Explora Journeys in Brindisi

Brindisi sits at the heel of Italy on the Adriatic, and for over two thousand years it was the port where the Via Appia met the sea, the jumping-off point for Greece and the Holy Land. The compact old town carries that history in its monuments, from the Roman column that marked the end of the road from Rome to a circular Crusader-era temple, and it doubles as a calm base for reaching Lecce and the trulli of Puglia.

What to do on a day in Brindisi

• The surviving Roman column at the top of the Scalinata Virgiliana, marking the terminus of the Via Appia where the 540 km road from Rome reached the harbor
• The Scalinata Virgiliana, the broad white staircase named for Virgil, who died in a house on this square in 19 BC, with views over the inner harbor
• San Giovanni al Sepolcro, the 11th to 12th century circular temple modeled on the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, with eight columns, many reused from Roman buildings
• Brindisi Cathedral (Duomo) in Piazza Duomo, blending Romanesque and Baroque
• The Ribezzo Archaeological Museum, holding Roman statues and bronzes recovered from the sea
• Lungomare Regina Margherita, the palm-lined waterfront promenade looking across to the Castello Alfonsino at the harbor mouth

Getting ashore

Ships dock at Costa Morena on the eastern side of the harbor, several kilometers from the center, so a shuttle or taxi gets you across to the old town. The historic core is small and walkable once there, coverable in about two hours, which makes Brindisi a natural launch point for a half-day to Lecce (30 minutes by train) or the trulli at Alberobello.

When to book the ship's excursion vs your own →

Weather and when to visit

• May to June and September to October (common cruise months). Typically warm and mostly dry, pleasant for walking the old town, with sea breezes off the Adriatic taking the edge off the afternoon.
• July to August (peak summer). Typically hot and dry with strong sun and high humidity inland, so the waterfront and shaded streets are the comfortable midday choice.