Zoom Puglia

Affectionately referred to as the heel of Italy's "boot," Puglia is known for its whitewashed hill towns, ancient farmland, delicious cuisine, and hundreds of miles of Mediterranean coastline.

It is in Puglia where one can achieve the "old world" experience one often sees in movies. The pasta at even the most casual restaurants is handmade, wines are crafted with pride and care, the mozzarella is perfection, and thousand year old olive groves create olives, the likes of which you may not have ever tasted.

And Puglia certainly doesn't have a shortage of sights. One of the most beautiful towns is Lecce, known as "Florence of the South" for its baroque architecture, will surely be one of your highlights, as well as Alberobello and the Itria Valley, home to the fairytale-like "trulli," stone huts with distinctive conical roofs.

Finally, we leave Puglia for neighboring Matera, a city on a rocky outcrop in the region of Basilicata, best knows for its cave dwellings carved into the mountainside.

This tour has a definite food and wine focus, while we explore the rich history, architecture, and culture as well.