Though it wouldn’t be the first name to fly to the forefront of your mind – there’s Tuscany, Sicily, Rome, Florence, Chianti, Positano, and Milan to contend with – Puglia has slowly, steadily nursed itself to life along Italy’s southern coast. The up-and-coming region has seamlessly melded a modern, sleek, and sophisticated getaway experience with the authenticity of the centuries-old coast, hailed for its “fertile red earth, gnarled olives, turquoise seas, beautiful trulli, and pioneering masseria hotels.” In the modern era, Puglia no longer serves as a “maybe-see” stop along the way; it’s now a destination in its own right.

Puglia sits on Italy’s eastern coast, housed on the country’s “boot”, and CN Traveller rounded up the best of sea, surf, food, and stay for locals and tourists alike. From Masseria Lamacoppa and Il Convento di Santa Maria di Costantinopoli to Lo Scalo and Savelletri, take an insider’s tour of bustling, bourgeoning Puglia.