Hi Paul, here's a potted look at Puglia! I would like to upload some photos but my dial up weedy connection is worse than usual at present, so will try sometime later
Promontorio del Gargano, limestone mountains, Foresta Umbra, one of Italy’s last remaining original forest. Have not visited yet myself.There are walking trails and many beaches.
Bari to Brindisi. Spring and (very hot)summer there are flower meadows, many insects, swallows etc. Twisted ancient olive tree plantations. No surface water as you go south, all underground. At Castellana Grotte, limestone cave system, open to public, fabulous stalactites and strange formations. I don’t recommend Fasano zoo because of the bears having small enclosures.
Alberobello, town of trullis, conical stone houses, countryside area with trulli farms of olives, almonds and vines, built possibly by people from Greece, or Crete. “White” towns, Ostuni, Martina Franca,Locorotondo with ancient paved centres. Otranto, Greek influence, mosaic pavements, limestone cliffs and deep blue Adriatic. Lecce, city of baroque buildings. Gallipoli and Taranto.
Basilicata, Matera, interesting city with cave dwellings.
Naples, Vesuvius and Pompeii, a must see if in southern Italy.
I don’t know very much about the rest of the far south. There are train routes to or near all of the towns, but some agricultural areas in south Puglia are not particularly walker friendly as there are often no marked routes, but small attractive country roads, a car is better here for getting around.
kathy