The best of Italian history, culture & beaches – without the crowds.
Gallipoli is one of the principal coastal towns of Puglia, the sun-drenched heel of Italy. Gallipoli has magical sandy beaches and stunning emerald waters. The town boasts a wonderful Old Town located on a linked island, endless restaurant terraces and beaches that welcome visitors pretty much year-round. The southern latitude offers glorious weather and sea temperatures, the beaches still attract swimmer and loungers into November.
Food from the very top table, beaches lapped by photoshopped Ionian waters and history around every corner – Gallipoli offers so much for the corporate event planner. Despite all this, somehow, Gallipoli and the wider Puglia region remain unspoilt by mass tourism, avoiding the crowds and inflated prices that blight many similarly endowed destinations.
GALLIPOLI AT A GLANCE
Facts & figures
- Population: 20 000
- June ave. temp. 22°C
- September ave. temp. 22°C
Airport transfers
- Bari | 124 miles
Culture
- Fine dining
- Art
- Museums
- Churches
- Historic architecture
Action
- Swimming
- Sailing
- Wind sports
- Water sports
GALLIPOLI
Located on a western peninsula of the Puglia coast, Gallipoli is wonderfully charming, yet refreshingly local. Tourism is mainly domestic and for event planners seeking a taste of real Italy, then Gallipoli remains largely un-spoilt. This is a corner of Italy that has all the historic, culinary and cultural trappings of the popular Italian honeypots, yet outside of the peak Italian holiday periods, Gallipoli is refreshingly spared the crowds of Italy’s A-list destinations. The Old Town is the highlight of Gallipoli, its location on a rocky promontory, the terraces & vistas and the decaying, historic structures of the centre make for another Italian marvel. The Old Town is surrounded by marinas and beaches which the Italians shamelessly spend their days enjoying.
Gallipoli Old Town is connected to the more modern town centre of Gallipoli by bridge, whilst to the south of the town centre is a coastal strip, a bay that runs some 10km and offers superb beaches and emerald waters. Along this strip of golden sand are numerous hotels, beach front bars and restaurants and a wide range of water sport activities. Gallipoli is famed for its wind and kite surfing, whilst the crystal waters are teaming with fish, ideal for snorkelling. Lecce, the capital of Puglia is located 30 minutes away from Gallipoli, offering an inland feast of history and culture – the regional capital is known as the ‘Florence of the south’ for its Baroque centre.
GALLIPOLI ACTIVITIES
Beach sports
Learn to kite surf on the crystal waters of Gallipoli.
Boat trips
Explore the coast by water on a boat tour of the Ionian Sea.
Food & wine tour
Enjoy some of the finer moments in life with an Old Town food & wine tour.
GALLIPOLI DINING
Seafood dominates Puglia and much of what ends up in the kitchens of Gallipoli comes through its working harbour. Seafood doesn’t come fresher – direct from the nets being hoisted on the horizon. With wide beaches to snooze off the calories, Gallipoli prides itself on serving up feasts on a prodigious scale.
The Old Town of Gallipoli offers endless dining options amongst its labyrinth of streets. Everything from intimate rooms, barely obvious as restaurants, through to spacious, stylish open-plan venues. Then there are the waterfront restaurants, with glorious terraces overlooking the turquoise waters – pleasure overload.
GALLIPOLI NIGHTLIFE
The coastal strip on the western flank of the Gallipoli peninsula and for some 10km to the south, make for an irresistible backdrop – perfect for sunset drinks. The terraces offer fantastic settings for group social events, all underpinned by the famed Italian style. Breakouts on the sand, cocktails at sunset, nightlife on the beach is always a memorable feature of an event.
Gallipoli Old town offers a wonderful contrast to the open vistas of the coast. Intimate streets offer a quintessentially Italian experience with numerous bars and restaurants hidden amongst the labyrinth of pedestrian streets. The Old Town is alive with atmosphere as locals and visitors share the venues.
GALLIPOLI MEETINGS & SEMINARS
Mind-liberating views over the waters of the Ionian Sea provide the perfect backdrop for a meeting event programme. Whether enjoying the streaming light and sea breezes of the coast or the history of the Old Town, Gallipoli offers extraordinary meeting & seminar venues. Italian style runs through the venues, from decaying historic facades to contemporary design.
Lecce, known as the ‘Florence of the south’ is just 30-minutes from Gallipoli. The regional capital is a visual feast of Baroque architecture and is its compact city centre offers a range of meeting venues, professional services, and associated hospitality.
GALLIPOLI - THE UNMISSABLE
The landed catch at dusk is the stuff of film sets. Locals crowd the Gallipoli quayside as boats dock, sample the catches, and exchange some Euros bags of seafood. Vespas, with boxes balanced on handlebars depart for the local kitchens. This type of window on Italian culture is evident throughout the region – it is Italy without the crowds.
Organise your summer incentive with us.
Email or call us on +44 (0) 20 8123 7817.
Provide a little information as to your trip / event needs and we can begin to develop some initial ideas for you.