The villages of the province of Brindisi: seven towns, one easy base

Which towns near Brindisi are worth visiting?

At six in the evening in Mesagne, the shutters go up again after the long afternoon pause. Someone sweeps the step of a bakery, two old men take their chairs out into the lane, and the stone of the old walls turns the colour of honey. Nobody is there for you. That is the point.

The province of Brindisi is one of the least known parts of Puglia, and one of the easiest to explore. It runs from the Adriatic coast inland to the edge of the Valle d'Itria, and most of its towns are within 40 minutes of the city. Ostuni gets the crowds and has its own guide in our day trips from Brindisi. This page is about the others: seven towns where you see Apulian life as it is, with castles, baroque churches, Messapian walls and very good food, and no queue for a photo.

Here is what each one is for, how far it is, and how to combine them.

How far are the villages from Brindisi? A distance table

Times are by car from Brindisi old town, outside rush hour. Treat them as "about": tractors, roadworks and summer traffic all play a part.

A car makes everything easier, but Mesagne, Oria and Francavilla Fontana are realistic by regional train. Check times on Trenitalia the day before, and remember that some smaller stations sit a few kilometres from the centre.

Mesagne: the heart-shaped old town 15 minutes away

Mesagne is the town I send people to first, because it is close and it surprises. The old centre is enclosed by walls that draw the shape of a heart on the map, and inside it you find white stone palazzi, small baroque churches and lanes that open suddenly onto a square.

The castle grew from a Norman tower into a noble residence and now holds the Museo Archeologico Ugo Granafei, with finds from the Messapian, Greek and Roman periods. Walk out to the church of Sant'Anna and the Chiesa Matrice, then stay for the evening. In summer the squares fill with tables and the town feels like a small city.

Good for: a first taste of the province, an evening out, travellers without a car (it has a station on the Brindisi to Taranto line).

Oria: Frederick II's castle and a medieval summer

Oria sits on a hill above the plain, and you see its castle long before you arrive. The Castello Svevo is linked to Frederick II, the emperor who also built Brindisi's castle, and the town around it climbs to a large baroque cathedral with a tiled dome.

Oria also had one of the important Jewish communities of medieval southern Italy, and the old Jewish quarter is still part of the walk through the centre. Every summer the town stages the Corteo Storico di Federico II e Torneo dei Rioni, a costumed parade with hundreds of participants and a contest between the town's districts. It has usually been held in late July or the first half of August; check the year's programme before you go.

Good for: history lovers, families, a train day (about 30 minutes from Brindisi).

San Vito dei Normanni and Carovigno: castles, crypts and the sea nearby

These two towns sit next to each other, north-west of Brindisi, and pair well in one afternoon.

San Vito dei Normanni has a castle on the main square, built around a Norman tower, and narrow old lanes that locals call stratodde. Its best treasures are underground: rock-cut Byzantine crypts in the countryside, especially the Cripta di San Biagio, with frescoes dated to the late 12th century. Opening is often by arrangement, so ask locally before you drive out.

Carovigno is smaller and higher, with a castle and white lanes that feel close to Ostuni in spirit, without the crowds. Its big moment is the 'Nzegna, a festival in the week after Easter when local men throw and wave a large coloured banner in honour of the Madonna del Belvedere. It is also the town of the Torre Guaceto nature reserve, so you can combine a morning on the beach with a late lunch and an evening walk in town. Our beaches near Brindisi guide covers the reserve.

Francavilla Fontana and Ceglie Messapica: baroque streets and serious food

Francavilla Fontana is the third largest town of the province and the least touristy of all. Its centre is a grid of baroque palazzi with carved balconies, built when the Imperiali family ruled here. Their residence, the Castello Imperiali, faces the main square. Visit the Basilica del Santissimo Rosario, look up at the 18th-century clock tower, and enjoy a town where nobody is selling you anything.

Ceglie Messapica is where people in the province go to eat. The town was an important Messapian centre, and its old core climbs to a ducal castle, but the reason most people come is the table. Look for the biscotto cegliese, a small almond biscuit filled with jam that is a Slow Food presidium, and for trattorie that cook the inland way: vegetables, wild greens, lamb, cheeses. Ceglie also holds a food festival in summer; check dates locally.

Both towns sit at the edge of the Valle d'Itria, so the drive itself, through olive groves and dry-stone walls, is part of the trip.

Cisternino: the Valle d'Itria without leaving the province

Cisternino is technically in the province of Brindisi, and it is one of the white towns of the Valle d'Itria. It is about 45 to 50 minutes away, so slightly over our 40-minute line, but too good to leave out.

The old centre is a tangle of whitewashed lanes, outside staircases and flower pots. In the evening, follow the smoke: Cisternino is known for its butcher-grills, butcher shops with a wood or charcoal oven where you choose meat at the counter and they cook it for you to eat at simple tables outside. Look for bombette, small rolls of pork with cheese. It is an evening out more than a sightseeing visit.

Combine it with Ostuni (about 20 minutes away) or with Locorotondo for a full Valle d'Itria day. Our 7-day Puglia itinerary shows how.

How to combine the villages: three half-day loops

You do not need to see all seven. Choose by mood.

• History loop: Mesagne in the morning, lunch, Oria in the late afternoon, back to Brindisi for dinner. About 1 hour 15 of driving in total.
• Sea and castles loop: Torre Guaceto beach in the morning, Carovigno for lunch, San Vito dei Normanni at sunset.
• Food loop: Ceglie Messapica in the late afternoon for a walk and biscuits, Cisternino for a butcher-grill dinner. Choose a driver who does not drink, or book a taxi.

Practical tips: churches and museums often close between about 13:00 and 16:30, so plan mornings for visits and evenings for walking. Park outside the old centres, where many lanes are pedestrian or limited traffic zones; our driving and parking guide explains the signs. And carry some cash for small bakeries.

Why base yourself in Brindisi for the province?

Brindisi sits at the centre of its province, with fast roads fanning out in every direction: the SS7 west to Mesagne, Oria and Francavilla, the SS379 north to San Vito, Carovigno and Ostuni. Every town in this guide is a short drive away, and the airport is about 10 minutes from the old town, so you can land and be in Mesagne for the evening walk.

At BDS House you have a whole home in Brindisi's old town for up to six people, with two private terraces and a full kitchen, which is useful when you come back from Ceglie with a bag of biscuits and a bottle of local wine. For the bigger names, Lecce, Alberobello and Polignano, see Brindisi as a base for Puglia.