Things to Do in Ostuni: White City Walks, Masserie, and Puglia Views

Ostuni is built on three hills above the Adriatic plain — a pale limestone town of whitewashed walls and tangled lanes that earns its name (la Citta Bianca, the White City) from every angle approaching it. The old town is compact enough to cover on foot in a morning, but the countryside around it — ancient olive groves, masserie, and a flat coastal plain leading to sandy beaches — rewards a full day or an overnight stay.

Walking the Old Town

The centro storico rises steeply from the newer lower town and is best entered from Piazza della Liberta, the main square at the foot of the old walls. From there, a network of stepped lanes and archway passages climbs toward the Cathedral at the highest point.

Piazza della Liberta and the Column of Sant’Oronzo

The main square is anchored by an 18th-century column topped by a statue of Sant’Oronzo — the patron saint of Lecce and Brindisi province, credited with ending a 1657 plague. The column is a standard Salentine baroque gesture; the square around it functions as Ostuni’s main social gathering point. Bar Caffetteria del Corso (Corso Mazzini 99) on the square serves good espresso from approximately €1.20 and is a decent place to orient before climbing.

The Cathedral

The Duomo di Ostuni (Piazza Beato Giovanni d’Otranto) is the architectural centrepiece of the old town — a late-Gothic facade from the 1400s with a rose window and unusual ogival arch profile that doesn’t match the Romanesque or baroque buildings more common in Puglia. The building is striking from outside; the interior is simpler but contains a 15th-century wooden choir and several painted panels.

Visiting: open daily from approximately 08:00 to 12:30 and 16:00 to 20:00 (reduced hours in winter). Free entry. Allow 20 minutes.

The Lanes and Views

The value of the old town is the walking rather than any single monument. Explore the lanes above the Cathedral — Via Cattedrale, Vicolo del Pozzo, the archway passage behind Piazza Beato Giovanni — for views south across the olive plain to the Adriatic. On clear days the sea is visible from the highest terrace points. The streets are very white in full sun (bring sunglasses); the best light for photography is before 09:00 or after 17:00.

Museo delle Civilta Preclassiche della Murgia Meridionale

The museum (Via Cattedrale 15, inside a 15th-century convent) houses the skeleton of a Neolithic woman found buried in the Monopoli area in 1991 — known as Delia, approximately 25,000 years old and buried with decorative shells and ochre pigment. There are also Bronze Age artefacts from the area and panels on Messapian civilisation.

Entry: approximately €3 as of 2026. Open Tuesday to Sunday 09:00 to 13:00 and 15:00 to 19:00 (summer); shorter hours in winter. Allow 45 minutes. Small and genuinely interesting rather than comprehensive.

Olive Oil and Masseria Country

The flat plain below Ostuni is covered in ancient olive groves — many trees are several hundred years old, their trunks grotesquely gnarled and wide. This is among the most productive olive oil territory in Puglia.

Masseria Visits

Several masserie (fortified farmhouses) in the countryside around Ostuni offer lunch, tours, and olive oil tasting. Booking in advance is essential in summer.

Masseria Il Frantoio (SS16, approximately 8km from Ostuni) — one of the better-established masseria experiences in the area. Working olive oil farm with tours of the antique press and a fixed-menu lunch (approximately €45—55 per person as of 2026). The lunch uses estate produce: aged ricotta, grilled vegetables, pasta with local sauces, and a plate of cheeses. Book at least a week ahead in July and August.

Masseria Montenapoleone (SP65, approximately 6km from Ostuni) — smaller, more intimate. Lunch served under a pergola, including fresh mozzarella and burrata made on-site. Approximately €35 per person for the fixed menu as of 2026.

Olive Oil Tastings

If a full masseria lunch is not the goal, several farms sell directly and offer short tastings. Ask about frante (press-fresh oil) in October—November if visiting during harvest season. Year-round, single-estate Ogliarola Salentina oil from the Ostuni valley is worth taking home. Prices from approximately €8—14 per 500ml as of 2026 at farm gates; higher in town shops.

Cycling and E-Bikes

The flat agricultural land between Ostuni and the coast is well-suited to cycling — farm tracks and minor roads through the olive groves connect to the beach towns below. Several operators in Ostuni hire e-bikes and standard bikes.

BikeSud Puglia (Via Garibaldi, Ostuni) — e-bike hire from approximately €25—35/day as of 2026. Offers guided tours of the olive groves with stops at a masseria. Booking ahead is advisable in peak season.

A self-guided route from Ostuni down to Torre San Leonardo and back via the coastal road is approximately 35km round trip — flat except for the climb back up to town at the end.

The Beaches Below Ostuni

Ostuni’s beaches are about 10—15 minutes by car (or bike) from the old town, on the Adriatic coastal strip.

Torre San Leonardo — a fine-sand beach with a mix of free and paid sections. Sunbed and umbrella hire from approximately €12—18/pair/day as of 2026. Less developed than some Puglia resorts; the water is shallow and clear.

Rosa Marina — a resort village (private development from the 1960s) with calmer water in a sheltered bay. Better for families with young children; more organised than Torre San Leonardo. Bus connections exist but are infrequent in summer.

Villanova — further along the coast (approximately 15km from Ostuni), a quieter alternative with fewer sunbed operations and some free beach access.

Day Trips from Ostuni

Ostuni is well-placed for Puglia day trips:

• Alberobello — approximately 45 minutes by car or 1 hour by FSE train via Fasano. The trulli UNESCO town.
• Lecce — approximately 60 minutes by car or regional train. Puglia’s baroque capital, worth half a day minimum.
• Monopoli — approximately 30 minutes north by car; good seafood and a pleasant old port.
• Fasano Safari Zoo — approximately 20 minutes by car; one of Italy’s better safari parks, particularly good for families (entry approximately €30 adult, €20 child as of 2026).

Practical Notes

Getting to the old town: parking is restricted in the centro storico. Use the car parks on Piazza Italia or Via degli Ipogei below the old walls (approximately €1.50/hour as of 2026) and walk up.

Best timing: July and August are busy with Italian domestic tourists and an increasing number of international visitors. May, June, September, and October are more comfortable. The old town is at its best in the very early morning (before 08:30) when the lanes are quiet and the light is clean.

Eating and drinking: see our separate food guide for Ostuni for restaurant recommendations. The old town has several good trattorias; the better ones require booking in summer.