Hi, I’m Chiara. Welcome to my table.

In my heart, Puglia isn't merely a region, it's a journey waiting to unfold.

I was born and raised in Salento, in the heel of Italy’s boot, in a family that still gathers more than twenty people around one table.

Today I’m fortunate to live part of the year near Lecce, the Baroque city at the heart of Salento, and part in Melbourne. Both places shape how I see a holiday: I know Puglia as home, and I know what it feels like to arrive from the other side of the world.

I’m a Puglia travel specialist, and I started Tales of Puglia to introduce travellers to my region: the families who open their farms and homes to guests, the traditions still kept alive, beautiful historic places to stay, the long lunches that run into the evening.

I cannot wait to share the places of my heart with you.

Read my story

Tailor-made holidays, small-group tours and itinerary reviews

Have a holiday designed around you, join a small group, or keep your own plans and let a local check them.

Tailor-made Puglia holidays

A private holiday shaped around your dates, interests and pace. Carefully selected stays, experiences with local hosts and optional private drivers, brought together in a route that works for you. I can design and book the whole holiday, or just the parts you would like help with.

Explore your personalised holiday

Small-group Puglia tours & retreats

Join a small group for an unhurried journey, hosted from beginning to end. Instead of hopping from sight to sight, you’ll sit with local families and artisans, savour food and wine, and take the time to enjoy the moment. The aim is to leave richer than when you arrived.

See upcoming tours/retreats

Puglia itinerary review

Planning your own Puglia trip?

Get a local’s eye on it. I’ll tell you what works, what to rethink, where to stay, what’s realistic in a day and what to add, so your time is well spent.

Get my planned reviewed

THE DIFFERENCE IS PERSONAL

Why Tales of Puglia

01/ Love for Puglia

My connection to Puglia is visceral. I worship this land, and I want to share the best of it with you. To show you how it can change your perspective on life, and how its simplest pleasures can enrich you.

02/ A welcome into my local community

Through my friends, family and trusted local professionals, you’ll meet the people behind the places. Share a meal, hear their stories and discover a side of Puglia you’re unlikely to find on your own.

04/ The right choices for your holiday

Where to stay, when to visit, what deserves more time and what to leave out. Whether you join a tour or choose a personalised holiday, my local knowledge shapes those decisions, leaving you time to enjoy the places, the people and a long lunch.

03/ Recommendations I stand behind.

I visit properties and meet owners and hosts in person. I look at the welcome, service and atmosphere, as well as the setting, to help choose what suits you.

Kind words from our guests

“My Puglia will teach you to celebrate life’s simple pleasures and embrace the art of savouring each precious moment.”

Chiara

Fisherman in a small Apulia Village in Puglia
Old business store sign in a small village in Salento, Puglia

What your days in Puglia will look like

Authentic Puglia experiences: culture, food and craft with local families

A genuine welcome. Step inside family homes and private aristocratic estates, welcomed by the people who know them best.

The pleasure of slowing down. Sit with a farmer and taste Puglian food and wine straight from the land. Dive from a boat into clear Mediterranean water. Stay somewhere beautiful, with nowhere you need to rush to.

A closer connection to local craft. Visit artisan workshops and meet makers at their looms and workbenches, discovering skills that have been passed down through generations.

Being part of the moment. Experience Puglia’s local festivals, religious celebrations and traditions as they unfold around you.

History beneath your feet. Walk through Baroque Lecce, explore Otranto’s medieval streets, step inside Matera’s ancient cave dwellings and discover centuries of history beyond them

Explore a tailor-made holiday
View tours & retreats

Somewhere beautiful to come home to

Four- and five-star stays with character

From ancient masserie (farms transformed to combine their original charm with modern luxury) to aristocratic and noble estates that showcase Puglia’s past, each stay lets you live the region’s history.

I’ve met many of the hosts in person and spent time getting to know their properties, so I can tell you honestly which place will suit you.

Navigate through the following images to get a glimpse of the accommodations you will stay in.

  • Spa in luxury accommodation in Puglia

    Get pampered in a luxurious masseria where time has paused.

  • Luxury accommodation in Puglia located in a Historic property in Lecce

    Discover the myths and legends behind the history of this antique location.

  • Luxury masseria in Puglia located in Salento

    Enjoy the bucolic landscape in a masseria where rustic beauty meets opulence.

  • Luxury accommodation in Puglia located in a Historic property in Lecce city centre

    Stay at one of the most iconic historic residences in the region.

  • Luxury masseria in Puglia located in Valle D'Itria

    Savour the countryside lifestyle blended with rustic luxury.

  • Luxury accommodation in Puglia located in a Historic property in Salento

    Relax in an 18th-century beautifully renovated residence.

  • Luxury Masseria in Puglia

    Appreciate every moment in one of the most characteristic masseria in the region.

Get Puglia in your inbox

Seasonal stories, places worth knowing, local insights and tour dates from Chiara, only when there’s something worth sharing.

Subscribe