Walking around Puglia, Italy by Jake Barnes

WALKING AROUND PUGLIA

When I have some free time (and I’m not at the Stadio San Nicola watching Bari!), I enjoy nothing more than escaping the chaos of the city and heading off into the countryside. My favourite time of the year to do this is between October and April, when the weather isn’t too hot. Unfortunately, due to the summer temperatures, walking is a virtually impossible pursuit: most of the best routes include long stretches out in the open and therefore directly under the sun, and even in the wooded areas, which provide some shade, you risk getting absolutely swarmed by insects. Also, due to Puglia being a very flat region, there are very few, if any, opportunities to go walking in the mountains, where the air would be fresher.

I’ve often found walking in the countryside to be a great pastime to improve both physical and mental well-being. Obviously, walking long distances is good for the body, but the peace and quiet are also extremely relaxing and allow you to switch off from the pressures of everyday life. There is also a great sense of solitude: I very rarely encounter anybody on my walks; it’s just me, the wildlife and the scenery.

My favourite time to go walking is Saturday lunchtime or early afternoon in the winter months. Many Italians tend to stay at home for lunch at this time, so the routes are generally completely people-free. I also enjoy the fact that you can set off under the winter sun (not too hot) and make your way to the end of the route as the sun is setting — although this can sometimes become something of a race against time, as if you don’t time it well, you risk getting stranded in the middle of nowhere in the dark!

Depending on where you go, you are offered very different aspects of the countryside. Two of my favourite walks couldn’t be much more different: walking in the woods near Sammichele di Bari can be almost Grimm fairytale-like, with an extremely eerie silence (a route for horror fans!), while the walk to the Pulo di Altamura offers stunning views of an enormous ancient sinkhole, where you can watch falcons circling and diving across the terrain.

I usually search for routes online and then plan my day accordingly. Even if you don’t have a car, many places are reachable by train. It’s also always a good idea to bring something to eat and drink (I usually bring a sandwich or focaccia and a bottle of water).

As we are now in September and the winter months are upon us, I’m looking forward to discovering new routes — and maybe revisiting some old ones too!

My 5 favourite routes

1. Il bosco di Sammichele
2. Il Pulo di Altamura
3. Altamura to Gravina in Puglia
4. Gravina in Puglia (walk in the hills above the town)
5. Monopoli to Polignano (coastline walk)