4-Day Ostuni Cooking Experience – Italy

Today you’ll arrive ready for a special stay. Sleep in a typical cone-shaped trullo near Ostuni. The roofs of these whitewashed houses are often decorated with primitive or magical symbols, whilst the interior is surprisingly spacious. The trulli are located on a hill with a beautiful view and have a swimming pool, with a terrace tucked away between the olive trees. It’s central location in the valley makes it perfect for you to easily explore the area.

After breakfast this morning, you can either head out to explore the white town of Ostuni or you can decide to cycle through the olive groves. In the afternoon it’s time to dive into the kitchen for a workshop, where you learn how to make your own orecchiette, a small pasta that is reminiscent of auricles in shape. You will be introduced to the secrets of kneading dough and shaping the ‘ears’. At the end of the workshop, enjoy your homemade dishes all washed down with a good glass of local wine.

Today it’s time to burn off some of those home-cooked carbs and explore the surrounding area. The north of Puglia is greener and hillier than the south and you will find plenty of olive groves here. In fact, 80% of Italian olive oil is pressed in this region. The capital of the trulli villages is Alberobello and from the Belvedere Santa Lucia viewpoint you look out over the sea of ​​gray gabled roofs. In the centre, the trulli are designed for tourists and houses restaurants and souvenir shops but on the outskirts you can stroll through streets where people still live in these unique buildings.

Now it’s time for you to leave Ostuni and travel deeper into the heel of the Italian boot. To hit the market and do some cooking with an Italian mamma, drive to the white baroque city of Lecce in Puglia. If you prefer an Italian siesta then travel to the coast and discover Polignano a Mare, a lively and atmospheric fishing village with beautiful bays and an clear blue water.