Ostuni, the white city, makes the perfect base for Puglia

Ostuni, the white city, makes the perfect base in Puglia and is one of my favourite places. Ostuni is the quintessential beautiful Puglian town. Often called Città Bianca (the white city) due to its many white walled buildings. It sits on top of a hill with views across the Valle d’Itra and its Centro Storico is full of historical buildings, cool bars and restaurants.

Where is Ostuni

Ostuni is situated 85km south of Bari and takes about 1 hour to drive. It is 33km from Locorotondo and can be visited as a part of your Puglia road trip. We book our hire cars through Rental Cars, they have always been reliable for us!

Is Ostuni a good base to explore Puglia

Ostuni is the perfect base to explore Puglia, especially if you have a car. We used public transport for this trip but we intend to come back, hire a car and do a road trip. Ostuni is so lovely that you can spend a few days exploring it and also drive to other locations quite easily. It is pretty central to most of the towns in Puglia that you’ll want to see.

How many days for Ostuni

I would book a minimum of 3 days for Ostuni. I really fell in love with this town and could take it slowly, spending a week here but if you do not have that much time then 3 days would be just enough. If you are using it as your main base to explore Puglia then I would book 5 – 7 days here

What to do in Ostuni, the white city of Puglia

Ostuni has so much to see and lots of little day trips to take. These are our favourite things to do:

Walk the Centro Storico

Walking the old centre is the best way to soak up the town. Ostuni really is the sweetest place, these are some of our favourite moments from Ostuni.

Corso Vittorio Emmanuel II Viewpoint

Corso Vittorio Emmanuel II Viewpoint is the best place for views in Ostuni and well worth the 15 minute walk up to it.

Arco Scoppa

Arco Scoppa is an elevated passage between the Bishop’s Palace and the Seminary. You will find it in a small square facing the Ostuni Duomo and is one of the main landmarks of the town.

Duomo di Ostuni – Cattedrale Santa Maria Assunta

The Cathedral in Ostuni is a large building almost in the centre of the Centro Storico. The original church dates back to 1000AD and the current church was added in 1228-1229. It has many artworks on the ceiling and walls and the archives contain parchments that date to the 12th Century.

Cathedral in Ostuni, The White City, Puglia

Colonna di Sant’Oronzo

Ornately carved stone column honouring the patron saint of Ostuni, built by Giuseppe Greco in 1771. Colonna di Sant’Oronzo stands 29 metres high and is topped with a statue of St Oronzo. The column, called Colonna Romana, is from 2nd century AD and one of two which marked the end of the Appian Way in Brindisi. The column toppled in 1528 and lay in ruin for over 100 years.

Borgo Antico Bistrot

Borgo Antico Bistrot is a must for at least one of your evenings in Ostuni. We could spend every late afternoon to evening there! This bistro sits on the side of town over looking the Valle d’Itra with a little path full of tables line the cliff. The food is good, the drinks are great, you can’t ask for more. There is no shade so if you decide to go for lunch remember to bring a hat. The menus are on QR codes on the table to order. It is simple and idyllic.

Little bars in the white washed lanes

There are tons of cool little bars and restaurants tucked away in the streets of Ostuni, look for them on every corner!

cool bars in the laneways of ostuni, Puglia

Shop of olive oil and local products

There are so many olive groves nearby Ostuni and the locally produced olive oil is excellent, there are some cute little stores selling decorative bottles so we had to grab one! Check them out for all the pretty products.

What to see from Ostuni, the perfect base in Puglia

Ostuni is a great base from which you can discover Puglia. Head out to Locorotondo, Cisternino, Alberobello and Martina Franca. You can combine a few of these into one day if you prefer. Locorotondo, Alberobello and Martina Franca are nearby each other and can be done in one or two days if you have the time. Cisternino is close to Ostuni and would be perfect to visit in the late afternoon once all the little butcher restaurants start opening for dinner. If you have two days I would go to Martina Franca first and then Alberobello,. In the evening once the tourists leave and the lights come on the trullis Alberobello is very pretty and romantic. On the second day I would spend time in Locorotondo and then head to Cisternino for the late afternoon evening and eat dinner at the butchers restaurants.

You can also explore the south of Puglia, Brindisi and Lecce are not too far away for day trips. The coastal area near Ostunit is beautiful and well worth a day driving along to explore the seaside villages.

These are our pick of tours from Ostuni, we particularly love the olive oil tasting!

Where to stay in Ostuni

This town has so many beautiful accommodation options, these are the ones that we think are the best value for money and in the best positions.

Budget: Elda Guest House, Suite Nella Roccia, Sunshine Luxury Rooms

Midrange: Cà Bella Vista, CASETTA LAURA C.I.S, WHITE STONE- La Terrazza,

Luxe: Panta Rei, Caterina’s Suites & Apartament, BELLE HOME OSTUNI vis t a mare

Parking in Ostuni

There are many parking areas for your car, check for the ticket machine to make sure you don’t get a fine. Look on google maps for the areas in the map below.