CIAO!

We are happy to share our suggestions for beaches, cafés, sweet shops, and restaurants near Le Sette Valli. All are within 2 to 25 minutes drive of our holiday villa.  We also encourage you to explore on your own. It’s difficult to find a bad beach, café, gelateria, or restaurant!  We find Google Maps to be very helpful and the ratings accurate overall.

The recommendations below are organized by town, and at the bottom there is a list of beach recommendations. While there are many towns to explore nearby, we have listed below the towns that we know best.  Missing from the list are Alberobello, famous as the town of the trulli (and the many tourists!) and Martina Franca, a beautiful ancient fully-walled town with baroque buildings, very well worth a visit. It is also famous locally for its “capocollo” salami.

LAURETO

Within two minutes of Le Sette Valli, just up the road are a pizzeria and a café/alimentary. Another pizzeria and a small shopping mall with mid-size grocery store are 5 minutes away.

Grocery store: CiSette7 in Quintocolore Galleria Commerciale Locorotondo https://goo.gl/maps/NNmU9Dnp1VGXi56v9 A very good mid-size grocery store five minutes away.

Bar Alimentari Mina https://goo.gl/maps/ykEaeAgw9hY618hH6 a very small convenient shop two minutes away that manages to many essentials despite its size. It is especially known for great sandwiches (panini) made-to-order.

"La Neviera" Ristorante Pizzeria https://goo.gl/maps/QYp3UGp7jAWLnhxD7 Delicious pizza. The local dishes are also reported to be very good. We usually order take-out pizzas.  Be aware that after 8pm, the waiting time can be long and they often promise to have the pizzas ready by a certain time but do not.  Best to go early.

Pizzeria dei Platani https://g.page/Pizzeriadeiplatani?share featuring pizza and the local favorite “panzerotti” which is a fried or baked dough pocket with cheese and tomato or other ingredients inside.  Slightly more casual than La Neviera Pizzeria but with faster service and is a local favorite.

LOCOROTONDO

Beautiful, clean Locorotondo is 8 minutes away and a lovely place to spend an evening or morning for a coffee, meal and stroll through the centro storico. A large public parking lot is here https://maps.app.goo.gl/MSQuGrdCUHVQNdnq7 and is close to the Via Nardelli promenade with beautiful views and restaurants featuring local food and drink.

Some restaurant suggestions:

Controra https://goo.gl/maps/oKTd6z1RaSefFDuz8 (on the Via Nardelli promenade)

Quanto Basta Pizza https://g.page/pizzeriaquantobastalocorotondo?share

On the Via Nardelli promenade, there is also a free playground for children with a gorgeous view. https://goo.gl/maps/CNafN11r2xiYCWzP9

Just outside of the historic center is the cheese shop called Latte e Fieno https://g.page/lattefieno?share (the name translates to “Milk and Hay”) which has its own farm with cows that produce the milk for their cheeses.  The ricotta goes very well with the figs that grow at Le Sette Valli.

FASANO

Fasano is the closest town to Le Sette Valli at only 5 minutes away. It has a large piazza in the center of town with many restaurants and cafes around.  It may not be as charming as the hilltop towns in Valle d’Itria, but the town and the proud locals “Fasanese” are a pleasure. 

Only 3-4 minutes from Le Sette Valli on the road to Fasano is Happetito https://g.page/happetito?share , a restaurant well-suited for children, with a large grassy area and big playground.  It also has some nice views.  They serve primarily grilled meats but also have vegetarian options. They open early for dinner which is another plus.

Confession: our favorite spots in Fasano are the pasticcerie (pastry shops which often have gelato and/or coffee). And we can eat enough gelato and pastries to skip our lunch or dinner…

Pasticceria Velletri https://goo.gl/maps/VyPSqn8rNzNGntfJ7 is our favorite spot, a café/pasticceria which features an excellent selection of pastries, gelato (ice cream), and cakes, all priced so well that you might feel guilty!  They also have gluten-free, dairy-free, and sugar-free options (not joking!). When on holiday, we go to Velletri nearly every day for breakfast and coffee, and often go for an afternoon ice-cream.  They have outdoor, covered seating area. There is no table service, which keeps the bill very low. Check their hours on Google Maps before you go.

The Fasanese swear the gelato at Pasticceria Rossana https://goo.gl/maps/W8o1mDrcPNz3JX7U8 is even better than Velletri—decide for yourself—neither will disappoint!  Our favorite flavor is torta negretto (“little black cake”). There are benches across the street from Rossana for seating.

If either one of these spots is closed and you are in need of a coffee or gelato, head over to Pasticceria Caffeteria Vinci https://goo.gl/maps/qMS2U4oz5TGaPGfs8 They offer a couple of tables for indoor seating.  Their espressino freddo is very good.

Great pizza in Fasano can be found at Ca’ Pumarola ‘nCoppa Pizzeria  https://goo.gl/maps/oh1fAbbCxGgKWRGo6

For grilling at home, we highly recommend buying meats ready for the barbeque at Macelleria Fresche Delizie https://goo.gl/maps/JvWNLbDq2HxEz8zL9 . We especially enjoy the bombette and the sausage with sundried tomatoes.  Just tell them you want to grill at home and they will do the rest.

PugliAddoso https://goo.gl/maps/z9VMGomy88WXM2N4A is our favorite shop for locally crafted souvenirs from Puglia for adults and children (even babies!) and is just off the central square in Fasano. The shop doubles as the artists’ workshop.  You can preview their fabulous creations here: https://www.instagram.com/pugliaddosso/

And on a practical note, we hope you have no need to visit one, but there are several pharmacies in Fasano.  Two options are Farmacia La Salette https://goo.gl/maps/ft3MoTdWvm8NbppQ8 and Farmacia Pommes https://goo.gl/maps/wLq9fVeVrn5aBFBQ8 . Italian law requires every town to have a pharmacy open everyday, so if both of these are closed when you need a pharmacy, search Google Maps for “Pharmacy Open Near Me”

SAVELLETRI / EGNAZIA

Savelletri is a seaside town that has grown significantly since the opening 10+ years ago of the private resort Borgo Egnazia frequented by celebrities. For a Michelin starred meal, visit their Ristorante Due Camini, https://goo.gl/maps/eyx2rJHfwayHpMLp9, Reservations are a must as sometimes they close for private clients and events. Borgo Egnazia has three restaurants in total in case you want to try others.

Savelletri is very nice to visit in the evening and has been beautifully developed in recent years. There are many restaurants, generally more expensive than other towns.

We like sitting right on the seaside at Mareducato https://goo.gl/maps/WP9BKdSuPCzFubAB6 . Servings are very small but it’s all about the sea!

Stop for gelato or granita at the Skipper Bar https://g.page/skipper-bar-savelletri?share

For those interested in ancient history, the ruins of the ancient Roman city Gnatia (Egnazia) inhabited since the 15th century B.C. are located only 15 minutes from Le Sette Valli here: https://goo.gl/maps/aj6WcADDHEhDthAu7

with Museo Archelogico of Egnazia here https://goo.gl/maps/ZqGtPFeLD7UQV8Fp9

CISTERNINO

Cisterino is quaint and beautiful town in the Valle d’Itria famous for its “bombette”, grilled, rolled pieces of meat often wrapped with cheese and/or herbs and spices which you can select at the meat counter of the restaurant, or just order from the table (and don’t forget to order the grilled potatoes as well)

Our favorite place to eat bombette is Zio Pietro https://goo.gl/maps/XdQTpbUYKxs4vkVn8 but there are many other places nearby, if they are busy

Save room for a gelato at nearby Bar Fod Pasticceria e Gelateria https://g.page/barfodcisternino?share

POLIGNANO A MARE

Polignano a Mare is a must-see, and home of one of the most well-known beaches in Puglia if not Italy, Lama Monachile https://goo.gl/maps/FUMAfCoi2WwGDaw59.  The beach is free can become very crowded, especially in July and August, so in summer, our suggestion is to go there early, around 9am (but you can go there later and still have a wonderful time) or later around 5:30pm or after.  Parking is very restricted in Polignano, but we usually find a spot at this paid parking lot https://goo.gl/maps/3zGUhkhV5jtcrZw89 about 5 minutes walk from the beach and the centro storico (historic center) of Polignano a Mare.

When walking from the Polignano parking lot to the beach, you can stop at the local favorite, Super Mago di Gelo https://maps.app.goo.gl/cthRkMgU1k6gLs6m8 for breakfast—coffee and cornetto (croissant), gelato & granita or around the corner at the more upscale Martinucci Laboratory for pasticciotti leccesi (the signature pastry from Lecce) and gelato. https://goo.gl/maps/uv8aH91Er2diL5Pe8 . 

In Puglia, it is very typical to take focaccia to the beach for an easy to carry, tasty lunch.  Across from Super Mago di Gelo is a good, conveniently located focacceria in Polignano is called F’Cazz e Birr https://goo.gl/maps/Gq55CTcKfkJpYYCt6 right above Lama Monachile. Or, walk an extra couple of minutes to the very popular casual yet cool (and more expensive) Pescaria https://goo.gl/maps/aFj3YGUsMraEgRnT6  with octopus and fish sandwiches.

Before leaving Polignano at the end of the day, be sure to stop (again!) at Super Mago for gelato or a granita (try gelsi neri (mulberry) or fichi di india (“prickly pear” cactus fruits) with cream “con panna”) after your visit to the beach.  You can also stroll around the Centro Storico which is delightful in the afternoon or evening.

LOCAL BEACHES

Closer than Lama Monachile are many other beaches. These two are higher end and better to reserve in advance.
Cala Pescatore  https://www.calapescatore.it  https://goo.gl/maps/WPwfStoATWWr9jr99
Archeolido Egnazia https://goo.gl/maps/GH4Vwt4pi9doPifk7

For a free beach also in Savelletri area, you can put this in your GPS for the parking area (also free): 40.887788, 17.393279  https://goo.gl/maps/rKtsDfhMBs6oRqtQ6 The walk to the beach is rocky, so for children (and adults) wearing closed shoes will be more comfortable.

There are several lower priced popular beaches in Capitolo which are serviced with paid entry parking, showers, food, and umbrellas including Lidu Bambu https://maps.app.goo.gl/VyJayygNj9vYuRnU7 and  La Macchie https://maps.app.goo.gl/W37HXnUrKiMn1usU8 which is very popular with locals.  Our family likes Le Macchie as the beach is less rocky and has a local, family vibe, but Lidu Bambu seems more popular among tourists—we suggest looking at the hyperlinks above to see which you prefer.

We wish you a wonderful time in Puglia!

Warmest wishes from Le Sette Valli Team 🌿🇮🇹