Puglia or Apulia is a region in the south-east of Italy. If you see Italy as a boot, then Puglia forms the heel of the Italian peninsula. It is bordered by Basilicata, Campania and Molise. It has a very long coast, the longest in Italy, bordering the Adriatic and Ionian Seas. It is narrow region, mainly flat and dry, with a few low-lying hills. Massive amounts of olive oil, pasta and wine are produced here.

Many people come here for the beach - the coastline is lovely with long white-sand beaches interspersed with rocky outcrops. Outstanding is the Gargano peninsula, stunningly beautiful with fishing villages and the 5th century town of Monte Sant'Angelo. In the summer the coast is a popular holiday destination for the rest of Italy.

However, it would be wrong to depict Puglia as being all about the beach and the sea. The area has been occupied by both the Greeks and the Romans (amongst others) and they have left behind a huge architectural and historic legacy. There are also some lovely hilltop towns such as Cisternino and Ostuni with its gothic cathedral. The town of Lecce with its fabulous cathedral, churches, castle and amphitheatre is often known as the 'Florence of the South'.

And that's not all - Puglia can offer a type of holiday acommodation which is entirely unique and a tourist attraction in its own right. The trullo is an ancient round house with a conical roof. Many of these have been converted into self catering holiday lets and are ideal if you are looking for something completely different. For those not renting a trullo, you can visit hem in protected areas such as Alberobello. Puglia also offers the masseria as an unusual holiday rental. These are old estate houses or rural mansions, often dating back the the 16th century and can be rented as a whole or may have been converted into holiday apartments or boutique guesthouses. Of course there are also plenty of 'normal' places to stay, with villas, houses and apartments by the sea available to let.

Puglia is now on the budget airline map, with cheap flights available to Bari and Brindisi, so why not get there now, before the rest of the world does!