Camping Apulia

Quite often called the Tuscany of the south, Puglia has a reputation to live up to. From the old forests of the Gargano promontory to the whitewashed villages of the Salento. And from the Swabian-Angevin castles of the Tavoliere to the masserie (old farmhouses) in the Vall d'Itria. Whether it's UNESCO monuments, hilltop villages, football history, pristine beaches, the WWF protected natural habitats, nights filled with jazz, thrilling aquaparks or cycling with your buddies, you'll need a 2nd or 3rd camping holiday to see and experience all Puglia has to offer.

Beyond the official 6 provinces Foggia, Barletta-Andria-Trani (BAT), Bari, Taranto, Brindisi and Lecce, the Puglia region can also be divided into 6 geographical & touristic areas: Gargano, the Daunia Mountains & Tavoliere plateau, the Murge/Valle d’Itria, the Taranto area and the Salento. Click one of the links to our blog-pages on each region.

Cool white-washed summer towns like Otranto and Gallipoli, sumptuous baroque architecture in Lecce and Martina Franca, hilltop gems like Ostuni and Locorotondo, the list of great towns in Puglia is pretty long! Visit our landing pages of Otranto, Maglie, Gallipoli, Melendugno, Bari, Barletta, Trani, Vieste, Monte Sant’Angelo, Peschici, Locorotondo, Martina Franca, Alberobello , Lecce, Ostuni for more detailed info on sights, events, beached, shops and campings!

Puglia has many great beaches, so we decided to select a top 5. It includes the city-beach in Otranto, Spiaggia Pilone , Spiaggia Torre Rinalda and 2 others. Check out our Best beaches Puglia & nearby campings on this topic with photos, tips, addresses and the best nearby campings!

Vieste, Ostuni, Gallipoli, each day of the week there's a local market in one of the villages or cities of Puglia. Farmers, cheese makers, olive oil producers and fishermen all join together on the daily markets across the region. The abundant sunshine ensures rich tastes in the fruits and vegetables. Go slow and enjoy the intense colours and flavours.

Looking for a great souvenir, Italian Marvel comic books, old Italian coins, great vintage bags, beautiful old linen cloths, retro glassware and ceramics or that 60’s racing bike? There are a bunch of antique and flea markets in Puglia each month. Go early, have a coffee and a croissant and enjoy the people, scenery, the goods and some good haggling.

Visit our Markets in Puglia on this topic for the complete list of markets.

Puglia is a real treat when it comes to festivals and exhibitions. Especially in August, you could visit a festival each day of your stay. Whether it’s the world-famous Carnaval in Putignano, the renowned Notte delle Luci light-decorations of Scorrano, classic music, house/dance/techno music, light festivals, religious processions, art exhibitions, you'll be simply amazed. Visit our Festivals in Puglia & camping for our long list.

Italians are crazy about their football clubs and players and the Pugliesi are no different. The province is home to legendary clubs like Bari and Lecce, the latter playing in the Serie A and thus a great place to combine a holiday and watch a home game.

FC Bari 1908 is the largest football club in Bari, founded in 1908 and playing in the Serie D. Home games are played at the Stadio San Nicola, which was designed by Renzo Piano and built for the 1990 FIFA World Cup. Due to financial issues, the club was relegated to the Serie D. Check TicketOne for tickets and visit the FootballClub shop on Via Prospero Petroni 45 in the centre of Bari for shirts and merchandise.

Unione Sportiva Lecce, which was also founded in 1908, is competing in Italy’s top competition called Serie A. They play their matches at the Stadio Via del Mare. In the Serie A all-time table, the club is 27th and is the second club from Puglia (Bari is 19th). Shirts and merchandise can be bought online but also offline. Their shop is on Via V. Emanuele II 35.

Foggia and Taranto have clubs playing in the Serie D.

Many campsites in Puglia have football fields or football courts and some even hold competitions during the busy summer months. The following campings have football fields/courts:

• Camping Il Pilone near Ostuni
• Torre Rinalda Camping Village near Lecce

Watch or play....here we go:

The Open Citta Della Disfida in Barletta is an ATP Challenger tournament held in the 2nd week of April. Check the ATP website for dates/tickets. 

The tennis club of Bari ( Circolo Tennis Bari) is the host of the ITF International Senior Championships of Puglia (May) and organizes an amateur tournament in June. Check their site for dates and contact details.

Ermanno Filannino , a professional coach from Barletta offers tennis courses in Barletta. Courses are held at the Amatori Tennis Club ‘Ruggero Lattanzio’ which is a local club that is quite literally set amid olive groves! The club has two clay courts, a hard court and an outdoor pool. Check their site for contact details.

Campings in Puglia with tennis courts and tennis facilities.

Many campsites in Puglia have tennis courts and/or multi-sports courts that can be used for tennis as well. We list a selection:

• Camping La Masseria in Gallipoli with 1 tennis (hard) court
• Camping Internazionale Manacore in Peschici has 2 tennis (hard) courts
• Torre Rinalda Camping Village near Lecce has 2 tennis (hard) courts

Italians are avid swimmers and many towns and villages have public swimming pools or private clubs, the latter often combined with a restaurant and/or bar. If your camping does not have a swimming pool, the beach is too far or too rocky, head to one of the following. Some may require caps, so please check in advance. Check our Waterparks & swimming pools in Puglia for a full overview!

Puglia is the first Italian region to join the European network called Cities and Regions for Cyclists.

The Giro d’Italia visited Puglia in 2017 with a finish in Alberobello (stage 7) and a start in Molfetta the day after which finished in Peschici (stage 8). See our Giro d'Italia & camping for the new route.

Itenirari cicloturistico. The "Piste Ciclabili" website gives a good overview of the bike routes and paths in Pulia.

Every larger or touristic town in Puglia has one or more bike (and scooter) rental shops. Visit our destination pages for recommendations. 

The Adriatica Cycleway is an Italian tourist cycle route of almost 1250km which links seven Italian regions. It links Trieste with Santa Maria di Leuca. The Pulia part is over 500km long and offers a great variety of landscapes.