The beauty of Puglia has no season: every period of the year can offer you an unforgettable vacation, characterised by breathtaking landscapes that change month after month.
The sun and the Mediterranean light of this land are, nearly always, a constant. This region boasts, indeed, a mild and pleasant climate all year round. The Apulian atmosphere is always perfect to immerse yourself into the nature and explore it on foot or by bike.
The best period for a journey in Puglia
There is no a better month than another one for an active vacation, at a slow pace, discovering the Heel of Italy. It all depends on the type of relax you are looking for and on the experiences you would like to live.
Summer is surely the most popular season from a touristic point of view. In August, in particular, many tourists overrun the coasts and every town comes alive with food festivals and other events. In short: if you are looking for a nightlife rich in events and you are not scared of the crowds of tourists and the intense heat, this is the ideal time for you. You surely will not get bored between a tasting experience and a dip into one of the most beautiful seas in the world. You are spoilt for choice: sandy beaches or rocks, hidden coves or bathing establishments. Anyway, you will have the opportunity to regenerate in blue and crystal-clear waters, nestled within enchanting landscapes.
Winter is, instead, the ideal season for those who want to discover the Apulian territory slowly and quietly, at a period when tranquility reigns supreme. The silence makes streets, palaces and entire old towns peaceful and timeless places, where you can get lost discovering a very ancient history. Christmas time is, obviously, an exception: in this period the streets of the towns get crowded with tourists and Apulian people returning home for the holidays. In December, Puglia acquires a special magic, thanks to the preparations for the festivities and the rediscovery of religious and culinary traditions from the past. The living nativity scenes organized in the villages are very suggestive and allow you to rediscover the ancient jobs of the region. Moreover, you can taste particular Christmas specialties, such as the “cartellate and purciaddhuzzi”, delicious sweets made with honey according to the recipes of the Apulian grandmothers.
Outdoor journeys in Puglia: choose according to the climate
It is true: Puglia is always beautiful and in any time of the year has something to offer. And the climate? Good news also in this regard: this region, indeed, is characterised by not too rigid winters and hot summers but mitigated by the winds.
So, Puglia boasts all the requirements to be chosen as the ideal destination for an outdoor journey, maybe on a bike or through a trekking tour.
Slow Active Tours offers various proposals of itineraries in the South of Italy and, particularly, in Puglia. From Murge to Valle d’Itria and Salento, this region is a succession of marvelous landscapes, very ancient stories and traditions, to be rediscovered at a slow pace.
The most popular periods from a climate point of view for this kind of experiences, are surely spring and autumn, when you can enjoy particularly pleasant days, avoiding both the hot sun and the winter cold. But we organized outdoor tours on request even in January or in the middle of August! The important thing is to be well equipped, with adequate clothes and a good water supply.
You can alternate the long walks or rides with guided tours, workshops and tasting experiences. You can customize your itinerary according to your needs or preferences, thanks to our tips about trails, already tested by us.
Especially in springtime, in particular in the months of March and April, this land can surprise with its colours and flavours. Nature reawakens and flourishes in the rural landscapes of the hinterland or by the sea. Moreover, if you choose the Easter time, you will have the possibility to rediscover unique religious and food traditions. Every Apulian town lives the Holy Week with trepidation and the communities get more gathered during the organization of processions and scenes of the Passion of Christ. For example, in Ostuni, also known as the White Town, you can walk through the alleyways of the old town, animated by markets and music until Easter Monday.
As the days get longer and warmer, spending time outdoor becomes always more pleasant. In May and June, the climate is definitely typical of the summer in the South of Italy and, after a good walk, you can regenerate yourself with a swim in the beautiful Apulian sea.
What about autumn? After the summer chaos, this region finds out again its tranquility, but gains a new magic. The trees begin to get undressed and their branches draw elegant embroideries in the skies of the Apulian countryside. The rediscovered silence turns the rural landscapes into fairy places, where finding yourself and listening to your own thoughts step by step is easy, while the leaves take warmer and warmer tonalities.
The winds of the South
Salento: the sun, the sea and the wind. This phrase encloses all the force of the nature not only of Salento, but also of Puglia.
The Heel of Italy, in addition to be kissed by the sun and lapped by two seas, is also characterised by the constant presence of the wind or, to put it better, of the winds. The peninsular shape, indeed, exposes this land to the continuous breath of Aeolus.
Sirocco is a warm wind blowing from the South-East. Days characterised by the Sirocco are warm and damp and in summer can be particularly overwhelming: luckily, there is the sea that guarantees a little bit of refreshment.
The Mistral, instead, blowing from the North-West, refreshes summer days and is particularly felt on the Adriatic coast: this wind gives windsurfers the perfect sea!
In Puglia, and especially in Salento, the wind can change also very suddenly, but, anyway, every day could be perfect for an outdoor tour. We have also organised trekking tours facing even the cold Tramontana of wintertime and we have lived regenerating experiences in the marvellous landscapes of Puglia. During the trek from Otranto to Leuca, for example, on a strong north wind day you can even see the mountains of Albania.
The days characterised by the wind of Levante, coming from the close Greece, are surely very pleasant and guarantees mild and typical Mediterranean climates.
From wherever it blows, a good breeze will surely lead you to Puglia, where you will have the opportunity to live exciting adventures into the nature with Slow Active Tours!
