Puglia, Italy = pretty rough

[Anonymous]

I have seen some discussion on this board in recent months suggesting Puglia, Italy as a good region to visit.

Let me put that suggestion to rest.

Having visited dozens of countries (including many developing ones), never before have I seen a filthier, smellier, nastier region in my entire life. It’s like the entire society has no respect for any sort of common good. Trash literally dumped everywhere, both by the roadside and in the middle of towns. The air was putrid, both from industrial factories and locals apparently burning wood to stay warm amidst high electricity prices. Entire towns that appear to never have had a single building painted or pressure washed in the last 25 years.

All of this would be fine, I guess, if the locals were nice. But they’re not. Some of the rudest people I have ever encountered in my life, with dollar signs in their eyes, looking to cheat you at every turn in a million different ways. Items added to the bill. Restaurants charging “updated prices” not reflected in the menus. Horribly filthy accommodations and hotels. And on and on.

What is it about southern Italy that is so disgusting? Is it just the rampant corruption? And how is Puglia appearing on every tourist website? Is it just some sort of marketing machine?

Anyway, hope this helps someone looking to plan their next Italian holiday.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the heads up, OP. Sorry to hear it was so unpleasant.

[Anonymous]

I hadn't realized some people were saying Puglia was a great place to visit. Southern Italy is poor compared to its northern counterpart. It may be more touristy but the Almafi coast is much prettier. There's a reason why the touristy places are all on the west side of the boot.

[Anonymous]

I actually though OP was just trying to discourage more tourism to Puglia because Italy is becoming overrun with tourists.


I admit I have not been in winter but we went in summer and had a great time. The seaside towns are beautiful. Alberobello is a tourist mecca but still a fun trip. There are lovely towns like Ostuni and also beautiful nature areas. We had an amazing dinner at place with no menu where they just brought delicious course after delicious course and then gave us a bill for something like 20e pp.

Anyway I’m not going to complain if Americans don’t flood Puglia but suggesting the entire region is dirty and unfriendly is just silly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hadn't realized some people were saying Puglia was a great place to visit. Southern Italy is poor compared to its northern counterpart. It may be more touristy but the Almafi coast is much prettier. There's a reason why the touristy places are all on the west side of the boot.

The Amalfi coast is more dramatic so if I had only one week/visit I’d recommend that first, but the beaches are not nicer and it’s way more over touristed and a PITA to get around so I’m probably more likely to go back to Puglia.

[Anonymous]

My parents count it as one of their favorite vacations...it was a biking based trip.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hadn't realized some people were saying Puglia was a great place to visit. Southern Italy is poor compared to its northern counterpart. It may be more touristy but the Almafi coast is much prettier. There's a reason why the touristy places are all on the west side of the boot.

The Amalfi coast is more dramatic so if I had only one week/visit I’d recommend that first, but the beaches are not nicer and it’s way more over touristed and a PITA to get around so I’m probably more likely to go back to Puglia.

yes, but to OP's point, over touristy generally means that it's not as unkempt as the poorer eastern shores.

When I go on vacation, I do not want to see that much poverty. I grew up in poverty. I don't need to see it on my vacations.

I've been to Italy several times, up and down the country. I went to the not as touristy places like Orvieta and Lake Orta. I also stayed in a smaller town on the Almalfi coast rather than the touristy, known towns.

You don't need to go to really poor places to get away from the big touristy areas.

[Anonymous]

I’m not denying southern Italy has some poor parts but no one visiting towns on the tourist itinerary in Puglia, at least in warm months, is going to be dealing with uncomfortable poverty.

I mean Matera was basically the shame of Italy 50 years ago and now it’s a tourist hot spot with a James Bond movie (not technically in Puglia of course).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m not denying southern Italy has some poor parts but no one visiting towns on the tourist itinerary in Puglia, at least in warm months, is going to be dealing with uncomfortable poverty.

I mean Matera was basically the shame of Italy 50 years ago and now it’s a tourist hot spot with a James Bond movie (not technically in Puglia of course).

Trash literally dumped everywhere, both by the roadside and in the middle of towns. The air was putrid, both from industrial factories and locals apparently burning wood to stay warm amidst high electricity prices. Entire towns that appear to never have had a single building painted or pressure washed in the last 25 years.

Doesn't sound appealing to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m not denying southern Italy has some poor parts but no one visiting towns on the tourist itinerary in Puglia, at least in warm months, is going to be dealing with uncomfortable poverty.

I mean Matera was basically the shame of Italy 50 years ago and now it’s a tourist hot spot with a James Bond movie (not technically in Puglia of course).

OP here. Right, Matera is in neighboring Basilicata, but basically the same vibe. Anyway, I have no doubt a summer experience at the coast might be better then what we experienced in winter, but then again it would be very crowded in summer (not necessarily with Americans, but Europeans from literally every corner of the continent fly budget airlines to Bari and Brindisi in the summer). We have been to many Balkan countries (Albania, Croatia, Bosnia, Greece), North Africa, Central America, etc, and never have encountered the negative combination we found in Puglia and Basilicata. The trash, the unkempt towns, the massive potholes, the unfriendly people looking to steal from you, it all just made it not worth it. Prior to visiting Puglia, we spent several weeks in rural France, and were in rural Eastern Europe before that. Nothing compares with the hassles we experienced in southern Italy. I think even the locals admit that the corruption there is so rampant and endemic that it infects the entire society, and that certainly was our experience. I doubt Puglia will be a major destination for Americans anytime soon, but just thought I would mention as I have seen it discussed in these boards recently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not denying southern Italy has some poor parts but no one visiting towns on the tourist itinerary in Puglia, at least in warm months, is going to be dealing with uncomfortable poverty.

I mean Matera was basically the shame of Italy 50 years ago and now it’s a tourist hot spot with a James Bond movie (not technically in Puglia of course).

OP here. Right, Matera is in neighboring Basilicata, but basically the same vibe. Anyway, I have no doubt a summer experience at the coast might be better then what we experienced in winter, but then again it would be very crowded in summer (not necessarily with Americans, but Europeans from literally every corner of the continent fly budget airlines to Bari and Brindisi in the summer). We have been to many Balkan countries (Albania, Croatia, Bosnia, Greece), North Africa, Central America, etc, and never have encountered the negative combination we found in Puglia and Basilicata. The trash, the unkempt towns, the massive potholes, the unfriendly people looking to steal from you, it all just made it not worth it. Prior to visiting Puglia, we spent several weeks in rural France, and were in rural Eastern Europe before that. Nothing compares with the hassles we experienced in southern Italy. I think even the locals admit that the corruption there is so rampant and endemic that it infects the entire society, and that certainly was our experience. I doubt Puglia will be a major destination for Americans anytime soon, but just thought I would mention as I have seen it discussed in these boards recently.

^^OP again. Just to add, we no Italy experts, but have been to a few parts of the country (Rome, Milan, Tuscany, Amalfi, Trieste), and never have encountered what we found in the south.

[Anonymous]

It is a wider problem than puglia—last summer in Europe,
I was stunned by the sheer amount of skullduggery I witnessed happening to other tourists/experienced myself first hand. So many restaurants overcharging in really gross ways like accusing people of not paying enough, shortchanging, double charging cards, overcharging. Anywhere there were tourists, it was happening.

My theory is the high cost of labor in Europe means restaurant owners don’t want to hire enough staff. Plus with Covid so many quit the waiter jobs and found something more lucrative. The waiter job is so hard when they are so woefully understaffed, so the staff starts stealing from Customers. And because there is so little staff and the big greedy boss isn’t around, the waitstaff gets away with it.

[Anonymous]

Wow, good to know. Thanks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not denying southern Italy has some poor parts but no one visiting towns on the tourist itinerary in Puglia, at least in warm months, is going to be dealing with uncomfortable poverty.

I mean Matera was basically the shame of Italy 50 years ago and now it’s a tourist hot spot with a James Bond movie (not technically in Puglia of course).

OP here. Right, Matera is in neighboring Basilicata, but basically the same vibe. Anyway, I have no doubt a summer experience at the coast might be better then what we experienced in winter, but then again it would be very crowded in summer (not necessarily with Americans, but Europeans from literally every corner of the continent fly budget airlines to Bari and Brindisi in the summer). We have been to many Balkan countries (Albania, Croatia, Bosnia, Greece), North Africa, Central America, etc, and never have encountered the negative combination we found in Puglia and Basilicata. The trash, the unkempt towns, the massive potholes, the unfriendly people looking to steal from you, it all just made it not worth it. Prior to visiting Puglia, we spent several weeks in rural France, and were in rural Eastern Europe before that. Nothing compares with the hassles we experienced in southern Italy. I think even the locals admit that the corruption there is so rampant and endemic that it infects the entire society, and that certainly was our experience. I doubt Puglia will be a major destination for Americans anytime soon, but just thought I would mention as I have seen it discussed in these boards recently.

^^OP again. Just to add, we no Italy experts, but have been to a few parts of the country (Rome, Milan, Tuscany, Amalfi, Trieste), and never have encountered what we found in the south.

Where do you go OP? We spent most of September in Puglia and had the exact opposite experience. Drove all over the region and met the most wonderful people, stayed in amazing Masserie, had incredible food and have the exact opposite experience that you had. All four of my grandparents and my father were from Italy and I've been travelling there since I was a small child. I'll admit that my family (from Emilia Romagna and Veneto) were northern Italian snobs, and I didn't start travelling to southern Italy until I was an adult over the past 15 years. Southern Italy has so much to offer and regions like Puglia and Abruzzo are simply wonderful. Puglia is currently the "it" region in Italy so I think most people disagree with you. I'd like to keep Abruzzo hidden as it is the most best-kept secret in Italy. But sooner or later it will be discovered by non-Italians.

I encourage people to travel there and see for themselves. September and October are glorious months to be in southern Italy.

[Anonymous]

I was somewhat surprised on the Stanley tuci show to see the level of mob extortion in one of the towns on the southeast coast. I can’t remember if it was in puglia or a little farther north but the mob was threatening this restaurant owners kids if he didn’t pay protection. I thought that wasn’t happening anymore.