Puglia in October: when everything slows down
There is a Puglia that belongs to summer: full beaches, long days, music, crowded restaurants and towns that stay awake late.
And then there is October.
For those of us who live here, October is one of the nicest times of the year. The heat softens, the roads empty and the light changes. Suddenly, there is time again.
Time to sit at a table without looking at the clock. To walk through Ostuni without rushing. To drive through the countryside with the windows open. To actually look at the olive trees.
At Mascienda Guadalupe, surrounded by more than a thousand ancient olive trees between Ostuni and the Adriatic, this is exactly how we like Puglia.
Don’t plan October like August
The best advice we can give you is simple: do less.
Don’t try to fit Alberobello, Locorotondo, Ostuni, the beach and dinner into the same day.
Choose one town. Have a long lunch. Walk. Go to the sea if the weather invites you. And leave enough time to come back through the countryside without rushing.
You will see fewer places. You will experience them better.
Yes, you can still go to the beach
Early October can still bring beautiful warm days, and the Adriatic can be wonderful for swimming.
But the season is changing. Some beach clubs reduce their hours and others close completely, so it is always better to check before leaving.
The beaches themselves, of course, are still there. Without the August crowds, you may find stretches of the coast almost to yourself.
Bring your swimsuit, but bring a light jacket too. After sunset, the temperature can change quickly.
Give yourself time on the road
Distances in Puglia can be deceptive.
Thirty kilometres on a map do not always mean thirty easy minutes. Country roads are small, parking in the towns takes time and sometimes you will find yourself driving behind a tractor.
That is part of being here.
Rent a car, choose a direction and don’t turn the day into a race.
You’re in Puglia. You’re not supposed to be rushing.
Restaurants in October
A restaurant that was open every day in July and August may close several days a week in October, shorten its hours or work only with reservations.
Check before making the drive. At Mascienda, we are always happy to help our guests find out what is actually open.
Or stay with us.
An evening at Mascienda
October is also a beautiful time to experience the Mexican side of Mascienda Guadalupe.
Come in the afternoon and start at Don Ramón, our bar dedicated to Jennifer’s father and grandfather. Have a margarita or a mezcalita, discover a tequila or mezcal, and take your time.
Visit our Mexican boutique, filled with craftsmanship, textiles, jewelry and objects that we have brought from Mexico to Puglia.
Walk through our gallery and discover the artists whose work lives throughout Mascienda.
Then stay for dinner at La Lupita, where our Mexican kitchen prepares tortillas and salsas fresh, served inside the old stone walls of the masseria.
La Lupita, Don Ramón, our Mexican boutique and gallery are open Thursday through Sunday until October 4.
Aperitivo, art, Mexican craftsmanship and dinner. A whole evening here rather than another evening spent driving from one place to the next.
A little journey through Mexico, without leaving the olive trees of Puglia.
The Puglia we love
Ostuni in the late afternoon. A nearly empty beach. Lunch that unexpectedly lasts three hours. The countryside turning gold. Coming home through the olive trees as the evening gets cooler.
You don’t need to fit everything into one trip.
Come with fewer plans. Leave some space for whatever happens that day.
As Panos always says about Mascienda:
“We are not perfect, but we are unique.”
— Panos Zacharopoulos
And perhaps that describes this corner of Puglia rather well too.
Mascienda Guadalupe
Ostuni, Puglia
“Lost in the olives is where I found myself.”
— Jennifer Andreu
