The heel of Italy's boot, Puglia has long been off most foreign travelers' radar but not so for 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 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, 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.

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.