The city is famous for orecchiette pasta, named after the Italian word for ‘ear’ because it looks like one. The appendage-shaped treats can be slurped up in most restaurants and are occasionally seen being made by locals in the streets
Bari in southern Italy’s Puglia has been named Europe’s second-best shoulder season destination by Omio(Image: Getty Images)
An Italian seaside city that rivals Santorini may be the perfect place to visit in autumn.
Bari in southern Italy’s Puglia has been named Europe’s second-best shoulder season destination by Omio. And there are an awful lot of reasons why a trip to Bari is best kept for September or October. For one, the weather.
In the summer, large parts of southern Italy are simply too hot. The mercury can creep up towards 40 °C in August, while sitting in the mid-20 °C range at night, making sleep tricky. The particularly ferocious heat and dry weather this summer led to wildfires breaking out across the broader Puglia region.
In autumn, things are cooler, yet still pleasantly warm and sunny for most of the time. In September, it averages 25°C during the day and 21°C in October.
The city of 316,000 is well known in Italy, but certainly not a huge name beyond the borders of the boot-shaped country. It’s certainly not as big a draw as Santorini, but it arguably competes with the Aegean island. Santorini offers dramatic volcanic scenery, luxury caldera views, and iconic sunsets, but Bari does affordable, authentic Italian city experience with fewer crowds, great food and lovely people.
Bari also has an old town that is well worth losing yourself in, which makes heading there when the crowds are lighter outside of summer much more appealing. There you’ll find a wonderful, chaotic maze of narrow alleys, starkly contrasting with the broad, orderly grid of the newer city. You could spend an entire day just wandering it, discovering hidden courtyards and unexpected corners at every turn.
The city is famous for orecchiette pasta, named after the Italian word for ‘ear’ because it looks like one. The appendage-shaped treats can be slurped up in most restaurants and are occasionally seen being made by locals in the streets.
Bari is famous as a foodie destination, with street food filling the old town’s courtyards and alleyways alongside traditional restaurants. The other major edible attraction is focaccia, the crispy-bottomed, dough treat topped with tomatoes and herbs. It can be, and is, eaten at any time of day.
If you’re after a little history, head to the Norman castle. It stands at the entrance to the old town and was built in the 12th century by the Normans under King Roger — a stern, dramatic contrast to the lively chaos of the surrounding lanes.
Bari has excellent nearby beaches. The city’s most accessible beach is Pane e Pomodoro Beach, a popular, sandy public spot right along the seafront. Take a short trip south and you’ll reach Lama Monachile, a dramatic pebble cove framed by steep limestone cliffs, located about 37 minutes by car or train from Bari. Towns like Monopoli and its surrounding sandy stretches, like Capitolo, offer much better sandy beach experiences and clearer water, within a 30-to-40-minute train ride.
If you do decide to stick to Bari’s city beaches, you won’t be disappointed, and you’ll have enough time to fit in a cultural excursion later in the day. Which is key, as Bari is such a good base for exploring Puglia. Bari connects easily by train or car to gems like Alberobello’s trulli houses (50 minutes) and Matera, making it a smart hub-and-spoke base rather than just a standalone stop.
The city has a good choice of museums, including the civic and archaeological museums, plus refurbished contemporary art spaces like Teatro Margherita and Spazio Murat, giving the city more cultural range than its “seaside old town” reputation suggests.
For Welsh travellers, the easiest way to get to Bari is from Bristol Airport, where both easyJet and Ryanair fly to the Italian city. There are return fares from £66 with Ryanair this October.
Europe’s best shoulder season destinations
- Split
- Bari
- Bologna
- Corfu
- Salzburg
- Ljubljana
- Granada
- Valencia
- Porto
- Naples
