The first warm days arrive across the Salento. South-facing coastal walks from Otranto to Santa Cesarea Terme pick up afternoon sun even when the rest of Italy is still in deep winter.

Orecchiette con cime di rapa - Puglia's defining pasta dish - turns up on every trattoria menu, the wild bitter greens balanced by garlic, anchovy and chilli.

The last of the olive harvest is pressed as oil season comes to a close. Oils from around Bari and the Itria Valley are at their most peppery, and well worth seeking out.

Spring arrives across Puglia, with daytime temperatures climbing and rainfall easing. Cycling the flat country lanes of the Itria Valley becomes a good reason to visit

Wild asparagus appears across the countryside. Both turn up on rural trattoria menus - lampascioni pickled, fried, or folded into frittate - a properly old-fashioned Puglian spring.

Easter often falls in late March. Holy Week processions in Taranto and Gallipoli see hooded penitents walking by torchlight through the night - among the most striking religious traditions in southern Italy.

The first warm Adriatic light returns. Photographers find that Polignano's cliffs, Trani's seafront cathedral and the Itria Valley trulli all read particularly well in spring's lower-angle sun.

The Gargano forests come alive. Hiking through the Foresta Umbra's beech and oak woods reveals wild orchids, woodpeckers and the peninsula at its greenest before the summer dry-out.

Sea urchin (ricci di mare) season runs through April along the Salento coast. Bari's Lungomare bars and Polignano's seaside trattorie serve them raw with crusty bread - a defining Puglian spring ritual.

The Festa di San Nicola in Bari draws pilgrims from across the Orthodox and Catholic worlds. A flotilla of fishing boats accompanies the saint's statue along the coast, with fireworks closing each night.

The Gargano peninsula is at its lush best. The Foresta Umbra's beech canopy is fully out, coastal hiking from Vieste to Mattinata is warm but not punishing, and the Tremiti Islands are fully accessible by ferry.

Sea temperatures begin to allow swimming along the Salento and Gargano coasts. Cala Porto in Polignano and the bays of Otranto are warm enough for early dips, with beach lidos opening from mid-month.

Apricots, peaches and the first figs arrive at every market. The Salento's stone-fruit harvest peaks, with roadside stalls between Lecce and Otranto stacked high with the best of the season.

The Festival della Valle d'Itria opens in Martina Franca. Opera in the Palazzo Ducale courtyard runs through July, drawing audiences to one of Italy's more atmospheric summer opera settings.

Burrata is at its absolute best. Andria, the dairy capital of Puglia, produces the day's burrata in the morning and serves it with a glass of Bombino Bianco by lunchtime - eat it within hours of it being made for the complete experience.

The maestrale wind keeps the Adriatic coast cooler than inland Puglia. Stick to coastal towns like Bari or Otranto to avoid the heat.

The Tremiti Islands hit their summer rhythm. Ferries from Vieste run frequently, and the protected marine reserve around San Domino delivers exceptional snorkelling and diving in clear, warm water.

Long Adriatic and Ionian evenings are the month's defining pleasure. Dinner at a beach lido in Pescoluse, fresh seafood at a Polignano cliffside trattoria, or aperitivi in Lecce's Piazza Sant'Oronzo - all at their best.

Occasional flash storms break the August humidity dramatically. Skies clear afterwards to reveal some of the most photogenic conditions of the year, particularly along the Salento's Adriatic cliffs.

The Festa di San Rocco in Ruffano features the traditional pizzica scherma - a 'knife dance' where pairs perform staged duels to tambourine rhythm. Properly old-world local culture.

Ferragosto on 15 August sees Italy's national holiday in full swing. Beach feasts, fireworks over Polignano and Otranto, and processions across coastal towns mark the high point of the summer.

The heat begins to subside, but sea temperatures are still at their summer high of around 25°C. Swimming, snorkelling and long beach days remain at their absolute best, only with thinner crowds.

The Mercatino del Gusto in Maglie celebrates Salento's culinary heritage across the first week. Local producers, chefs and artisans gather in the historic centre for tastings, demonstrations and conversation.

Vendemmia begins across the Primitivo and Negroamaro vineyards of the Salento. Manduria, Sava and Lizzano wineries welcome visitors into their cellars where you can discover Puglia's distinctive heat-loving reds at their source.

The olive harvest begins across Puglia. The region is one of Italy’s largest olive oil producers, and groves from Ostuni to Lecce open their doors for tastings of the year's most prized pressing - olio nuovo.

Autumn colours begin to creep into Gargano's beech and chestnut forests and daytime temperatures are perfect for a hike through the Foresta Umbra.

Quince, persimmon and the last of the figs arrive at markets. Marmellate, fig leather and persimmon fruit appear at masseria breakfasts - autumnal southern Puglia on a plate.

New wine from the Salento vineyards is poured at masseria dinners. Young Primitivo and Negroamaro alongside roasted lamb, ricotta forte and wild greens make for the year's most rooted Puglian table.

Towards the end of the month, Christmas illuminations begin to pop up across the Valle d'Itria. Towns compete for the most spectacular displays, with light tunnels appearing across the historic centres.

The Gargano coast takes on a local and altogether more dramatic atmosphere. Without the summer crowds, you’ll likely have the cliffs above Vieste, Peschici and Mattinata to yourself, with sea spray, wild rosemary and unbroken Adriatic views.

The first cold snaps arrive across the Murgia plateau and the Daunian Mountains. Snow occasionally dusts the Gargano's higher reaches - a reminder that Puglia has more to offer than the coast.

Friselle and taralli appear on every Pugliese table. The dried bread rings and savoury wine biscuits - soaked, drizzled with new oil, eaten with cured meats - define the Puglian winter aperitivo.

The Carnevale di Putignano launches towards the end of the month with the Festa delle Propaggini. Local poets in peasant costumes perform satirical verses in the main square - kicking off Italy's longest carnival, running all the way through to February.