Puglia

The heel of Italy's boot, Puglia has long been off most foreign travelers' radar but not so for the Italians. This is where they love to go on their own vacations, particularly in summer, because the food down here is just that good. In Puglia you'll find a distinctly mediterranean approach to life, the clear blue waters of the Adriatic and some fantastic food and wine with cuisine changing almost every few miles. Having just one UNESCO World Heritage Site - the conical trulli dwellings of Alberobello - might make you think there's not much to see in the region but that couldn't be further from truth. Maybe Italy was happy having more listings than anywhere else in the world and stopped there.

Known for its vast olive groves and vineyards, some stretching down to the coast to pick up a little saltiness, Puglia is abundant with produce too and surrounded on three sides by sea there's a vast array of fish and seafood on offer as well. If you can tear yourself away from the beaches, coves and whitewashed stone towns of the coast, the interior has plenty of diversions too. Some seriously impressive caves, small hilltop towns and fortified farmhouses complete the picture.