Description

Classic Salento Cycling Tour

Classic Salento Cycling Tour. 8 days – 7 nights
Departures 2025: every Friday and Saturday from 28/02/2025 until 19/07/2025 and from 29/08/2025 until 27/12/2025.
Available on other dates on request.
For guided options from 4 persons or more send us an email.

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The Classic Salento Cycling Tour in the “heel” of Italy. Cycle on a peninsula that divides two seas, the Adriatic and the Ionian. Salento was settled in the prehistoric era. Situated in a strategic position in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea. It is the perfect marriage of nature and culture. Even the farmers are inadvertent artists using special techniques to build out of mortarless stone, creating a unique landscape unlike any in the world! Enjoy seven days on pedals, and follow the GPS maps that lead you to the most evocative corners, to the countryside roads, small villages, and handcraft laboratories. Salento is a cultural, historical, and geographic region that is almost completely flat. The flat landscape makes the ride a pleasant journey for any level of rider to cycle.

This land smiles at the bicycle tourist. Its hillocks never climb more than 200 meters and even beginners can easily enjoy the beauty by bicycle. This travel is suitable for couples, and families, but also singles or small groups of friends. (cycling approximately 30 km a day. You’ll mainly cross secondary roads).

Salento’s climate

The climate is typically Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters which provide suitable conditions for the cultivation of olives, citrus fruits, and palm trees. The generally flat topography and surrounding seas can make Salento prone to windy weather year-round. The windy weather is ideal when it’s hot because it helps you to keep your head cool during heatwaves. Sirocco winds from the south occasionally deposit dust and sand from the Sahara in the coastal towns of Salento.

Cycle the Classic Salento Cycling Tour and discover all the beauties of Puglia

In the ‘Entroterra’, you’ll find many small farms and artisans who strictly follow traditional ethics and respect for the land
Visit ‘Palacia Lighthouse’ (the easternmost point of Italy)
The peninsula is also known as Terra d’Otranto and in the past Sallentina. In ancient times it was called Calabria or Messapia
From Neolithic cave paintings to ruins of ancient cities to Roman theaters and spas, or Baroque churches, Salento is an open-air museum
Visit the ruins of Roca Vecchia – an ancient bronze age city and ‘alumni’ lakes
Cycle to Sannicola to discover its underground olive Mill

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Day 1

Arrival

Meeting in Lecce. Bicycle delivery, with GPS navigator. Briefing about the route.

Day 2

Lecce to Otranto - 58km

A flat route today, with many interesting cultural and naturalistic sights. First, you will visit Acaya - a fortified city with a huge castle - then you plunge down to "le Cesine" - a WWF-protected area, a crossing point for many species of migratory birds. From there you head towards the coast, along the ruins of Roca Vecchia - an ancient bronze age city - and Alimini lakes. Some more kilometers and you are in Otranto, where narrow streets reveal wonders at every corner: The Saint Peter church byzantine frescoes, a walk along the ramparts overlooking the sea, and finally the cathedral with its paved mosaic, a sort of figurative middle-age encyclopedia.

Day 3

Otranto’s surroundings - 29km

Exploring Otranto's surroundings day. Riding along the little river "Idro" ("water"), which gave the name to the city, you arrive in Casamassela, where old looms are still being used in the Le Costantine foundation. After a guided tour, you move toward Giurdignano, crossing a Bronze Age megalithic park with huge stones ("Dolmen" and "Menhir"). In the late morning, you'll enjoy a local food tasting in a family-owned bakery. Optional horse riding in the morning or in the afternoon.

Day 4

Otranto to Leuca Coast - 54km

Today you cycle along the wildest Salento coastal stretch. You visit Palacia Lighthouse (the easternmost point of Italy) and a little red surface in a disused bauxite quarry. Then you carry on riding along the coast; nestled among the cliffs above the sea, this road is a huge balcony that looks onto Otranto Strait. With a little bit of luck, you will be able to see the mountains of Albania and Greece. You could also visit Zinzulusa Cave, which goes down nearly 200 feet into the earth's bowels. On the way, we admire some terraces and dry walls, the ingenious devices of peasants to get arable land in barren and impervious areas. After crossing the bridge over the Ciolo (a small and rich in rare flora canyon carved by the waters), you reach Santa Maria di Leuca where you visit the sanctuary, following the ancient pilgrims' footsteps.

Day 5

From Leuca to Gallipoli - 61km

Today you will discover Leuca Cape, the southern part of Apulia. After an astonishing defense tower situated in the center of a small village - it is time to visit an ancient mill, dug into the rock, and then an enigmatic funerary moment made of big stones (its name centopietre, means a hundred stones), coming from Vereto, an ancient pre-romantic town situated nearby. Finally, you visit Leuca Piccola, an important pilgrimage station which still maintains a vast underground area. Through olive groves and dry stone walls, you'll reach Ugento, maybe to visit its archaeological museum. In the afternoon you'll reach the iconic coast again until the St. Andrew's Island and Punta Pizzo Natural Park. in Gallipoli, you could enjoy an aperitif on a terrace overlooking the sea. Located on an island, this small fisherman village is striking by its light, its alleys, and its fish market.

Day 6

Gallipoli’s surroundings - 60km

This day is dedicated to discovering Gallipoli's inland. The first stop is Galatone, where you can see examples of Lcccese baroque architecture. The next stop is in the town of Galatina, where we suggest dedicating some time to visit the Santa Caterina d'Alessandria Basilica, which is a splendid example of the Romanic style in Puglia with Gothic influence. On the way back, you pass by the cheese farm of our friends Mariangela and Antonio. You will pass through Alezio, where you can visit the Messapian Civilization Museum, and learn more about the people living here before the Greek and Roman conquests.

Day 7

Way back to Lecce - 52km

Last day of your trip, you'll pass by many 19th-century fortified farmhouses and villas on your back to Lecce. You are still in Nardo to visit its decadent baroque-style historical center. The next stop is Copertino to discover its impressive Norman castle and listen to stories about The Hopi of Flights. Some kilometers before Lecce, a last stop at a handcrafted traditional pottery, at the Martina brothers, skillful keepers of this ancient art. Late afternoon arrival in Lecce and bikes drop off.

Day 8

Departure Day

Time to say goodby, we hope to see you soon.

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All prices are based on double rooms. Departures every Friday and Saturday
For bookings & inquiries please contact us at info@cycleclassictours.com
Departures 2025: every Friday and Saturday from 28/02/2025 until 19/07/2025 and from 29/08/2025 until 27/12/25.

Extra Information

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The information given is accurate and reliable, to the best of our knowledge. Should errors be found, we will rectify them as quickly as possible. However, we accept no responsibility for errors or inaccuracies.