Italian road trip
Family road trip along the Amalfi coast and Puglia
A few summers ago our family spent two weeks exploring the wonders of the Amalfi coast and the region of Puglia, in the ‘heel’ of Italy.
Our desire was to experience the glamour of the Neapolitan coastline and combine this with the slower pace and traditional authenticity of Puglia.
Naples, Sorrento and Capri
We flew into Naples and spent one night in the bustling, slightly edgy city, renowned for being the birth of the pizza. As we travelled onwards to Sorrento we stopped off to see Mount Vesuvius and the Pompeii ruins, a stunning site of Roman archeological preservation.
We loved the charming old town of Sorrento and enjoyed hanging out at Marameo beach club perched on a jetty over the azure sea.
A highlight was our stay at the Relais Blu in Massa Lubrense, a boutique hotel with breath-taking views overlooking Capri. We then visited the island for one night and stayed in a beautiful converted monastery in Anacapri. The week was completed with a day trip to the ever popular Positano and the hillside town of Ravello, with captivating views stretching along the whole Amalfi coastline.
Matera, Lecce, Otranto and Ostuni
The second week was a contrasting experience, where we immersed ourselves in the delightful Puglian culture and cuisine. On arrival we stayed in a cave hotel in the troglodyte city of Matera, definitely a unique style of accommodation!
As we travelled onwards into the peninsular we visited the baroque town of Lecce, the white city of Ostuni, the beach port of Otranto and stayed in a traditional stone trulli, as well as a stylish hotel located on a working fig farm.
Over the space of two weeks we visited a fabulous mix of regional cities and towns, famed islands, buzzing beach clubs and stunning cultural sights, fully embracing the wondrous Italian south, resulting in a brilliant road trip that we still talk about with fond memories.
