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Telegraph
24-06-2025
- Telegraph
The perfect holiday in Puglia, the quiet corner of Italy with Europe's best beaches
Puglia's 800km-long coastline (Italy 's longest) is brimming with endless olive groves, sun-bleached villages and elderly men shooting the breeze in village squares. Its heritage is a mix of Baroque churches, Norman castles, fishing harbours and cucina povera (humble dishes). Much of it feels like rewinding the clock – to a time when people tanned without concern and cash was the default currency. Most overseas visitors gravitate to the Valle d'Itria, an area of olives, orchards, trulli (pointed roof houses) and gleaming white towns, while Italians from the north come in their thousands to pack Puglia 's long beaches in summer. The Gargano juts into the Adriatic, with forested hills and fine beaches. South lies Salento, the heel proper, where cliffs drop into the Adriatic on one side, and powdery Ionian sands beckon on the other. For more Puglia inspiration, see our guides to the region's best hotels, restaurants, bars, things to do and beaches. Plan your 10-day trip with our ultimate itinerary. In this guide: How to spend the perfect day in Puglia How to spend the perfect week in Puglia When to go Where to stay How to get there and how to get around Know before you go How to spend the perfect day The perfect day: morning Arrive in the early morning. From the airport, stretch your legs on the streets of Bari's Old Town – seeing the nonne making Puglian speciality orecchiette pasta, with tables and drying racks set out on the narrow streets – before travelling on to your base, in Valle d'Itria, an area of olive groves and hilltop towns. Staying at one of Puglia's masserie (grand fortified farmhouses) turned rustic-chic hotels, such as Masseria le Torri. Its chalky façade gleams under the southern sun, with gardens shaded by fig, olive, mulberry and cherry trees.
Telegraph
24-06-2025
- Telegraph
The 10 best beaches in Puglia
Puglia has a 500 mile-long coast, spanning two seas: the Adriatic to the east, and the Ionian to the southwest. Adriatic beaches tend to be rocky, with dramatic rock formations, though there are also great sandy stretches. On the other side, the Ionian coast has calm seas and gentle white-sand beaches. The best beaches tend to be on the Gargano peninsula or Salento in the south. Beach days are shaped by the winds: the Tramontana ('across the mountain') will mean a calm day on the Ionian coast, while the southern Sirocco calms the Adriatic. In high season, private beach clubs dominate, where you'll pay for shade and sunbeds. All our recommendations below have been hand selected and tested by our resident destination expert to help you discover the best beaches in Puglia. Find out more below, or for more Puglia inspiration, see our guides to the region's best hotels, restaurants, bars and things to do. Adriatic Beaches Baia delle Zagare Close to Mattinata, cliff-framed Baia delle Zagare (orange blossom bay) is carpeted in pristine white pebbles, and overlooks two water-sculpted limestone stacks in the luminous Adriatic. In summer, Hotel Baia delle Zagare's lido dominates the beach. Insider tip: Without a permit, walk from Baia di Vignanotica, via the 0.6 mile (1km) Path of Love. How to get there: To access via the lift or steps from Hotel Baia delle Zagare, obtain a free pass from Mattinata Municipality town hall. Alternatively, approach via less direct paths. Baia di Portogreco This secluded, tiny Gargano beach has a tactile mix of white pebbles and sand underfoot, with rocks ideal for leaping into the water, and an embracing backdrop of thick greenery and limestone cliffs. Insider tip: Bring a picnic and water; there are no facilities on the beach. How to get there: Parking can be tricky, but usually visitors park off the SP road, from where it's a 400m walk down a rough path. Torre dell'Orso Torre dell'Orso is an 800m white-sand Adriatic stretch, backed by pine forest and overlooked by the ruined 16th-century Bear Tower. There are some beautiful rock formations here, including twin sea stacks le due sorelle (the two sisters). Insider tip: This is a good place for water sports, you can rent kayaks, SUPs and body boards. Torre Guaceto Torre Guaceto is a protected marine reserve on the Adriatic, named for its medieval fortified watchtower. Its beach is called Punta Penna Grossa, a pristine area where sand, dunes and Mediterranean scrub meet and turtles come to breed. Insider tip: To find the quietest area, walk towards the tower. How to get there: There's a car park, from where there's a bus service in season – otherwise it's about a half-hour walk. Baia dei Turchi The 'Bay of the Turks' sits 3.7 miles (6km) north of Otranto. Walk through the fragrant pine forest against a cicada soundtrack. Sandy dune paths open onto a wild, beautiful beach, backed by maquis. Insider tip: Best avoided when there's a tramontana (the north wind): come when the sirocco (warm wind from Africa) is blowing. How to get there: There's paid parking next to the pine forest. Bus 101 runs from Otranto to the nearby Club Med, then it's a 1.2 miles (2km ) walk. Il Ciolo Look down from the bridge to this dizzyingly dramatic rocky cove, framed by prickly pear cacti. Beneath you is a narrow inlet flanked by limestone cliffs, part of the Regional Natural Coastal Park. Insider tip: The drive from Otranto to Ciolo is Puglia's most epically beautiful coastal route. How to get there: A long, steep staircase from the bridge provides direct access, while putting off feebler holidaymakers. There's parking at the top. Ionian Beaches Porto Selvaggio Porto Selvaggio means 'wild harbour', and this is a rocky bay with flat sun-basking rocks, close to the lovely town of Nardò in Salento, and overlooked by the 16th-century defensive Torre Dell'Alto. Insider tip: Paths to the beach cross dense Aleppo pine forest, an ideal retreat for a lunchtime picnic in summer. How to get there: The shortest walk (20 minutes) is from the paid parking next to Villa Tafuri. Pescoluse Nicknamed the 'Maldives of Puglia', Pescoluse is 6.2 miles (10km) from Santa Maria di Leuca. The beach is backed by dunes, has fine white sand and gently shelves into the gin-clear Ionian sea. Sometimes pebbles get washed in by the tide, making the water trickier to access. Insider tip: Avoid in July and August, when its Maldivian charms are obscured by a gazillion other holidaymakers. How to get there: There is paid parking close to the beach. Punta Prosciutto & Torre Lapillo These Caribbean-like beaches span 20 miles (32km) of white sand and shallow waters. 'Ham Point' sits behind Mediterranean scrub and 8m dunes, while Torre Lapillo lies between two medieval fortified towers. Insider tip: To see these at their best in summer, arrive as early as possible in the morning or late afternoon. How to get there: Bus 104 from Lecce takes about an hour. Paid parking is nearby, but fills up quickly. Spiaggia di Punta della Suina 'Swine Point beach', so-named for its snout-shape promontory, is backed by the untamed coastal wilderness of the Parco Naturale Regionale di Punta della Suina. Insider tip: Italy's LGBTQIA+ community voted this Italy's best gay beach in a recent poll: the naturist and gay section are close to the pine forest. How to get there: Reach via a short drive or bus ride from Gallipoli. There's paid parking, then walk through the pine forest to the beach. How we choose Every beach in this curated list has been tried and tested by our destination expert, to provide you with their insider perspective. We consider a range of needs and styles, from lively bar-lined beachfronts to quiet coves – to best suit every type of traveller. We update this list regularly to keep up with the latest developments and provide up to date recommendations. About our expert Abigail Blasi, Telegraph Travel's Puglia expert, fell for the region – and her Puglian husband – over 20 years ago. She loves its spring flowers, summer sagre, burrata, and discovering hidden corners of Italy's heel.
Mint
21-06-2025
- Health
- Mint
From wine with vinegar to Gatorade, the strange history of the evolution of sports drinks
It would be almost unthinkable nowadays to consume salted and diluted wine before participating in an athletic event. And yet, a mixture of wine and vinegar was one of the first attempts to create a sports drink. It was a potion evolved from a more rudimentary mixture of water, herbs and honey. An even older form of performance drink was apparently a suggestion from Galen, an ancient Greek physician in the 2nd-3rd century CE. His formula was to eat dates and a plant-ash solution. 'Potassium nitrate or saltpeter, known as niter, became a key ingredient. When mixed with date palm resin, it helped replace the potassium, magnesium and calcium lost in sweat and urine during intense gymnastic training," states a History Oasis article titled The Unknown History Of Sports Drinks. It all sounds unbelievable nowadays, with electrolytes and IV drips and all sorts of minerals like potassium, magnesium and zinc available either as pills, or soluble powder form and even gels. Some might say things have gone a little too OTT nowadays, with so many choices that it's tough to know what is good for you and what is just a glorified version of salts and sugars in water. 'The number of electrolyte powders on the market today is quite overwhelming, even for me as a registered dietitian. It can be difficult for the average consumer to understand what's actually going to be beneficial and what's just advertising hype," Rachel Gargano tells Lounge. Gargano is the chief dietician at health and wellness brand Live It Up and is a specialist in sports dietetics. Also Read Why the barbell hip thrust is the perfect exercise for stronger core and glutes While the main elements to look for in an electrolyte drink is sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus, Gargano warns that many of these drinks contain much more sodium than we actually need. 'Some have up to 1,000mg sodium or more. Most of us get enough sodium from our diet, and chronically consuming too much may lead to negative health effects. So if an every-day consumer would really enjoy an electrolyte powder—many of them taste delicious and may help someone drink more water—I highly recommend finding one that has minimal sodium and less than 100% of the daily value of the other electrolytes." The turning point in sports drinks came with the emergence of two famous brands—Lucozade and Gatorade. The latter would go on to completely change the game in this sector by the 1960s. Lucuzade 'was devised by a chemist called William Owen as a way of delivering quick, digestible energy and fluids to anyone made sick by a host of common illnesses. Although the idea was at heart very simple—basically it was citrus flavoured sugar water—Lucozade was a big hit…by the 1950s Lucozade had cemented itself as one of Britain's best known brands," states an article on titled, A Short History Of Sports Drink (And The Science Behind It). Also Read 5 lateral exercises for a strong core and enhanced stability Robert Cade's emergence at the University of Florida was another turning point. It's a brilliant story of innovation where a chance question which led to a performance spike after half-time for the university's [American] football team. Cade, who studied exercise biochemistry, led the research which showed that athletes were losing a lot more sodium and potassium in their sweat compared to general sweating. In a 2003 article on the University of Florida website, Cade recalled how the coach of the football team asked him why football players don't 'wee-wee" after a game. 'That question changed our lives," Cade said. A drink and a powder form were created in 1965 to battle this lack of hydration, and Gatorade was born. No one knows if anyone asked Galen the same question around 2,000 years ago, but it's easy to imagine the same curiosity. What they didn't know (and Cade found out) was the numbers. 'Cade and colleagues determined that a football player could lose 16 to 18 pounds during the three hours it takes to play a game. They further found that 90 to 95 percent of the weight loss was due to water loss, and plasma volume was decreased about 7 percent and blood volume about 5 percent. In addition, the average loss of sodium and chloride was 25 percent of the total body stores of these electrolytes," says the university article, titled Dr. Robert Cade…saga of the world's best-selling sports drink and the creative physician scientist behind it. Also Read How to turn your home into a gym with just one kettlebell and 5 great workouts From salted wine and plant-ash to IV drips, replenishment has come a long way. But all is not lost if you don't have a sports drink handy. 'Foods rich in potassium include many plants, including bell peppers, beans and legumes, bananas, avocado, potatoes, and leafy greens. Plants are nature's multivitamin, without enough we may be lacking important micronutrients, antioxidants, and fiber," Gargano says. Pulasta Dhar is a football commentator, writer and podcaster. Also Read How to master the drop jump and work with gravity to increase your strength and speed
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
9 Foods You Should Never Store on the Bottom Shelf of Your Fridge
The bottom shelf of the fridge is best reserved for raw meats and poultry, as it's the coldest area and prevents juices from contaminating other foods. Ready-to-eat items like leftovers, cooked grains, hard-boiled eggs, and prepared foods should never go on the bottom shelf, where they're more likely to be exposed to harmful bacteria. Delicate foods such as herbs, berries, baked goods, and condiments also don't belong on the bottom shelf, as the extra cold can damage texture and flavor, and increase spoilage refrigerator is more than just a wide vessel to keep food cold. Sure, it's a chilly storage unit for everything from sticks of butter to home-cooked leftovers, but not all parts of the fridge are equal. 'The fridge is one of the most important food safety storage areas that we often use incorrectly as a society,' says Rachel Gargano, MS, RD, CSSD, CBS. 'There is such nuance in how we place items in the fridge, and most people aren't aware of the methods that will help keep food the safest.' Related: We Asked a Beef Expert to Name the Best Cut of Steak—Here's What They Said A fridge is divided into distinct sections with unique purposes: The fridge door and its designated shelving is convenient, but fluctuates in temperature thanks to all the opening, the crisper is designed to keep produce crisp, and the shelves in the fridge should also be organized with function in mind. Because heat rises, the top shelf of the refrigerator is warmer than the lower portions. 'This shelf should be reserved for foods that are pre-cooked or ready-to-eat, or that do not need to be reheated at high temperatures,' explains Gargano. Read on for the items that you should never store on the bottom shelf of your fridge, because they're more suited for a spot up Nicole Bianchini, MS, RD, IFNCP, RYT, a functional dietitian and founder of Body to Soul Health Rachel Gargano, MS, RD, CSSD, CBS, a California-based registered dietitian with almost 20 years of experience'The top shelf is the safest area in the fridge since nothing can leak from above, so anything that has already been cooked should be kept there, such as leftovers,' says Jennifer Nicole Bianchini, RDN. 'Additionally, since the top shelf is usually the most visible spot, you will be less likely to forget to eat your prepped meals and leftovers.' Hard-boiled eggs shouldn't be stored with raw eggs, as the shells can cross-contaminate the cooked eggs. Peeled and unpeeled eggs stay fresh for up to a week on the top shelf of the fridge (as opposed to the bottom) and are an easy grab-and-go snack. If you batch cook grains for meal prep, or just have a side of rice or pasta leftover, place it on the top shelf instead of the bottom. 'Foods that are already cooked or meal prepped have a higher risk of becoming contaminated, so when you store them on the top shelf of the fridge, they are protected from raw juices or bacteria that can leak from items such as raw meats,' says Bianchini. 'Fully cooked meats, such as bacon or sausage, can be stored on the top,' Gargano says. Keep the uncooked meats lower down. 'Raw meats and poultry should be kept cold and away from other foods, on the bottom shelf. We don't want raw meat juices dripping into foods we won't be cooking,' she adds. Related: This Cheese Won Trader Joe's Customer Choice Awards 2 Years in a Row—and It's Totally Worth the Hype Arrange fresh herbs like a bouquet in a small glass or jar of water, Bianchini suggests. These will keep well on the top shelf of the fridge. Just refresh the water every other day and trim the stems of the herbs, if needed. 'Baked goods that need refrigeration, like pies or tortillas, belong on the top shelf,' Gargano says. Again, this prevents any cross-contamination, and these treats don't need to be as cold as other items. Berries shouldn't be in the coldest area of the fridge! Ideally, they'll be on the middle or top shelf, in a breathable container with a paper towel or thin cloth to catch any extra moisture at the bottom. Salad kits, snack packs, supermarket sushi, and other ready-to-eat prepared foods belong on the top shelf along with the leftovers. Related: The 10 Healthiest Superfoods Right Now, According to Over 870 Registered Dietitians Any condiments that don't fit on the fridge door can be on the top shelf of the fridge, particularly items that don't necessarily require refrigeration but you prefer to store them in the cold. These items can include nut and seed butters, tahini, vinegars, and more. Read the original article on Real Simple
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Popular Connecticut Craft Brewery Is Closing At the End of May
Thimble Island Brewing Company, one of Connecticut's most well-known breweries, will be closing its doors later this month. Justin Gargano, Thimble Island's president and CEO, shared the news in a Facebook post on Friday. Gargano had opened the company's original Branford, Conn. location in 2012. "This is one of the harder messages I've ever had to write," Gargano said. "After a lot of thought (and a lot of emotion), I've decided to close Thimble Island Brewing Company. Our last day of service will be Saturday, May 24. "Like many small businesses, we've faced some tough challenges over the past several years. Industry declines coupled with a strategic partnership that didn't go as planned had a significant impact on our business. At the same time, I've been navigating some personal health challenges that made it clear I needed to pause, reset, and re-evaluate." Thimble Brewing, known for such beers as its Hero pilsner, Sea Foam pale ale, Ruby tart blonde ale and Poseidon's Porter, previously shut down its Old Saybrook satellite location in January after only eight months of operation. The company cited problems with the building in which the establishment was located. The Old Saybrook outpost was one of three breweries in the Nutmeg State to close in January alone, joining Problem Solved Brewing in East Windsor and Stubborn Beauty in Middletown. "This business has been such a huge part of my life — not just professionally, but personally," Gargano said last week. "It's been full of long days, proud moments, and most importantly, incredible people like you who supported it, believed in it, and helped it grow. It has been a joy and a privilege to serve this community. Thank you for your support, trust, and encouragement. "Though this chapter is coming to a close, I'm looking ahead with gratitude and hope for what's next."
