Puglia - The Lowlands

This region, known as Apulia in English, is located in the eastern tip of the Italian peninsula. It has the longest continuous stretch of coastline of any region of Italy, and near the beautiful resort area of the Gargano are Italy’s largest coastal lakes-Lesina and Varano. The landscape of the region consists of flat plains and soft hills, which are ideal for food production in the warm climate. Puglia is more economically developed than other southern regions, and a range of crops are grown here, including durum wheat, figs, tobacco and sugar beet. The fields also contain rows of lettuce, peppers, fennel, artichokes, grapes, almonds and olives. Pugliese olive oil is famous the world over, and is reputed to have been Cleopatra’s favourite oil. Sheep farming is a longstanding tradition, and fishing thrives along the length of the coastline.