Trattoria delle Ruote, via Monticello, near Martina Franca, Puglia, Italy

With a cultivated rustic look and feel, revolving around wagon wheels, the Trattoria delle Ruote is a self-consciously old-fashioned restaurant. From the outside, it looks a bit naff, but the interior is more appealing, thanks to the conical stone roof and the jagged stone walls, decorated with ancient tools and faded photos of farmers. Only the checked table cloths seem a bit contrived. The very simple menus have pictures of the dishes and are listed in several languages, but don't let that put you off. This place does authentic food. The antipasti includes baby mozzarella, ricotta, vegetables, salami and meat balls. It is okay, but nothing special. More memorable is the excellent orecchiette pasta (6 euros) served with a local cheese and tomato sauce, as is the creamy butter bean mash in olive oil. Another standout dish is the mixed grill (12 euros), which includes spicy sausages, liver, lamb on the bone and other meaty morsels. Carnivores will also enjoy the big roll of beef in tomato sauce (12 euros), which is succulent and juicy. The house red wine is full bodied, smooth and very good for just 8 euros a litre. For just 2.5 euros a head, you can round off the evening with some liquors and almond biscuits. They arrive in four unmarked glass bottles. One seems to be limoncello, while the others are flavoured with coffee and cherry. Service is 10 per cent, but is smooth, serene and welcoming. Although it seems to be targeting tourists, Trattoria delle Ruote is justifiably popular with locals.  8/10

Pizzeria alla Panca, Via Principe Umberto, Martina Franca, Puglia, Italy

Opposite one of Martina Franca's extravagantly-carved churches, Pizzeria alla Panca is a big, bustling restaurant with lots of atmosphere. Inside, white cloisters arc over venerable pews separated by elegant wooden partions.  Outside, there is a large terrace in the street and the tables soon fill up with big Italian parties. To start, the antipasti is a seemingly endless stream of small tapas-style dishes, including carpaccio, meat balls, fried vegetables in batter, cured ham and baby mozzarellas. It's pretty good and pretty generous. There is also a broad selection of big, filling pizzas priced between 4 and 7 euros. The carpaccio pizza with rocket, served on a good base, is a winner, while the calzone is massive and packed with meat and cheese. The house red wine, served in carafes, is cheap and chilled, but quite drinkable. Understandably, the waitresses can get rushed, but they do a good job managing the crush. Pizzeria alla Panca is a deserved hit. 8/10

Ostuni, Puglia, Italy

A gleaming white-washed hilltop town high above the plains below, Ostuni is an alluring and easy afternoon trip from the nearby sandy beaches. Extended across several hills, it is a big place and it can be difficult to find its ancient stone citadel. But it is worth the effort. You should aim for the piazza della Libertà, a bustling meeting place overseen by a bishop on an ornate obelisk that towers above the bars, cafes and striking baroque church below.  From here, a stone-paved street winds it way through the old city gradually up to Ostuni's biggest attraction - the cathedral with its spectacular rose window - a wheel of incredibly-detailed carving at the centre of a grand facade. On the way up, you pass too many souvenir shops and under an attractive archway bearing an elegant eighteenth century gallery. From the streets near the church, there are far-reaching views over the surviving city walls, far below, and across the olive groves to the distant sea beyond. Tumbling down from the cathedral are stone lanes and terraces, many of which have been lined with flowering pot plants or commandeered by slouchy chairs from cool bars and restaurants. On summer evenings, you'll find plenty of foreign and Italian tourists in Ostuni, but this picturesque and charismatic town also draws in the locals. 8/10

Scacciapensieri, Martina Franca, Puglia, Italy

Not the place for a refined meal, Scacciapensieri is a no-nonsense pizzeria and trattoria down a side street off Martina Franca's main square. There are two large, well-lit and crudely-decorated rooms, plus a kind of conservatory with a glass roof. The Italian-only menu has a massive list of pizzas, costing between 3 and 7 euros, baked in a wood-fired oven. The quattro formaggi pizza (5.5 euros) is rich, filling and delicious, thanks in part to a generous covering of blue cheese, while the ham pizza is topped with piles of salty meat, which will have you reaching for the water or a large Moretti beer (66cl for just 3 euros). There are plenty of other Italian dishes, but the pizzas, which have light and large bases, are top notch. Still, on a week day evening, Scacciapensieri may only attract a smattering of diners, mostly Italian families, and can lack atmosphere.  The cover charge of 1.5 euros a head pays for a bowl of salty olives, while the service is friendly and efficient. 7/10

Martina Franca, Puglia, Italy

On the edge of Martina Franca's new town, a leafy square leads to a venerable stone gateway, flanked by chic cafes, that heralds the beginning of the town's historic core. On the other side is a smaller square, overlooked by an imposing neo-classical town hall. A narrow alley, shaded by stately nineteenth century townhouses, leads to another square where you will find the relatively-restrained, yet magnificent, baroque facade of the massive eighteenth century church Chiesa di San Martino, which towers above a much older bell tower. On summer evenings, the timeless and atmospheric wood-panelled bars and restaurants around these squares buzz with Italians of all ages. Elsewhere in Martina Franca's maze of old streets, you'll find more extraordinary baroque churches and the occasional elaborate wrought iron balconies and ancient archways. Beneath your feet, the aged paving stones are smooth and shiny, while souvenir shops are noticeable by their absence. From one section of the surviving stretches of Medieval walls, there are distant views across a trulli-studded landscape to the compact white hill top town of Locorotondo. Some distance from the sea, Martina Franca is a fine and refreshingly untouristy town. 8/10

Lecce, Puglia, Italy

Heralded as Baroque's answer to Florence, Lecce is a glistening jewel of bizarre architecture in the sun-drenched deep south of Italy.  You can park cheaply quite near one of the grand gates to the seventeenth century heart of the city - an atmospheric maze of narrow, stone-paved streets with a wealth of well-preserved buildings. At Lecce's heart is Piazza Sant'Oronzo. One side of this yawning square is dominated  by a sunken and substantial Roman amphitheatre, which has about a dozen rows of stone terraces overlooking a pit, still used for performances.  The square also has what looks like a modern reconstruction of a medieval tower, ornately carved and fitted with large glass windows,  plus a very substantial statue of a bishop blessing his flock atop a column towering over the buildings. Unfortunately, the garish facade of a branch of McDonalds mars the historic harmony. Not far to the north is the Baroque masterpiece Basilica di Santa Croce, which has an extraordinarily lavish facade with just about every inch carved with flowers, fruit, mythical creatures, cherubs and much else - the stonesmiths have taken full advantage of the local, malleable stone. Both the overall effect and the many, many intricate details will hold your gaze. The stately white interior is also worth a look. Anywhere else, the adjacent Palazzo Della Provincia would be a landmark, but it is totally overshadowed by the Basilica. Behind the Palazzo, across a busy ring road, is a pleasant park, which fills up with local families in the evenings.

Polomo 1 beach, near Ostuni, Puglia, Italy

About 8km from the gleaming white hilltop town of Ostuni, Polomo 1 is a well-run beach with fairly fine sand and plenty of space, even in the high season. You pay five euros for a space in the shaded car park, which is equipped with toilets and showers.  You can also shell out for an umbrella, but the dunes provide pockets of shade, if you need it. The beach is made up of a series of small sandy coves, some with only a couple of sunbathers on a July weekday. What's more, the water is clear, the waves are gentle and most of the litter is in the bins. Polomo 1 would be perfect for kids, except the sea gets deep quite quickly and there are some rocks to negotiate near the shoreline. 8/10

Palazzo Guglielmo, Piazza Umberto, Vignacastrisi, Puglia, Italy

A real find, Palazzo Guglielmo is a substantial and handsome nineteenth century house in the heart of the small town of Vignacastrisi. Through the impressive front doorway, a large archway leads magically into an enormous walled garden, complete with an outdoor swimming pool, lined with wicker sun loungers, plus mature citrus and palm trees, shading sitting areas and elegant pathways. The 150-year-old house has cloistered ceilings, and an airy living room downstairs with comfy seats, mellow music and stacks of books about Salento. Unusually, there are also several fine communal rooms upstairs leading out to a series of roof terraces, the largest of which is lined with padded benches, cushion and drapes, and shaded by a bamboo canopy. Another terrace is equipped with a hot tub and yet another terrace offers views over the garden and the town’s rooftops. There is also free Wi-Fi and some adult bikes available for guests.