Galantina is another of Puglia’s Baroque charmers, but it’s somewhat overshadowed by Lecce, 20kms to the north. The narrow streets of Galantina’s town centre are uniformly lined with elegant townhouses in pale yellow stone, with grand arched doorways and traditional green shutters, and feel like a step back in time when exploring on foot. The best places to stay in Galatina are in this picturesque part of town, with one of our favourites being a charmingly versatile B&B which we recommend as a perfectly affordable base for exploring the whole area.
There has been an elegant town here since the 12th century, but the majority of what you see today comes from the 17th and 18th centuries, when many churches and palaces were built, all in the Puglia Romanesque style, with a definite preference for impressive doorways and balconies, decorated with intricate stonework and wrought iron. And while Galatina is a bit out of the way, that doesn’t mean it hasn’t got its share of great bars and restaurants (it is, arguably, where the famous Puglia dessert, pasticciotto, was invented).
We recommend the best places to stay in Galatina to travellers looking for lesser known Italian gems, the kinds of towns which seem to have stopped in time, and with basilicas decorated with work by famous artists, and churches with historic relics.
The Best Places to Stay in Galatina
The Perfect Base
- Corte Baldi is a charming B&B in the centre of Galatina, converted from a traditional, yellow-painted townhouse. There are 14 rooms and suites, in a useful range of shapes and sizes — a number heave kitchenettes with cooking facilities, and some are ideal for families. Our favourites have private terraces or balconies overlooking the town. The decor is cosy, with beautiful original features including vaulted ceilings and parquet floors, and the owners have amassed some lovely antiques. As well as the rooms there’s a breakfast room, an art room and a peaceful, shaded courtyard.
For a private apartment or villa
- If you’d prefer to stay in an apartment or private villa we recommend you visit our online partner, Booking.com.
Travel Information
- Galantina’s closest international airport is Brindisi Airport,which is about an hour away by car, or about two and a half hours by public transport. Bari Airport, is probably the next closest, higher up Puglia’s coast to the north, and about two and a quarter hours away by road, or close to four hours by train. Bari Airport is served by Ryanair, and some flag carrier airlines, while Brindisi is also served by Ryanair and other European low-cost carriers.
- If you plan to hire a car, which we would advise if you want to get out and explore further afield, we recommend you visit our online partner Rentalcars.
- Galantina is landlocked within beautiful Puglia, which means it has a Mediterranean climate of hot, dry summers and mild winters, but without the coastal location to provide cooling breezes. So in the hottest months of July and August, Galatina anticipates temperatures of 30+°C. November through February are the wettest months. In spring the flowers are a wonder, and you’ll have the gradually warming centres to yourself, then there’s bustling summer, lasting until late September, and the quieter, but still very cheerful stretch between October and December, when the weather is still mild and you can still enjoy lunch on the terrace.
Still not sure where to stay?
