If you’re headed to Puglia and wondering what to do in Ostuni then you’ve come to the right place. Ostuni – The White City – is sometimes forgotten on southern Italy itineraries. But this travel guide to Ostuni will have you convinced that the city needs to be on your itinerary!
While one of the larger towns in Puglia, Ostuni is still small and easy to discover and experience in one day. The countryside outside Ostuni provides ample opportunity for getting in touch with Puglian culture, and there are some lovely beaches just a stone’s throw away.
When we visited Ostuni we had the benefit of being hosted by a local. Now, you probably won’t have my friend Giorgio to show you around, but you can rest assured that the information provided in this article has been vetted by a true Ostuni native. So you know you are getting the best info here!
So read on to discover Ostuni and this incredible region of southern Italy. I assure you that you’re going to love it!
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Ostuni – What You Need to Know
Where is Ostuni?
Ostuni is in southern Italy in the province of Puglia (the heel of Italy). It’s a few miles off the coast of the Adriatic Sea. The nearest city of considerable size is Bari and the nearest major city is Naples, a good 4-hour drive away.
How to get to Ostuni
The easiest way to get to Ostuni is to have your own vehicle. Rental cars are affordable in Italy, and you want to see Ostuni as part of a longer road trip across Puglia. Ostuni is pretty small and usually not the kind of place you spend an entire vacation in.
The Old Town of Ostuni is car-free, but there are plenty of neighborhoods around the Old Town with free street parking. If you’re spending the night in Ostuni, be sure to book an accommodation with parking, and your host will assist you further with getting to your parking spot.
The nearest airports to Ostuni are Brindisi and Bari, neither of which operate any intercontinental flights. We flew direct to Rome and drove about 5 hours to Puglia from there. It was much cheaper and even ended up saving time, as we didn’t have to deal with a layover. Plus it also gave us a chance to stop at Castelmezzano and Casertavecchia on the way! And if you’ve never driven in Europe before, be sure to review my guide to driving in Europe first.
Click here to find a great rate on a rental car in Italy!
You can also take the train to Ostuni. It’s a regional train but it will connect you to Bari, which will get you on the main Italian train network. Getting around Puglia by train takes a lot of effort and I can’t say that I recommend it. I highly recommend a rental car when visiting Puglia!
How long to spend in Ostuni
Ostuni can easily be enjoyed in one day. Two days will give you more time to explore a little of the countryside or go to the beach, but strictly talking about Ostuni city, one day is more than enough.
Weather and when to visit Ostuni
Ostuni is not exactly an international tourist hotspot. Even in southern Italy it’s usually passed up for more popular places like Alberobello, Polignano a Mare, and Matera. So it’s really never that crowded, meaning your main worry about visiting in summer is the heat.
Summer highs are around 85 degrees (29 C) and the air is quite dry, making nights comfortably cooler. Heat waves are becoming more common, though, and brutal heat does engulf Puglia a few times per year these days.
The average January high is 49 degrees (9 C) with overnight lows above freezing, making winter visits possible as well. It doesn’t rain a whole lot in Puglia so if you’re visiting in summer you can reasonably expect sunny skies. Even in winter your chances of a clear blue sky day are pretty high.
The only issue with summer crowds is that most Italians take their summer holidays in August. So the month of August can be busy, but it’s not gonna be like shoulder to shoulder crowds or anything like that.
So all that being said, the best months to visit Ostuni are May, June, July, and September.
Where to stay in Ostuni
Ostuni doesn’t have major hotel brand names. The hotels and guesthouses are locally run and independently operated. There are a lot of apartments for rent in the city as well. Just remember that if you stay in the Old Town, there are no cars inside so you will have to carry your bags around. And the Old Town is very hilly with lots of stairs.
For those with a rental car, it’s advised to stay outside the Old Town where you can have parking, and just walk into the Old Town. It’s also possible to stay outside the city in the countryside. There are dozens of masserias (farmstays) in the countryside and a number of beautiful resorts as well.
Whether or not to stay in the city is your choice to make. There are tons of trulli accommodations outside the city on large plots of land as well. These offer things like pools, gardens, and endless olive tree groves.
Trulli – plural of trullo – is a traditional stone house with a conical stone roof, found only in the Puglia region of Italy. Most small independent guesthouses outside Ostuni will be in trulli. Trulli are found in abundance in the beautiful town of Alberobello, but are common in the countryside near Ostuni too.
Where to stay in Ostuni
Budget: Bombonera
Mid-Range: Caterina’s Suites & Apartament
High-End: Masseria San Paolo Grande (just outside the city)
Where to eat in Ostuni
Ostuni might be small, but it packs a big punch when it comes to amazing restaurants. While I’ve never been to any of these restaurants, they come directly from my friend Giorgio, an Ostuni native who is also an Italian cuisine connoisseur. I usually consult Giorgio for restaurant recommendations all over Italy.
Giorgio’s top 5 restaurants in Ostuni:
Note that it’s a good idea to make a booking at all these restaurants, as is common in Italy.
Money and Language
Most places in Ostuni accept credit cards, but it’s a good idea to carry some euros just in case. Some guesthouses only accept cash on site, even in this day and age.
In terms of language, you should expect most of the locals to only speak Italian. This is a very local part of Italy without nearly as many international visitors as most other provinces in Italy, where English is not super prevalent anyways. Having Google translate on your phone will go a long way when traveling around Puglia.
Travel insurance
When visiting Italy, it’s advised to have a good travel insurance program. We use World Nomads when we travel internationally. World Nomads provides coverage to travelers in over 100 countries. You can find a great policy on World Nomads by using the link below.
What to do in Ostuni
Ostuni is a small city, but it offers plenty of things to keep you entertained for a day or two while visiting the city. By focusing on these things discussed below you are bound to have an amazing time in the White City. So now let’s get into what to do in Ostuni!
Walk around the historic Old Town
Ostuni’s Old Town is as charming as any old European city you can lay eyes upon. It’s a bit bigger than the other old towns of Puglian cities like Locorotondo and Polignano a Mare, but it’s still quite small and easy to walk around and explore in just an hour or two. There are a lot of very steep streets, some so steep they had to be constructed with stairs, so don’t think it’s just a walk in the park.
While exploring the Old Town, be sure to check out the quiet alleyways, wonderfully decorated with the perfect combination of bright colors to contrast the white buildings and the blue sky, which make for amazing Instagram photos. Stop for lunch or a snack at one of the many restaurants and check out one of the local shops for some hand made goods. A walk around Old Town Ostuni never disappoints!
Get a panoramic view of Ostuni from below
Puglia is known as “The White City” because all the buildings in the old town are painted white. This is evident from walking around the Old Town, but perhaps most striking from a panoramic view of the city, where you can see the white walls of the city in all their glory. Ostuni sits on a hill and the view from below is quite spectacular.
There are a few places to get an amazing view, but the best is from the side of Via Lecce near the intersection of Via Giosue Pinto. There is no official viewpoint, but you can pull over on a side street and walk down the side of the road until you get a good view. Use this Google Maps link for the exact location.
There are also wild fig trees all over the place near this viewpoint. If you’ve never had a fresh fig before it will blow your mind. Figs mainly come in the dried form at supermarkets, but here in Puglia, the fresh figs are to die for. Just pick it off the tree and enjoy!
Experience La Vita Lenta
La Vita Lenta translated into English means “the slow life”. This is the mantra of life in Ostuni and elsewhere in Puglia. People are relaxed. There is no rush. It’s a remarkably different atmosphere from big cities like New York or London. Things will get done when they get done.
Immerse yourself in La Vita Lenta by stopping for a moment and just grabbing an espresso at a cafe in Ostuni. Look around. What do you see? Some older gentlemen sitting and reading the paper while they sip their coffee. Kids playing in the grass while their parents chit chat about the latest olive harvest.
Now, perhaps the main reason they can afford to live so slowly here is that there are no major international businesses. No investment bankers. No important politicians. The Puglian economy is centered around farming, fishing, and tourism.
So take the time to take a pause and experience the slow life while you’re in Ostuni. You won’t regret it, and you will miss it when you go back to your busy life wherever that may be.
Take a Tuk Tuk tour
Yeah that’s right, you heard me correctly. A Tuk Tuk tour. Like you were in Thailand or India. Ostuni has a small industry of Tuk Tuk city tours. These brightly painted blue or white Tuk Tuks will drive you around the city while providing you with valuable information about Ostuni.
The reason the tours are in Tuk Tuks and not normal cars or buses, as one would expect for city tours, is thanks to the narrow car-free streets of Old Town Ostuni. While the streets might be car-free, the Tuk Tuk tours are permitted. So the small Tuktuks can navigate the narrow streets (except the streets that are just stairs, which they clearly have to avoid).
You can book a Tuk Tuk tour on the spot if you wish, or for more assurance you can book ahead. They only take a little less than an hour so it’s a great way to get off your feet for a bit and still get to see the city!
Book your Ostuni Tuk Tuk tour here!
Hit the beach
While Ostuni is not a coastal city – like Polignano a Mare or Monopoli – it does lie only about 6 km from the Adriatic Sea. From atop the hill in Old Town you can see the sprawling coastline, just a few minutes drive away. So if you have a rental car (which again, I highly recommend), a short trip to the beach is very doable.
The best beaches in the Ostuni region are Spiaggia di Pilone, Paragrafo 25, Spiaggia di Torre Guaceto, and Quarto di Monte. These are all beautiful with clear water. Just keep in mind that these beaches are not long stretches of white sand or anything like that.
The Adriatic coast is pretty rocky and the sandy parts of these beaches are quite small. If you don’t mind a bit of a drive, the best beaches in Puglia are on the other side of the “heel” on the Ionian Sea coastline.
If lounging out in the sun isn’t your thing, lunch or dinner at the beach is still a great idea. There are numerous “beach clubs” like Lido Bosco Verde, Lulla Bay, and Lido Stella Beach, just to name a few, and each of these have restaurants where you can eat fresh local food just a few steps from the beach.
My friend’s go-to beach club is Lido Bosco Verde, and that’s where he took us when we were visiting. We had a nice sandwich overlooking the midday sunbathers. A very cool experience!
Explore the Puglian countryside
By “explore the Pulgian countryside” I mean this literally. Get out of the city and just drive around. Pass the olive groves and the trullo accommodations. Stop to pick fresh figs from the trees, or try some local olive oil.
Most of the roads outside of Ostuni are single-lane with small passing areas. Stone walls line the roads, separating neighboring properties. It’s unlike any other drive you’ll do in Italy. You’ll surely love a drive through the countryside outside of Ostuni!
Stay at a Masseria
One of the best ways to experience Puglia is to stay or at least eat at a Masseria. A masseria can be thought of as a farmhouse. The typical masseria outside of Ostuni has a few guesthouses or hotel rooms, a restaurant, and, of course, a farm. They have their own olive groves and make their own olive oil. They grow all their own vegetables and use them in their restaurant. They may even have their own vineyard and their own cows to make dairy products.
Masseria’s bring an entirely new meaning to the word “fresh.” It’s the exemplification of farm to table. No fresher food can be found!
While there are many masserias around Ostuni, Masseria San Paolo Grande is run by a friend’s family and is my sincere recommendation for where to go to experience a masseria. It’s not exactly cheap, as room’s go for usually over 400 euros per night and the restaurant is on the pricey end too. But the property is gorgeous, the food is incredible, and the hospitality can’t be beat.
There are cheaper options, like Masseria Donna Nina and Masseria Le Carrube. These start at about 150 euros per night and go up from there. So basically, you’re not going to find a budget masseria farmstay. But if it’s in your budget, you’ll surely love the experience.
If you do decide to stay at a masseria, you want to make sure to spend significant time at the property on top of the time you spend exploring Ostuni and the surrounding Puglian countryside. If you’re only going to spend one night in Ostuni, I don’t recommend a masseria. You want to get your money’s worth!
Taste some local olive oil
The land around Ostuni is prime terrain for olive trees. In fact, you’ll quite literally see millions of olive trees driving around Puglia. About 40% of Italy’s olive oil production comes from Puglia. Just stop and think about that for a minute and you’ll get an idea of just how many olive groves you will see in Puglia.
So why not visit an olive farm while in Ostuni and take home some fresh Italian olive oil? It sure beats the stuff you’ll get at your local supermarket!
Just about every Masseria in Puglia makes their own olive oil. Not all of them are open to visitors, but many will be happy to show you their local olive oil production process even if you’re not staying there.
It’s also possible to book an olive oil tasting experience at Masseria Capece ahead of time. This tour will pick you up at your accommodation in Ostuni and take you out to the Masseria in the countryside, where you’ll try fresh olive oil and learn about olive oil production in Puglia.
Book your olive oil tasting experience here!
Learn how to cook the Puglian way
Cooking classes are popping up all over Italy these days, and Ostuni is no exception. Puglian cuisine is heavy in seafood and meats and cheeses. It’s Italy after all, so you still have pasta, and Orecchiette is the local variety. It’s sort of shaped like an ear. You’ll see it on just about every menu in Ostuni. But you’d be wise not to miss the fresh seafood and farm raised meats.
There are a few cooking experiences in Ostuni, the best of which are found in the home of locals who offer cooking classes. One of these experiences is the home cooking class with Marco that you can book here. It’s not exactly in Ostuni and you’ll have to drive out of town to get there, but it will be worth it.
Take a day trip to Alberobello
Ostuni is pretty centrally located when it comes to Puglia. From Ostuni, you can get to Alberobello, Bari, Polignano a Mare, Locorotondo, Brindisi, Otranto, and tons of other amazing places in Puglia in less than a 90 minute drive. If you’re looking for one good day trip though, that has to be the historical city of Alberobello.
Alberobello is one of the most unique cities in Italy. Famous for its white stone houses with conical stone roofs, known as trulli, central Alberobello is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that was established to protect the beautiful buildings that exist nowhere else in the world (you will only find trulli in the Puglia region of Italy).
The old town of Alberobello is colorfully decorated and full of little shops, cafes, and restaurants. It’s the perfect place to get lost as you wander the beautiful car-free streets. Be sure to dedicate at least a few hours to exploring Alberobello by foot.
For more information on Alberobello and a full discussion about all the things there is to do there be sure to read my full guide to Alberbello.
Ostuni – Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ostuni a good base for Puglia?
Ostuni is a great base for exploring Puglia. It’s centrally located in the region and large enough to have tons of restaurant and hotel options. If staying in one place and not moving between hotels is your goal, Ostuni is a great option.
Is Ostuni safe at night?
Ostuni, like elsewhere in Puglia, is a very safe city and safe for solo travelers at night, woman or man. Petty crime does occur, of course, so take the standard precautions and always pay attention to your surroundings.
Can you drink the water in Ostuni?
You can drink tap water in Italy. Ostuni is no exception.
How many days do you need in Ostuni?
To see Ostuni city, you really only need one day. It’s small and compact and easy to walk around in a few hours. To get in touch with the countryside outside of Ostuni, however, you will need at least a few days.
Is Ostuni walkable?
Ostuni is a very walkable city. In fact, Old Town Ostuni is car-free, so you’ll be walking whether you like it or not. The old town is pretty small, so there is now a whole lot of ground to cover, but it is quite hilly, so keep that in mind. Even outside the old town the city is compact and very walkable.
Ostuni – Final Word
So now you should have a pretty good idea of what to do in Ostuni when you visit. We’ve gone through the things to do in the city as well as outside the city in the beautiful countryside. I had an amazing time in Ostuni and Puglia and I’m sure you will too!
