Fresh flights send New Yorkers running for Italy's high heel
This month, Italian startup carrier Neos launched the first ever nonstop direct flights from America to the country's buzziest region, Puglia.
The JFK to Bari route will operate once weekly through Oct. 15, with prices starting from $1,000 for standard economy seating and an upgraded Premium Relax cabin for around $400 more.
The outbound flight is on Tuesday, with the return from Bari every Wednesday over that window.
5 Fly direct from JFK with Neos.
Michela Celi
Even better, there's a stylish and roomy new lounge at Bari airport so you can wait for that return in style.
The region's been on the rise for a decade or more, but local experts say the Dolce & Gabbana show, which took place on a makeshift runway winding through the fairytale-like cottages, known as trulli, in Alberobello two years ago turbocharged curiosity.
'We saw a 120% increase in booking from US clients from the region for 2024, after that,' said Ben Julius, who runs Tourist Italy. 'And we already see a 50% increase on that for 2025.'
Still, you won't have to worry about over-tourism issues as you might in Venice peak season or, certainly, in Rome during this Jubilee Year. Puglia's at its Goldilocks stage, right now, per Stellavision Travel's Zoe Shapiro, it's just right.
'The region is definitely in that incredible moment where there are wonderful hospitality options to be had but it's not over-explored yet.'
5 Puglia's OG boutique retreat, Masseria Trapana, is newly refreshed.
Handout
Thankfully, there's already a raft of superb hotels on tap.
Pick of them is the chic makeover of the nine-room Masseria Trapana, run by expat Aussie Rob Potter-Saunders, who was a visionary when he opened a decade ago.
La Fiermontina in central Lecce is a cluster of three properties, owned by a pair of wealthy Moroccan-Italian siblings. Book one of the four rooms they've installed in the museum they operate in tribute to their grandmother, a famous artists' muse born nearby.
5 Park at palace perches like La Fiermontina Palazzo Bozzi Corso in Lecce.
La Fiermontina
New this year: the buyout-only 10-bedroom mansion house Casina Cinquepozzi, in the tiny village of Putignano, best known in Italy for its carnival celebrations.
Nigerian jewelry designer Thelma West and her Neopolitan husband, Stefano Liotta, bought it to turn it into a stylish retreat for creatives. Otherwise, check out Trulli e Puglia, said Embark Beyond's Jack Ezon.
'Mimmo Patrizio Palmisano is the mayor of Alberobello, and a great guy who will invite you to his home,' he raved.
5 Enjoy a swish stay at Casina Cinquepozzi,
Handout
Don't miss the chance for a candelit meal in Grotta Palazzese on the waterfront in Polignano a Mare — not for the food, but for the setting, in dramatic grottos carved out from the cliffs there. The menu's more impressive at the Michelin-nodded Meraviglioso nearby — try some of the assorted pesce crudo.
Wine lovers should make sure not to miss the 20-seater My Wine in Monopoli, where host-owner Gianni de Bellis offers advice and an encyclopedic selection. Olive groves abound here, too, of course and to see a farm dating back to the Roman era, complete with forests of hundred-plus-year old trees at Antica Masseria Brancati.
Most of the action in Puglia, especially noteworthy hotels, is centered on the Adriatic stretch between the cities of Brindisi and Bari, but if you want to lounge on a top tier beach, you'll need to head over to the other, Ionian Coast, where the sandy spits are far more appealing. Campomarino is a standout, or head over to Tarento for boat trips to spot the Ionian dolphin in the northern reaches of the namesake sea, year-round.
5 The coveted Mathraki Beach on the Ionian coast.
Dionisio Iemma – stock.adobe.com
Several companies offer a quirky way to roam the back roads: classic cars. Puglia Auto Classica will rent you the likes of a Lancia Flaminia complete with the original red seats, while the aptly named 500 Journeys just launched a fleet of meticulously restored Fiat 500s.
Antonello Losito, who runs Puglia-based Southern Visions has two must-see spots he suggests on any country adventure.
Go to the Giardini Pistoia, a country estate that only recently opened to the public — there are concerts there during summertime, and a superb organic shop which sells the manse's own wines. Likewise, he recommends a detour to the Le Constantine Foundation which preserves and champions the skills — long synonymous with Puglia.
'The art of weaving is kept alive here,' he said, noting that the artisans' onsite shop sells everything from handwovens tablecloths or towels to wall hangings, scarves and shawls.
Ezon adds another insider spot for handcrafted souvenirs: Barbara Sperti, a custom shirtmaker based in Putignano: 'It's worth a half-day detour with dinner in one of the great restaurants there,' he said. 'And her shirts are a bargain — totally made to measure at [approximately] $170.'
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