After a busy morning admiring the trulli at nearby Alberobello, we were ready to escape the crowds for a quieter, later lunch. Locorotondo, often called one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, looked ideal: whitewashed, perched on a hilltop, and blessed with sweeping views across the Itria Valley. It turned out to be one of our favourite stops in Puglia.
This guide covers where to eat, including the restaurants with the best valley views, plus the Punto Panoramico, what to see in the old town, and how to pair Locorotondo with Alberobello in a single day.
Locorotondo sits in the heart of the Itria Valley, about 15 minutes’ drive southeast of Alberobello. That short hop is what makes the classic pairing work so well: get to Alberobello early to beat the crowds, then drive over to Locorotondo for a relaxed lunch once the coach parties arrive. The timing falls into place almost by itself.
We parked in Parcheggio Cimitero, the free car park next to the cemetery, then walked up to the old town, or Centro Storico, in about 15 minutes. It is an easy, gentle walk and saves you worrying about the restricted streets higher up.
A couple of hours is enough to wander the old town, find the viewpoint and enjoy a leisurely lunch. No real itinerary is needed here. All you have to do is walk and take in the atmosphere, and let the hilltop town speak for itself. The holiday planner gets an afternoon off.
Lunch is the reason many people come to Locorotondo, and the good news is that the small old town is packed with places to eat, from casual wine bars to terraces with valley views. Here is where to start:
We happened upon U Curdunn up one of the alleyways. All the outdoor courtyard tables were taken, so we sat inside in a lovely dining room with a stone vaulted ceiling. The food was traditional local cooking paired with local wines, and it was super. Halfway through, a passing fiddler and accordion player popped in to play a few tunes for tips, which added to the atmosphere no end. A happy, unplanned lunch, and just what we wanted after the bustle of Alberobello.
Locorotondo’s hilltop position means several restaurants look straight out over the Itria Valley, and these are the ones to book if you want lunch with a view. All of these come highly regarded, though we cannot personally vouch for the food as we ate at U Curdunn.
Pavì Wine Restaurant: A terrace on the edge of the old town overlooking the valley, with a strong focus on local wines including the Locorotondo DOC. A lovely spot, especially towards sunset.
Controra A charming restaurant and bar with a terrace over the Itria Valley, known for warm hospitality, local produce and vegetarian-friendly options.
Kiatz: Set on the hill just outside the old town walls, with stunning valley views from the terrace, particularly as the sun goes down.
If you would rather stay in the old town, Pizzeria Casa Pinto is a favourite for wood-fired pizza, while Ai Tre Santi and Osteria Il Rosone are well liked for traditional Puglian dishes. For something lighter, Vinifera Vini & Affini is a cosy wine bar serving small plates in the historic centre. The town is small, so most places sit within a few minutes’ walk of each other, and the view terraces get busy, so book ahead in high season.
Locorotondo is famous in Italy for its white wine. Bianco Locorotondo DOC comes as either a still or a sparkling Spumante style, and it is well worth a glass with lunch, or a proper tasting if you have time.
Before you head into the old town, follow the road that curves around the hillside to the Punto Panoramico Locorotondo. From here you are rewarded with sweeping views across the Valle d’Itria, a patchwork of vineyards, olive groves and the cone-shaped roofs of trulli dotted across the valley floor. It is lovely, and easy to miss if you go straight into the centre, so seek it out.
For another wonderful vantage point, walk the terrace road of Via Nardelli along the outer edge of the old town to the public gardens at Villa Garibaldi. The panorama stretches right across the valley towards Martina Franca and Cisternino, and it is a beautiful place to be at golden hour, looking back towards Alberobello.
Locorotondo is small, and the joy of it is simply wandering. There is not much of an itinerary needed, but here is what to look out for:
The name Locorotondo comes from the Latin for round place, because the old town is built in a perfect circle on top of its hill. The streets wind upwards in rings towards the Chiesa Madre di San Giorgio at the very centre. It does not take long to explore, and getting pleasantly lost is part of the fun.
At the edge of the old town, this square holds the remaining part of the ancient town gate on one side, along with several cafes, eateries and the tourist office. It makes a natural starting or finishing point for a wander.
Wander the maze of alleyways and you will find hidden courtyards, white houses with colourful shutters, balconies spilling over with flowerpots, sheets drying in the sun and cats dozing on shady ledges. The town felt notably clean and well cared for, its walls carefully whitewashed to reflect the sun and keep the houses cool. Rather than the touristy souvenirs of Alberobello, here you will find specialist wine shops and artisan craft shops selling ceramics and authentic gifts.
Where Alberobello has its conical trulli, Locorotondo has its own signature style – houses with pointed, gabled roofs called cummerse. Usually a couple of storeys high, they have sloping roofs made of two layers of limestone slabs. The design is subtler than a trullo, but distinctive once you know to look for it.
The smooth stone streets can be slippery underfoot.
This is a common question, and the honest answer is that they are different and work best together. Alberobello is the unmissable trulli town, unique and beautifully preserved, but busy and heavily geared towards tourists. Locorotondo is quieter, arguably prettier for a wander, better for a relaxed lunch, and blessed with those valley views, with a more local, less commercialised feel.
Our advice is to do both in one day – Alberobello first thing in the morning before the crowds, then Locorotondo for lunch and an afternoon stroll. It gave us the best of both, and the contrast between the two made the day. For the full picture of the trulli town, see our guide to what to see in Alberobello.
If you have the time, you could even try out this e-bike tour connecting the two towns together!
In closing
Locorotondo felt a million miles from its touristy neighbour Alberobello, and visiting the two contrasting places in one day worked beautifully. We wandered, we had a wonderful lunch, we took in the views, and then we ambled back to the villa for a well-earned snooze by the pool.
If there is one takeaway, it is not to over-plan Locorotondo. Walk, eat well, enjoy the valley views, and let the atmosphere do the rest. If you are planning the wider trip, see our full one-week Puglia itinerary, which links to all our guides for the region, including nearby Alberobello and Ostuni.
Thank you, Maverick.
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