What to see nearby

Start at Porta Vecchia and walk down to the harbour: that is where every photo you have seen was taken. Cala Porta Vecchia is the little beach inside the walls, tiny and packed in August.

The centre fills up in the evening: for dinner near the harbour, book a table.

The old town is closed to cars: park outside and walk in, a few minutes. In the warm months come early or towards evening — midday is crowded.

From the Lama Monachile terrace you can see the old bridge; the balconies over the sea are inside the old town, past the arch.

North, Porto Ghiacciolo with the abbey behind it and one cove after another. South, the Capitolo area, with beach clubs, umbrellas, bars and parking.

With a car you change beach in ten minutes: that is why people rent one even when they stay put.

There are two routes, a short one and a long one that reaches the White Cave. It stays around fifteen degrees down there all year: bring a sweatshirt even in August, and closed shoes.

Tour times change with the season and sell out in peak months: check the official site and book before you set off.

Rione Monti is the postcard one, full of shops; Aia Piccola, across the road, is quieter and people still live there. Seeing both is half the pleasure.

Come early or late in the afternoon: in the middle of the day the coaches arrive and the alleys turn into a queue.

The centre is a circle of white houses with geraniums at the windows: an unhurried hour is enough. From the viewpoint you see the whole valley, full of trulli and vineyards.

It pairs well with Cisternino or Martina Franca: the three are ten minutes from each other.

That is what people come for: the «fornello pronto». Walk into the butcher's, point at what you want, and twenty minutes later it arrives grilled. Evenings, especially in summer, mean waiting.

All around is olive-grove country with dry stone walls: the drive alone is worth it.

You enter through the Santo Stefano arch and walk among white palaces and churches: it is baroque, unlike the villages around it.

In summer there is a music festival, and on those evenings the town changes character: if you are here then, check the programme.

Park at the bottom and walk up: the centre's streets are narrow and steep, so comfortable shoes help. From the top, near the cathedral, you can see all the way to the sea.

Below Ostuni are the beaches of Costa Merlata and Rosa Marina: town in the morning, water in the afternoon.

The old town is a tangle of alleys between the basilica and the castle; Arco Basso is the hand-made orecchiette street, where you buy them on the spot.

Leave the car in a car park outside the walls and do the rest on foot: driving inside is no fun.

There and back is about 170 km, so on a two or three day rental it fits comfortably within the included kilometres.

Park at the top and walk down into the Sassi, through steps and slopes: comfortable shoes, and water in summer. The best view is at sunset, from the belvedere opposite.