8 Days in Puglia: What Was Actually Worth It (and What Wasn’t)
I never got bored once in eight days and by the end I was already thinking about how I could’ve stayed even longer. Puglia has that effect; it’s not one big showstopper the way Rome or Amalfi is but somehow still manages to wow you in its own way. This is the itinerary we actually followed, day by day, with the honest verdict on each stop; what was worth the hype, what wasn’t, what we did differently from our original itinerary, and what I’d do differently if I were to go again (which I might at any moment).
The route at a glance: Bari → Monopoli coast → Valle d’Itria (Cisternino, Alberobello, Locorotondo) → Matera → Ostuni → Lecce → Otranto coast → back to Bari. Eight days, one rental car, three hotel bases.
We started with a detailed day-by-day itinerary before we left; you’ll see the differences called out as we go (an accidental night in Ostuni, a couple of skipped stops, a swapped dinner). The full planned itinerary is linked at the bottom of this post if you want to use it as a starting template for your own trip.
Jump to:
- Where We Stayed
- Car Rental Tips
- A Few Practical Things Before You Go
- Day 1: Bari
- Day 2: Polignano, Abbazia di San Vito, Cala Incina, Monopoli
- Day 3: Alberobello, Locorotondo, Martina Franca
- Day 4: Gravina + Matera
- Day 5: Ostuni + Lecce
- Day 6: Grotta della Poesia, Torre Sant’Andrea, Otranto
- Day 7: Lecce morning, back to Bari
- Day 8: Departure
- What We Bought
- What I Packed
- The Original Itinerary
Where We Stayed
Three hotels, three very different experiences. Full story on each is in the day-by-day below, but here’s the quick version if you’re just here for the recs.
Le Terrazze Suites, Bari – SKIP IT. Broken AC in June heat, an elevator that regularly stranded us, and an owner who went silent (then blocked us) when we asked for a fix. Great location, everything else about it was a dealbreaker. Full rant in Day 1.
Borgo Canonica, Cisternino – Gorgeous, and genuinely felt like its own self-contained compound. The rooms are done in that iconic Alberobello white-house style, breakfast was delicious, and the pool was one of the most relaxing spots of the whole trip. One caveat: this hotel is only worth it if you can actually spend some daylight hours there. If your plan is a string of long day trips with barely any downtime, you’re not getting what makes this place special, and it won’t be worth the extra price you paid for it.
Palazzo Paisiello, Lecce – 10/10, no notes. The location alone does a lot of the work; right in the old town, walk out the door and you’re anywhere you want to be. Breakfast was order-what-you-want at their café, and the food was genuinely tasty, the ginseng coffees and the local Lecce sandwiches were a highlight of the whole stay. The room itself was gorgeous, and the staff were amazing. If you’re picking one splurge hotel on this trip, make it this one. The only small note is that because it’s in the old town, you can’t come all the way to the door with your car, you’re going to have to walk a few minutes with your luggage, but I would stay here again any time.
Car Rental Tips
Puglia is a road-trip region, you need a car, full stop. A few things we learned the hard way (or the lucky way):
- Rent a car. Public transit between these towns is patchy at best (if it exists at all). This trip doesn’t work without one.
- Pack lightly. You’ll most likely get, and want, a small car once you’re navigating the narrow roads into historic town centers. A compact car isn’t a downgrade here, it’s required for an stress-free (or low-stress at least) drive.
- Take a video of the car at pickup AND drop-off. This seems obvious, but most people skip it, we almost did too. It genuinely saved us on this trip when a dispute came up over existing damage. Thirty seconds of footage, walk the whole car, do it every single time.
- Manual transmission is the cheapest option, by a noticeable margin. If you’re comfortable driving stick, take it, automatic rentals in Italy cost more and are less available.
- Check your credit card’s rental insurance coverage before you go, and don’t assume it applies everywhere. We confirmed Amex does NOT cover rental cars in Italy, while Chase does. This is worth a phone call to your card issuer before you land, not something to find out at the counter.
A Few Practical Things Before You Go
- Tap water is safe to drink everywhere in Puglia so no need to buy bottled water out of caution. Refill as you go (although of course we did get really thirsty and buy water multiple times).
- Most things close for a few hours midday, roughly 1–4 PM, shops, some restaurants, even a few sights. I don’t know if EVERY town follows the same schedule, but very frequently we were left wandering alone in a ghost town when we arrived somewhere in the early afternoon. If you show up at 2 PM expecting a bustling centro storico, you might just find shuttered doors and quiet streets. This caught us off guard more than once (I know right, you’d think we would have learned after the first time!).
- Plan around it: mornings and early evenings are when towns are liveliest, in fact evenings and post dinner time was when (in my experience) towns were the most popping. If you’re hitting a smaller town, aim to arrive before 1 PM or after 4 PM; try to treat the midday lull as your own break for lunch and a slow coffee or a beach dip
- RENT A CAR! No, seriously, if you want to see all the cute towns and go wherever you want on your own schedule, you HAVE to rent a car. I don’t even know if half of these towns are accessible via public transportation. moment.
Day 1: Bari
We landed pretty early and rented a car. We had not done the EES registration yet so we had to wait in line to register in the Bari airport but no fret! It’s such a small airport that the only line was the people on the our plane and things moved pretty fast. We then drove into Bari (and parked) and walked over to our hotel to drop our bags. Slight snafu here, when I called the hotel, they told me it’s “too early” and to come back in 2 hours (it was past 9 AM at this point, more to come on this hotel later, would highly NOT recommend staying here, ever), so we just hung out at a cafe with all of our suitcases until we could leave our bags at the hotel.
We then headed out to walk around Bari Vecchia on foot and wandered around.
Basilica di San Nicola + the crypt – Worth it, don’t skip the crypt. It’s candlelit and atmospheric in a way photos don’t capture. Most people stop at the main basilica and miss this. I personally love wandering around churches/cathedrals/basilicas because they’re all so beautiful to me; you’ll probably see a stop in each town I talk about. I loved the ceiling especially in this basilica, it was gorgeous.
Cattedrale di Bari – They have an underground archeological excavation area (don’t quote me on this- but I think they discovered an incredibly old church UNDER the cathedral), you can go down and see incredibly old and well preserved mosaics!
Strada delle Orecchiette – Worth a quick stop if you’re out early. Watching the pasta get rolled by hand on the street is (allegedly) a nice, brief moment. Sadly we missed this part, but my parents saw it and sent pictures, the nonna’s making the pasta was a sight to see!
A longer shopping stretch than we planned for – Because of our hotel/luggage snafu, we were stuck with our luggage at a cafe on Via Sparano da Bari for most of the morning. There are definitely worse places to get stuck, this street was a whole stretch of stores (think H&M, MaxMara etc, not boutiques). After we managed to leave our bags at the hotel, we made our way to Bari Vecchia (the old town) and wandered around the cute streets. We popped by Gelateria Gentile (which had a huge line in the evening so maybe plan going earlier), the ice cream was pretty tasty, as was the Sporcamuss (a local dessert), I’m not sure I’d get the Sporcamuss again, but I would definitely get the ice cream, especially the interesting flavors that you don’t see everywhere; that being said, I would not wait in line much personally (made that mistake once already). We also stopped by Panificio Fiore for focaccia barese, a tasty on the go snack to fuel all our wandering.
Castello Svevo + the lungomare at dusk – Worth it, and free. We strolled around here after and ended up having an impromptu photo shoot, the views were incredible, and it’s a long pathway (so, plenty of runway to wander).
Dinner at La Tana del Polpo — I’m going to preface this by saying it might have been because it was our first meal in Italy, but this was what both me and my boyfriend said was our best meal of the trip. We actually came back here again on our last night (we were in Bari again) and it was just as good, twice confirmed. There was a caveat: my parents got different dishes and were noticeably less impressed, but we loved the dishes we got! Pictures are below (note: I am not and have never claimed to be a talented food photographer).
The one thing to actually know before booking Bari
We stayed at Le Terrazze Suites and it was genuinely bad. There were a bunch of issues, starting with them not accepting our bags – which honestly we’re not entitled to and I hadn’t checked with them prior; but still started us off on the wrong foot. The elevator in the building works in a super weird way, and regularly gets stuck on some floors, we had to walk up 7 flights of stairs a few times. The kicker: the AC didn’t work; we’re talking a room that stayed around 30°C (86°F) overnight, and when we reached out, the owner didn’t respond, didn’t offer to fix it, didn’t offer a refund. When I followed up, I was blocked by the owner. If this hotel is still on your radar: skip it. AC in June in Italy is a must and absolutely worth considering before you book somewhere. The location of the hotel was pretty great though, that was my only positive note.
Bari verdict: worth a full first day to ease in, but book your hotel carefully; this is the one place on the trip where the accommodation actually mattered more than the sightseeing. FILTER BY AC; in Europe it’s not granted that everywhere you see has AC installed, please please double, triple check this if you’re going in the summer.
Day 2: Polignano, Abbazia di San Vito, Cala Incina, Monopoli
A coastal day, doing what I call view-hopping!
Polignano a Mare– Worth a quick stop, don’t linger. The cliffside views are genuinely gorgeous, but this town is heavily trafficked (and quite small), it doesn’t take long to see what you came for. Treat it as a pit stop, not a destination. We stopped briefly at Lama Monachile, right below Polignano’s famous bridge, worth a glance if you’re already there and walked around the centro storico, hitting the various viewpoints. We then walked all the way to the statue of Domenico Modugno (personally thought it had cool vibes) and then walked to the cliffs right behind the statue to see a view of the town from the other side. Tip: I had a lot of trouble finding parking near the centro storico, so we ended up parking in a free lot (Parcheggio Polignano stazione) that was about a 10~ minute walk away from the center.
Abbazia di San Vito – Worth it, but brief (like, super brief, maybe a 5-10 minute stop). Beautiful, quiet, and almost nobody there; but also nothing to do there, except sit on a bench and soak up the views (which is exactly what we did).
Cala Incina – Worth it, and one of the best moments of the whole trip. This rocky cove near Monopoli isn’t well known and we genuinely stumbled into how good it was. Bring water shoes, the entry is all rock, no sand, but the water is clear and turquoise and there’s basically no one else there. If you only have time for one swim stop on this stretch of coast, make it this one. One other cool thing about this spot: you’re swimming in between ruins, sooo yeah, it was gorgeous.
Lunch in Monopoli – Worth it, delicious, at La Locanda sul Porto. We got the lobster pasta, and the fresh catch of the day in mussel sauce; both were really good; as were the vibes and views of the patio.
Dinner: Osteria Piatti Chiari, Cisternino – After checking into Borgo Canonica, we drove the short way into Cisternino for dinner here. Good, unfussy, exactly what you want after a full day of driving and swimming. We weren’t that hungry after our huge lunch, but we tried some local appetizers; from our small sample size of food, this spot did not particularly impress me.
Day 2 verdict: the strongest “small moments” day of the trip. Nothing here is a major landmark, but the day was perfect; beautiful views, a gorgeous swim amongst ruins, a tasty lunch, and most importantly – nothing to rush to. We basically took this day to do whatever we felt like; and it was the perfect pace for us.
Day 3: Alberobello, Locorotondo, Martina Franca (and an accidental night in Ostuni)
Trulli in the morning, wine-country views in the afternoon, and a spontaneous night stroll in Ostuni.
Alberobello (Rione Monti) — Worth an hour, no more. We got there pretty late in the morning (I know, slow start), so the sun was beating down on us. In terms of crowds, the Main Street with some shops was pretty crowded, but you can duck into any side street and it was more or less empty. There was almost no shade when you walk around the streets, so if you can, go earlier so you’re not strolling around in the heat. We popped by Bar Pasticceria Martinucci Laboratory for some pasticceria leccese, and they were SO good. I think we ended up buying like 9 of them to have as snacks for our other days. My favorites were the lemon one (I’m a lemon girly through and through, and the ricotta & pistachio one; I think mainly because ricotta felt a lot lighter than the cream) but everything we had was delicious. Quick note: I’m pretty sure they have multiple locations (in other towns) so you don’t HAVE to get them from Alberobello.
Locorotondo – Worth it, and worth lingering. We wandered Via Nardelli and Via Morelli with no plan, and it delivered exactly the whitewashed-lanes-and-flowerpots moment we wanted; there were a lot of coffee shops/ shops to wander around and the walking paths felt like a maze (in a good way), so we just got lost here. As cute as it is, it’s actually quite small, so I wouldn’t personally budget TOO much time for it.
Martina Franca – Brief stop, just long enough to park and grab a coffee before moving on. Didn’t linger, didn’t regret it. We rolled in at the dreaded mid day time, so it felt like a ghost town; we ended up wandering around and looking at the beautiful buildings.
Back to Borgo Canonica – We returned to the hotel in the late afternoon and made use of their relaxing pool, then ate dinner on-property, which the itinerary had suggested asking about at check-in; we both had some work we wanted to do, so staying close by for dinner was perfect for us. Just a few notes – if you have dinner at the hotel, GO EARLY. We went around 8 PM (maybe), and everyone coming earlier had taken all the outdoor tables so we had to sit inside (not terrible but also wouldn’t have been my first choice), and secondly, the food was just… okay, but definitely priced higher than any other similar level food. Convenience-wise it was worth it for us that night, but I probably would not do it again.
The Ostuni detour: With some energy left after dinner (and all our work done), we ended up driving out to Ostuni that same night. Walked around Piazza della Libertà and the Colonna di Sant’Oronzo; basically just wandering around as we felt like it. Ostuni was incredibly lively, everything was open and there were people out and about everywhere; would highly recommend a late evening stroll here (or anywhere, the towns seem to come alive more at night after people take it easy in the heat of the day).
Day 3 verdict: This day felt easy (both driving and planning wise). We didn’t feel like we crammed a lot into the day, and got to see a lot of ‘iconic’ Puglia towns. Personally, I don’t think anything we saw this day would be a highlight of this trip (now looking back on it), but it was a calm, pleasant day of us slowly meandering around towns.
Day 4: Gravina + Matera – the day we didn’t want to leave
This was the big one, and it earned every hour we gave it.
Gravina in Puglia – BIG MISTAKE NUMBER ONE!! I did not do enough research, plain and simple. In our infinite wisdom, and desire to have a calm morning, we left our hotel around noon, so (of course) we got to Gravina at (you guessed it!) mid day. When I say it felt like a ghost town, I really mean it felt like a ghost town. Nothing was open. Gravina has a very cool underground cave system/city, which I had read about, but I (and no one else traveling with me) realized that you can only see this cave system via a guided tour, and worse, that the tours only run at 11 AM and 4 PM. So we basically missed the biggest attraction of this town; and then (like rubbing salt in a wound) everything else that we could have popped into (cathedral etc) was ALSO CLOSED. So we basically took a little pitstop here, walked around an empty town, and saw the iconic bridge where they filmed a scene from a James Bond movie, then left. The town itself, the bridge, and the other ruins were really cool, but I was kicking myself for planning (and timing) this stop so poorly.
Matera – Vibes were low from our Gravina mess up when we got here, but we turned it around! Matera is gorgeous, we popped into Sasso Caveoso first since it was nearing its closing time (pro tip- check the closing times of all attractions before you plan your day); this was basically a sample home (cave), and you could see how people lived. We then went to the Chisea Rupestre di Santa Maria di Idris– frescoes inside a church carved into a rock- breathtaking. When you’re getting the ticket for this, you have the option to get a combo ticket for multiple churches, we weren’t originally planning on that but we made a mistake and got the combo ticket, and it was a happy mistake. We tracked down the other churches on the ticket, and dare I say the others were more impressive (fresco-wise)!
After that, we basically wandered around the town where we felt like it, we went to the Belvedere di Piazza Giovanni Pascoli (viewpoint) and looked out on the city (we came back at night to do the same thing, would recommend since the city looks completely different in the dark). We walked around the main streets and walked into the modern town (not the old town streets); these were all lit up and bustling, with shops all around. We then went to La Lopa for dinner; it was a traditional restaurant carved into a cave, and there was a cute cinema room deeper into the cave that you can sit at and hang out in. I would say from the uniqueness perspective (being in a cave), I loved this spot, but the food was mediocre (for me). We then did another lap of the town (hit the viewpoint) and decided it was time to embark on our 2 hour journey home. On the mistake trend of today, we ended up having only about 4 hours in Matera (after our late morning and un-fruitful Gravina stop), which was not enough to walk around everywhere we wanted to. I think we should have budgeted maybe 2 more hours for it, but the larger issue was that we were staying in Cisternino (2 hours away), and we were all tired from the 2 hour drive here, and also dreading the 2 hour drive back. I would HIGHLY recommend staying close by when you come to Matera, especially since (like all the other towns), it really came alive at night and we didn’t get much of a chance to see it then. Matera was a late addition to our itinerary, so I didn’t have a chance to plan around it better, but I wish I had originally known about it and planned our days accordingly.
Day 4 verdict: worth every extra hour. Staying for sunset and dinner instead of rushing back was the single best decision of this stretch of the trip – the Sassi lit up at night are a completely different, more romantic place than the daytime version. I wish we had stayed longer, however we were all tired and with a 2 hour drive home on the docket; we had to say our goodbyes to Matera.
Day 5: Ostuni (again, properly this time) and Lecce
Having already seen Ostuni at night, we came back for the daylight version on our way to Lecce – worth doing both if your schedule allows, they’re genuinely different towns depending on the hour.
Ostuni, round two – Longer this time, unhurried. We properly wandered the white maze in daylight, we lost ourselves in the ‘white maze’, popping into shops and going to the top of the hill to see the views (you can see the sea from here!). We took a little break at a coffee shop with a view of the hills and the sea, and then we were ready to head to our next stop of the day.
Lecce, evening arrival – Entered through Porta Napoli and wandered toward Piazza del Duomo. I’m going to preface all my Lecce content by saying this: I think Lecce was my favorite town of all the ones we saw. We walked around (the usual) the local cathedrals (look at how ornate they were, so cool!), and then stopped by the Roman theatre ruins (note: check the times of these not from Google Maps, the summer hours were different than the ones on there). We ambled around the streets, there was a lot to see since this was probably the largest centro storico of all the towns we had been at so far. We popped by Filiera Café, a cute wine bar/coffee shop that had all sorts of tasty drinks and treats.
Dinner: We were supposed to have dinner at Trattoria Le Zie (which I had booked via phone ages ago) but some of my travel partners (I won’t name names), love making new plans on the fly (vibe dependent), so after a lot of indecisiveness, we ended up at 63 Osteria Contemporanea. The food was actually pretty good, but this spot wasn’t in the old town, and I think I would have preferred eating outdoors on the cute streets in the centro storico. I also think at this point of the trip I was becoming desensitized in terms of food; I think my bar for good food was really high because we were in Italy, and most places had great food, so it was getting harder for any restaurant to stand out as amazing. Trattorie le Zie was recommended in multiple spots, so I’m leaving it here as a tentative recommendation for anyone looking for restaurants, you do have to (allegedly) call in advance for a reservation and it is cash only as far as I know.
Day 5 verdict: Ostuni in daylight was worth the repeat visit, and Lecce’s first evening lived up to everything we’d read about it.
Day 6: Grotta della Poesia, Torre Sant’Andrea, Baia dei Turchi, Otranto
The best swim-and-coast day of the trip, plus one stop we hadn’t even planned for.
Grotta della Poesia – My planning gaffs continue! Grotta Della Poesia looked gorgeous in the pictures, so I really wanted to go here; the problem: all the pictures online had people actually swimming so I didn’t think to confirm that, only to find out that people were no longer allowed to swim here. It’s also part of an archeological park, so you have to pay to enter, and I was disappointed that we wouldn’t be able to swim. We ultimately still went in just to see it, and the views of the sea and the little sea pool (I don’t know the official name) were gorgeous; I would say it was worth it even just to see.
Torre Sant’Andrea – The natural limestone arches are as good as advertised. There are absolutely no facilities, and it was kind of crowded when we went (but not in a way that bothers you, just don’t expect the place to yourself).
Baia dei Turchi – Not on our original itinerary at all, we found it while driving between stops, it’s almost impossible to park (for free) and you have to walk around 10 minutes to get to the beach. We ended up staying in the car while my parents went to take a look, the beach looked pretty but my parents said it wasn’t worth it (especially after Torre Sant’Andrea).
Otranto – We stopped by the cathedral first (there was actually a wedding going on so we had to wait a little to go in). We then had lunch at SoFish, which was recommended by our hotel; the octopus sandwich was delicious, and my parents had the lobster sandwich which they said was really tasty too. We then strolled around the town, there was a lot of cute shops that sold local foods, boutique clothing shops (I loved Raggianti SRL, I picked up a dress and a bikini and wish I had bought more, loved the quality and the prices were reasonable) and a few ice cream shops that were really tasty (we tried Gelateria Fisotti). We also wandered around the old castle (it’s almost like a park) and relaxed a little on a bench there.
Lecce evening – We got back after Otranto and none of us were really hungry after our tasty (and large) lunch. My parents went to grab small bite somewhere, while my boyfriend and I walked around the streets and (again) strolled around some shops. I found some cool things Azul, which was a small cute boutique, and also Le Daf where I picked up a gorgeous summer dress; they had a lot of cool pieces there, I thought the bags were also really unique.
Day 6 verdict: Torre Sant’Andrea was a gorgeous swimming spot, and Otranto rounded that out amazingly with a cute, small-town vibe with cool ruins, ending with the perfect evening in Lecce.
Day 7: Lecce morning, an abbey we hadn’t planned on, and back to Bari
Lecce morning – Low-key, no rush. We didn’t end up making it to Museo Faggiano or the cartapesta studios we’d circled beforehand, worth deciding whether that’s a genuine regret or just how a relaxed last morning went. We ended up just walking around the town and doing some last minute shopping, popped by Gelaterio Gelateria naturale (I’m not going to say we came here at least once a day during our time in Lecce, but I’m also not not going to say that). I highly recommend the popsicles (lemon was my favorite, beware; it’s sour) and the walnut & fig ice cream.
Abbazia di Santa Maria di Cerrate – Not on the original itinerary, but a worthwhile detour on the drive back toward Bari. Quiet, old, almost nobody there. I won’t say this was a must-see, but it was a pretty stop if it’s on the way. We didn’t actually go inside the abbey, just strolled around the gardens and around the abbey on the outside.
Polignano a Mare, second look – A brief stop for my parents to see it (they joined us later so didn’t see it the first time around). Can confirm, views were still breathtaking second time around.
Back in Bari – Final dinner at La Tana del Polpo, for the second time this trip. Confirmed: it really was that good both times – the octopus and the spaghetti all’assassina held up completely on a repeat visit, which says something.
Day 7 verdict: the unplanned abbey stop was a nice way to break up the drive, and ending the trip back at La Tana del Polpo felt like the right way to close the loop (quite literally full circle!).
Day 8: Departure
Early flight, quiet morning, the kind of last day that doesn’t need much narrative, just make sure the car’s packed and the hotel bill is settled the night before so a 6 AM departure feels calm instead of chaotic.
Buon viaggio.
What We Bought
A few things worth bringing home if you’re shopping your way through Puglia:
- Taralli – the ubiquitous ring-shaped snack, sold everywhere from bakeries to grocery stores. Great car snack, great gift, doesn’t need refrigeration, and lasts a while.
- Orecchiette (dried pasta) – the iconic Pugliese shape. Pick some up from any alimentari and bring the actual regional pasta home instead of the version at your local grocery store.
- Ceramics – look for small studios rather than tourist-strip shops. We found the best pieces away from the main squares, in the quieter side streets of towns like Bari Vecchia and Lecce. There were a lot of cactus figurines (you’ll see the real cactus everywhere you go in Puglia), and pumi figurines (apparently a pumo represents an acanthus flower bud, and it’s thought to bring good luck and prosperity while protecting against the evil eye).
- Tuna – don’t knock it till you try it, this is my FAVORITE brand of tuna from supermarkets, and I can only pick it up in Europe. We bought so many cans back of this brand.
- Sauces – we picked up every sauce you can think of (truffle sauce, lemon cream, pistachio cream, black olive paste, etc)
What I Packed
A short list, but everything on it earned its spot in the suitcase:
- Konjac snacks – highly recommend. Low-effort, satisfying, easy to keep in a bag during long driving days between towns, and compact (easy to pack and fly with).
- Sunscreen – non-negotiable in June/July heat, especially with all the coastal stops. I put on my favorite sunscreen in the morning, then carried a sun stick to touch up later in the day. Also, I carried around a body spray sunscreen for my shoulders too.
- A hat – you’ll be out in full midday sun more than you’d expect, even with the siesta-hours plan.
- A large water bottle – tap water is safe everywhere (see the practical tips above), so bring something with real capacity and refill constantly rather than buying bottled water all day.
- Hanni Moisturizer – if you, like me, hate touching moisturizer, this is perfect. It comes as a stick and is so easy to travel with (it’s solid).
- Cheap(ish) sunglasses – I love this brand (I actually have two different styles) because they’re so easy to carry around, look cute, and you won’t mind as much if you get salt water or sand on them.
- Hear me out, these Teva’s – they’re great to walk in, you can take them into water (you’ll need them as water shoes in some spots), and they look pretty stylish. I’m not usually a Teva girl myself, but talk about a shoe that does it all.
- Birkenstocks – these are my summer Mediterranean trip go-to’s for when I won’t be getting near water.
The Original Itinerary
If you want a starting template for your own trip, here’s the full day-by-day itinerary we planned before we left; hotels, restaurant shortlists, parking notes, and all.