The best way to experience the region's cultural and architectural diversity is by car. The roads are often confusing and the signs disorienting, but don't fight it. Throw away your maps and get lost in Puglia's charming, well-preserved towns. May, June, and September are the region's most beautiful months; in late July and all of August, Italian tourists take over.

The country code for Italy is 39. Prices quoted are for May 2006.

Lodging
With the advent of a new generation of hotels, it's now easy to find good places to stay in Puglia. In Savelletri di Fasanois, the Masseria San Domenico has an 18-hole golf course, a spa, and a huge saltwater pool. The rooms are comfortable if not stylish (080-482-7769; imasseria.com; doubles, $478–$562). Nearby, the low-key, 37-room Masseria Torre Coccaro has a spa in its grotto, a terrific cooking school, and a chic beach club five minutes away (080-482-9310; masseriatorrecoccaro.com; doubles, $358–$450).

Near the town of Monopoli, Il Melograno was the pioneer of the masserias, but almost 20 years later it's in need of a face-lift. Better to book into the beach annex, La Peschiera, a converted 17th-century Bourbon fishery that has 11 rooms with sea views and a good, if pricey, restaurant (080-690-9030; melograno.com; doubles, $562–$657; three-course prix fixe, $72).

Several new properties combine traditional structures with modern interiors. In the heart of Ostuni, Milan's Culti family has transformed a 15th-century olive press into La Sommità Relais, a small hotel. Everything from the sheets to the tableware is designed by the family's firm, and the views from the public areas and spa are extraordinary (0831-305-925; lasommita.it; doubles, $260–$360). A less expensive option near Ostuni, the Borgo San Marco gracefully combines a masseria with a working farm. Owner Alessandro Amati has painstakingly restored the 15th-century structure, creating a 14-room hotel that's Pugliese with a bohemian edge. One of the rock churches, formerly a 10th-century farmhouse, has a beautiful fresco (080-439-5757; borgosanmarco.it; doubles, $180). A short drive away, Il Frantoio feels more like traditional agriturismo: no air-conditioning and basic rooms, but the dinners are exceptional and the owners provide an authentic experience (0831-330-276; trecolline.it; doubles, $210; prix fixe, $60).

Over the last couple of years, foreigners have been snapping up the traditional trulli farmhouses and restoring them. For the experience of sleeping in one of the domed dwellings, book a room at Abate Masseria & Resort, near Alberobello, a village that has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The spacious whitewashed-stone rooms have mod cons, there's a great restaurant, and the price is excellent (080-497-8288; abatemasseria.it; doubles, $80–$220; entrées, $5–$28).

In Lecce, the Patria Palace is perfectly situated for exploring the Baroque city's many attractions. Ask for a room with a terrace overlooking the Santa Croce Basilica (0832-245-111; starwood.com; doubles, $215–$290). Forty minutes south, near the small village of Marittima di Diso, the eight-room Convento di Santa Maria di Costantinopoli is a cloistered enclave where the rates include laundry service, lunch, and unlimited drinks (44-773-636-2328, in the United Kingdom; doubles, $300). If you stay there, hire a little motorboat from Durlindana Noleggio and drift slowly along the Salentine coast (0836-943-916; half-day, $95).

Among rental villas, the standout is the Casino Pisanelli, near Santa Maria di Leuca. This converted 18th-century hunting lodge sleeps 16 (info@casinopisanelli.com; $5,300–$9,400 per week).

Dining
The most authentic dishes tend to be found in the more humble dining rooms, but at Ostuni's Osteria Piazzetta Cattedrale, you'll find atmosphere, excellent food, and a well-edited wine list. Try the burrata cheese with figs and prosciutto, the baked cannelloni with zucchini flowers and ricotta, and the warm hazelnut cake (7 Via Arcidiacono Trinchera; 0831-335-026; entrées, $7–$18). In Martina Franca, Ritrovo degli Amici has a small, elegant dining room, a romantic candlelit courtyard, and a menu of extremely well-rendered Pugliese dishes (8 Corso Messapia; 080-483-9249; entrées, $11–$18).

Two restaurants in Minervino Murge, near Castel del Monte, do traditional country food very well. La Tradizione has flavorful plates of tunacedde snails (11/13 Via Imbriani; 0883-691-690; entrées, $4–$7), and Ristorante Pizzeria l'Antico Palazzo serves antipasti that are baked in terra-cotta dishes and are meals in themselves (Corso de 24 Gasperi; 0883-692-622; entrées, $6–$11).

The Torrente Antico, in Trani, is known for its seafood (3 Via Fusco; 0883-487-911; entrées, $7–$18). In Alberobello, foodies flock to Il Poeta Contadino, where the food is good and the wine cellar famous (21 Via Indipendenza; 0804-321-917; entrées, $18–$24). In Polignano a Mare, a village built into the cliffs above the sea, Donna Gina has spectacular views though less than spectacular food (7-9 Via Cala Porto; 080-424-0914; entrées, $7–$36). Chichibio, on the other hand, has a superb kitchen but faces a piazza cum parking lot (12 Largo Gelso; 080-424-0488; entrées, $10–$22). Polignano a Mare is famous for its ice cream. Try the caffè nocciola (hazelnut coffee) flavor at Il Super Mago del Gelo (22 Piazza Garibaldi).

A true discovery, Lecce's Cucina Casareccia is a simple restaurant with incredible food (19 Via Costadura; 0832-245-178; entrées, $7–$17). Marittima's Aria Corte bakes perfectly juicy chicken in a wood oven (32 Via Roma; 0836-920-272; entrées, $6–$13).

Reading
It's time for guidebooks to devote more space to Puglia. Until they do, the 50 pages in Rough Guide's Italy have the most detailed and useful information ($25). Patience Gray's Honey from a Weed traces the history of cucina povera in places such as Tuscany and Puglia to great effect (Lyons Press, $17).