arabic. In the village of Calimera the dialect is based on ancient Greek, while in San Marzano medieval Albanian is still spoken.
Roberto Colizzi
