What’s the best time of year to visit Puglia?
- Christopher White
- 8 hours ago
- 9 min read
Visiting Puglia is wonderful at most times of year, due to its average daily sunshine hours and warm temperatures. But if you're thinking of planning a Puglia holiday, you might be wondering what the best time of year to visit is. This handy guide should help you figure out when would be the best time for you, depending on what sort of holiday experience you want.
You're planning a Puglia holiday. But what’s the best time of year to visit Puglia?
This is a GREAT question, and I think it really depends on what sort of Puglia holiday you want!
Skip to month-by-month overviews of when to visit Puglia:
My first experience of visiting Puglia: a sizzling August
My very first time visiting Puglia in 2010 took place in the month of August. At that point, I barely had any notion of where Puglia was, or what it was like. I’d been invited by a friend who had recently moved over there, and I was just going along for a jolly, with no idea I’d completely fall in love with the place.
Going in August meant that I was in Puglia for the annual ‘Ferragosto’ celebration, a national holiday. That was really fun! It was also lovely and hot, with fantastic weather.
Since then, I’ve visited Puglia in every month except the winter months: November, December, January and February.
According to friends who live in Puglia, November can offer nice weather, but the remaining three months can be a little like the British weather: cold, grey and quite wet. They have experienced snow there, but it’s rare.
That being said, Italians – including the Pugliese people – do Christmas really well. I’ve always wanted to go in December just to experience their festivities. If I do, I’ll write a blog about it for you!
The sort of weather you’d like, and how busy you are prepared Puglia to be, will largely determine the best time of year for you to travel to Puglia.
So read on for a personal run down of each month in Puglia – including weather factors – and you can decide when might be best for you.
January in Puglia
High 12°C | Low 4°C
Average daily sunshine hours: 4
Average rainfall: 62mm, 10 days
Likely to be slightly warmer than the UK, but it’s the mid point of winter in Puglia, so you won’t be sunbathing or going to beach clubs.
Winter months see the lowest tourist numbers in Puglia, and whilst it will feel much quieter than summer, many of the restaurants and bars remain open for the locals so you'll always have plenty of options for food and drink. Just be prepared to wrap up warm, and take your winter clothing and footwear.
February in Puglia
High 13°C | Low 5°C
Average daily sunshine hours: 4
Average rainfall: 57mm, 8 days
With slightly longer days, and a little less rainfall on average, you might get a sense of early spring in February, by visiting Puglia this month.
But again, on average it will probably still feel much like winter here. Perhaps a good time to visit to avoid any other tourists at all!
March in Puglia
High 16°C | Low 7°C
Average daily sunshine hours: 5
Average rainfall: 50mm, 8 days
I’ve visited Puglia in March, and actually it can be a really nice time to go. The day times can warm up to t-shirt and shorts weather – although just a warning, if you wear that attire in public in March, people will stare at you and even go as far as to laugh! (Italians don’t wear shorts until July, and take them promptly off on September 1st.)
Evenings in March are still dark and cold, so if you do travel then, make sure you bring winter wear with you.
What I really loved about March was the display of wildflowers in the countryside, which come out a little earlier than they do in the UK.
Seaside towns like Otranto and Porto Cesareo will still be really quiet in March, and you won’t find anyone sunbathing on the beach. The sea will feel very cold if you decide to take a dip.
However when it comes to restaurants, many of them still get busy with locals, so if you’ve set your heart on eating in a specific place, make sure you book ahead.
April in Puglia
High 19°C | Low 9°C
Average daily sunshine hours: 7
Average rainfall: 69mm, 10 days
April brings more rain, but more sunshine – so you can imagine the weather is a little bit all over the place. Some days it can be boiling hot, the next it might be cold and very wet.
Life starts to gently creak back into action in April, and overall if you’re looking for a holiday which can get pleasantly warm, but definitely not scorching, then April in Puglia might be for you.
Certainly in the second half of the month, it’s really nice going to Puglia if you err on the side of warmer weather. You’ll probably still need to pack long trousers and jumpers, plus a waterproof.
May in Puglia
High 24°C | Low 13°C
Average daily sunshine hours: 8
Average rainfall: 35mm, 6 days
May in Puglia is really lovely: the red earth and grasses of the countryside have not yet been scorched by months of endless brutal sunshine, so it feels vibrant and lush. In May you can get really hot days, and if not hot, then very warm. You can start sunbathing on the beach without fear of getting tutted at by the locals!
The sea is starting to warm up in May, but it’ll still feel really fresh.
Again, pack long trousers and jumpers for the evenings, as the proper hot weather won’t have arrived yet.
June in Puglia
High 28°C | Low 17°C
Average daily sunshine hours: 9
Average rainfall: 14mm, 4 days
June in Puglia could be my favourite month to visit. It’s still lush, really warm – bordering on hot – and the light is just incredible. You will probably get days when the heat gets really intense, but overall it’s super.
If you’re averse to super hot weather, you can still go to Puglia in June, but try and pick the first half rather than the latter.
July in Puglia
High 31°C | Low 20°C
Average daily sunshine hours: 10
Average rainfall: 24mm, 3 days
July in Puglia is when this region really starts swinging! Pack light, because there is simply no need for clothing that preserves body heat – evenings here will only require whatever you wear in the day times: short sleeves, shorts, breathable shirts and the like. Wearing socks will only make you feel even hotter, so a good idea is to take some slides, or boat shoes which you can wear without them.
And don’t come underprepared for the heat: buy portable, rechargeable handheld fans if you can, because there will be times when you need them – especially before you adjust to the heat.
Most – if not all – accommodation in Puglia should have air conditioning, so you can enjoy a cool home. That’s especially important when the heat is at its most intense from around midday; and again in the evening, when you are trying to go to sleep. I’ve slept in friends’ guest rooms without air con or fans, in July, and let me tell you, it borders on barbaric.
However, intense heat sometimes brings intense thunderstorms, occasionally with hail. When those days hit, they're best observed from your villa's porch, with glass of wine in hand (here's some Pugliese wines you can buy to do the same at home).
The other downside to visiting Puglia in July (along with the heat, if that’s not your thing) is that tourism really ramps up here, especially when schools break up. Increased demand then makes everything more expensive, but especially accommodation, travel (flights) and car hire. If you have children, there’s not a lot you can do about that except for take the hit, but if you don’t, then my best advice would be to avoid school holidays.
That being said, July is really a cracking month to be in Puglia: you will be enveloped by its perpetual warmth and sunshine.
August in Puglia
High 31°C | Low 20°C
Average daily sunshine hours: 9
Average rainfall: 30mm, 3 days
Both July and August have the most potential for heat, and I’ve certainly experienced heatwaves in both months. The sort of days where any sort of movement brings on unstoppable sweating. Although, the benefit to that sort of weather is that you naturally need to slow down, and that can be great for starting to properly unwind.
Most of the country – and most of Europe – takes August off, and many Italians, Germans, British and Americans like to holiday in Puglia. That means the roads get pretty busy, as do the restaurants, beaches, hotels…everything gets pretty busy actually.
Ferragosto is a fantastic holiday to be in Puglia for, so if you do find yourself wanting great weather, and fun vibes, then August is a great month for it. Just be prepared for lots of fellow tourists – and make sure you book restaurants a couple of days ahead!
(Ferragosto in Puglia is the peak of the Italian summer. Celebrated on August 15th, it marks both a national public holiday - the Assumption of Mary - and the height of the vacation season. In Puglia, it's characterised by massive beach gatherings, spectacular midnight fireworks, and traditional feasting.)
September in Puglia
High 27°C | Low 17°C
Average daily sunshine hours: 8
Average rainfall: 50mm, 8 days
My absolute second favourite time to visit Puglia is September. That’s because it’s still lovely and warm, the sea is so nice to swim in (and I usually dislike cold water swimming), and the crowds thin out a bit because school holidays come to an end.
It’ll still be fairly busy, but you do get better prices on flights, hotels, car hire; and it’s easier to book restaurants, and visit beach clubs, which are by and large still open in September.
The light in Puglia in September is so, so lovely – you really get a sense of the gentle fade of summer, whilst still enjoying its legacy.
October in Puglia
High 22°C | Low 14°C
Average daily sunshine hours: 6
Average rainfall: 66mm, 8 days
Nights are drawing in a little in October, and you will start to need long sleeves and trousers in the evenings.
What’s special about October in Puglia is that the summer crowds have definitely gone, and the climate is much more temperate. You can absolutely still sunbathe, and swim in the sea, but you might also have more need for waterproofs, as the rainfall, and number of rainy days, is more than double July’s average.
It’ll be much, much cheaper to visit Puglia in October, and you’ll still be able to enjoy the weather.
November in Puglia
High 17°C | Low 10°C
Average daily sunshine hours: 4
Average rainfall: 99mm, 13 days
From September’s average daily sunshine hours of 8, and rainfall of 50mm, just two months later there is half the amount of sunshine, and double the amount of rainfall.
I still think November can be a really nice time to visit – akin to perhaps mid to late March; even though it’ll be wetter, and colder, you will have plenty of days when you can enjoy sitting out in your villa’s garden, or your apartment’s balcony or roof terrace, and enjoy warm sunshine.
This is a fantastic month to visit Puglia if you really don’t like hot weather, and don’t mind a bit more peace, quiet and solitude on your holidays. As I mentioned earlier, many restaurants and bars stay open throughout the year, so you’ll always have plenty of options for lunch and dinner.
December in Puglia
High 14°C | Low 6°C
Average daily sunshine hours: 3
Average rainfall: 92mm, 13 days
I think the only reason I’d ever visit Puglia in December is to experience Natale – Christmas.
With lots of rain, fairly low average temperatures, and the lowest daily sunshine average of any month in Puglia, I certainly wouldn’t be coming for the great weather!
Have I missed anything? Let me know at info@puglia-holidays.com if you have any questions!
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