So you’ve been to Venice and Rome and you think you’ve seen all that Italy has to offer? Think again. There is much more to see in Italy. The beautiful region of Peglia is secret gem. If Italy is a giant boot, the region of Puglia forms the high heel and the Achilles tendon of it. Puglia is located at the south-eastern tip of Italy and is boarded by the beautiful Adriatic and Ionian Seas. Although Italian tourists flock to Puglia for the sun, the sand and the food, it is rarely visited by foreign tourists. Here’s what you should know about this attractive, but relatively undiscovered region of Italy before you decide where to go on your next vacation.

Puglia is a charming region that has some of Italy’s loveliest beaches, excellent food and wines, and fascinating towns. The region is great to visit all year round, because of its warm and sunny Mediterranean climate. Puglia is has coastline on three sides, so you’re never far from a beach and the region is known for having clean seas. Puglia was historically a mostly agricultural region and its cuisine makes use of its abundant produce, such as olive oil, wine, durum wheat, tomatoes, and more. Puglia’s style of food is known as peasant cooking, or cucina povera in Italian. Visitors should be sure to try the orecchiette, an ear-shaped pasta; the frisella, a crunchy bread that has been made here for centuries; the pasticciotto, a dessert with a custard and black cherry filling; and the baccalà alla salentina, a traditional dish with cod. The region is rich in history, having been inhabited since the 8th century BC. Close listeners will discover that Puglia has several different dialects, even though the main language is Italian. Puglia has a long history of outsiders ruling the land, so it has multitude of architectural styles to show for it. Puglia has many festivals in July and August.

Up to now, most tour companies did not offer trips to this region of Italy.  Because of this you will not find nearly as many tourist as other parts of Italy.  New for 2015, deluxe tour operator, Tauck Tours announced a new trip called a Week in Puglia which is selling well.   Explore the long heel of Italy’s boot to discover sights, tastes and gorgeous seascapes you wont find anywhere else.   It is a small group trip with no more than 24 travelers.  Travelers will fly in and out of Bari.  Several major airport like JFK do have direct flights into Bari.  Stay multiple nights in “Masserias,” fortified 16th-century farmhouses turned into elegant hotels, and at a modern castle resort overlooking the Mediterranean. You have personal entrees into the world of papier mâché, mozzarella and burrata making, and sandstone art with charismatic local artists who can’t wait to share their talents with you… wine and olive oil tastings at vineyards yet undiscovered by the maddening crowds… tours of a medieval castle enticing with soul-stirring views and wines… meals tempting with bounty of the sea and land, and stays at breathtakingmasserias(farmhouses), one nestled among antique olive trees and Mediterranean vistas, one steeped in history and cultural charm in the heart of Lecce, aptly named the “Florence of the South,” and one Mediterranean stunner in the whitewashed, incredibly dazzling city of Ostuni.  Some of the parts of Puglia that visitors should be sure to visit are Bari, Lecce, and Gallipoli.

The odd trulli dwellings (pictured below) are ancient, seemingly enchanted, dazzling-white buildings with conical, stone roofs—are clustered in the village of Alberobello, just a few miles/kilometers farther south of Castellana. The design of these houses is unique to Puglia and cannot be traced to any other architectural tradition. Visit the Monti district for the best view—it has more than 1,000 whitewashed topped with roofs of dark gray stone.

Lecce is another case of the city and the province sharing the same name. The province is at the very tip of the boot heel. The city is nicknamed “The Florence of the South.” The culture here has strong ties to Greek culture, because the area was originally colonized by Greeks. There is a Roman Amphitheater in the city of Lecce that is half buried, because other monuments were built over it. The Orto Botanico di Lecce is a botanical garden there. Two of Lecce’s most important churches are the Basilica di Santa Croce, or the Church of the Holy Cross, and the Lecce Cathedral. Both feature Baroque architecture.

Originally name Kale polis, meaning “Beautiful City,” by ancient Greek mariners, Gallipoli is a coastal village on the west side of the Salentina Peninsula. The old section of town is located on a limestone island that is connected to the mainland and the modern part of the city by a 16th century bridge. It is an area of farms, castles, works of art, myths and legends.  Many heroic battles were faught here.  To get a stunning view of the town and visit a beautiful beach, visitors should go across the bay to the beach called Punta della Suina, which is surrounded by a national forest. There is also the Anitca Farmacia Provenzano, a pharmacy that was founded in 1814 and still runs today, looking much like it always has.  Among other outstanding monuments are the Hellenic Fountain and Angevin Castle.   The city’s claim to fame rests in art treasures, most notably, the Basilica of Stat’ Agata which contains a rich, important collection with numerous works by its native son, Giovanni Andrea Coppola.

Peschici (collage below,) is in southeast Italy in the Province of Faggia.  The town sits more than 300 ft up, and is known for famous seaside resorts and coastal watch towers.  It is a small, charming village with white washed houses, cobblestone streets, great beaches, food and wine.

Up to now, most tour companies did not offer trips to this region of Italy.  Because of this you will not find nearly as many tourist as other parts of Italy.  New for 2015, deluxe tour operator, Tauck Tours announced a new trip called a Week in Puglia which is selling well.   Explore the long heel of Italy’s boot to discover sights, tastes and gorgeous seascapes you wont find anywhere else.   It is a small group trip with no more than 24 travelers.  Travelers will fly in and out of Bari.  Several major airport like JFK do have direct flights into Bari.  Stay multiple nights in “Masserias,” fortified 16th-century farmhouses turned into elegant hotels, and at a modern castle resort overlooking the Mediterranean. You have personal entrees into the world of papier mâché, mozzarella and burrata making, and sandstone art with charismatic local artists who can’t wait to share their talents with you… wine and olive oil tastings at vineyards yet undiscovered by the maddening crowds… tours of a medieval castle enticing with soul-stirring views and wines… meals tempting with bounty of the sea and land, and stays at breathtakingmasserias(farmhouses), one nestled among antique olive trees and Mediterranean vistas, one steeped in history and cultural charm in the heart of Lecce, aptly named the “Florence of the South,” and one Mediterranean stunner in the whitewashed, incredibly dazzling city of Ostuni.