Description

Puglia Matera to Lecce Cycling Tour

Puglia Matera to Lecce Cycling Tour. 8 days – 7 nights
Departure every Sunday from 24/03/2024 until 30/06/2024 (last departure) and from 01/09/2024 until 29/11/2024 (last departure).
Available also on other days on request.
For guided options from 4 persons or more send us an email.

Only need a bike for Puglia? BOOK HERE

The Puglia Matera to Lecce Cycling Tour continues through the southeasternmost region of Italy known as the ”heel” of Italy. Puglia is famous because of the whitewashed hill towns, centuries-old farmland, and hundreds of kilometers of Mediterranean coastline. Situated in the center of the Mediterranean Sea, this region is filled with traces of the different civilizations that inhabited it, from the Messapian to the Greeks, followed by the Romans
and then the Normans. Crossing Apulia with a bicycle is like cycling through an open-air museum: Cycle on gentle hills and find your way to the olive groves and vineyards alternate with luxuriant woods, Baroque cathedrals, and long golden beaches. Puglia is perfect for the culinary tradition which combines marine and earth flavors, and for its wine production. Its unique combinations will delight all food and wine lovers.

A small overview of the Tour

The Tour starts from Matera, a unique city whose buildings are carved into the rocks themselves, and which has been designated as the ‘European Capital of Culture’ for 2019. Among rolling hills and olive-growing countryside, you arrive in the Valle d’Itria: land of the ‘Trulli’. It’s a place with amazing stone buildings with conical roofs, reminiscent of goblins’ homes. As you continue further south, towards Salento, the land flattens out and becomes increasingly arider, and you will ride through vineyards bordered by dry stone walls. You will be able to visit the most beautiful beaches in the region, in the province of Taranto. Along the way, you will stop off several times to taste the best cheeses, wines, and bakery products in this area. Finally, you’ll arrive in Lecce, the ‘Florence of the South’, which will enchant you with its baroque architecture and the hospitality of its inhabitants.

Discover the unique places and sights in and around Puglia

Cycle Gioia del Colle, known for its mozzarella and its burrata
Visit Alberobello, the UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996, thanks to its 1,500 Trulli
Cycle ‘Pomona’ botanical conservatory: a real biodiversity sanctuary where they have hundreds of fruit trees from all over the Mediterranean
Pass through the fascinating ghost town of Monteruga, founded in the 1920s and completely abandoned in the 1980s. This is the area of ‘Salice Salentino’
Enjoy during this cycling Tour great places like Lecce, Matera, Gioia del Colle, and many more unique cities

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).

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Day 1

Arrival in Matera and overnight

We'll meet in Matera for the trip briefing and to supply your bikes and GPS navigators.

Day 2

From Matera to Putignano / Castellana - Distance 60-70 km

Today's ride brings you to Putignano. After passing the countryside out of Matera, you arrive in Gioia del Colle, the town is famous for its "mozzarella Fior di Latte" (made only with cow's milk), but also for its burrata. After a break, you start cycling again, arriving in Putignano, after 23 km ca. Putignano, has become famous over the years for its picturesque carnival Once you get there, we recommend you lose yourself in its marvelous historic center, once protected by mighty walls with three gates that allowed entry: Porta Barsento (towards Alberebello), Porta Nuova (towards Castellana), and Porta Grande (towards Noci - Goia del Colle).

Day 3

Around Putignano: Monopoli, Polignano a Mare and Castellana - Distance 61 km

Today's tour takes you to some of the towns in the south-east of Bari, such as Polignano a Mare, where you can taste the typical Octopus sandwich and have a swim in its beautiful sea: Monopoli and Castellana Grotte, where it is possible to visit some astonishing caves, a complex of underground cavities of karst origin.

Day 4

From Putignano to Alberobello / Locorotondo / Martina Franca - Distance 35 km/ 41 km/ 45 km

The tour, at this point, brings you to the area known as Valle D'Itria. Firstly, passing by Noci, which is probably the least known and least touristy of the towns in the Itria Valley, but worth a visit and a stop for a coffee. Gentle hills bring you to Alberobello, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996 thanks to its 1.500 "Trulli" (typical houses with conical roofs).

Day 5

From Alberobello / Locorotondo / Martina Franca to Manduria - Distance 70 km/ 60 km

The longest section of the trip will take you up to Manduria, crossing the border between the Valle d'Itria and Salento: You will notice the change in the landscape around you during the day. Passing by Martina Franca, you'll travel along a short section of the Aqueduct Cycleway, a path along the aqueduct of Puglia (which brings water from Campania all the way down to Salento). Then you'll go on to Ceglie Messapica, a city known for its bread, which you can try in one of the oldest bakeries in the city, located in the old town. In Francavilla Fontana, you can visit the Basilica Minore of the Holy Rosary and Argentina Palace. The next stop is Oria, the 'city of Witches'. Leaving Oria, and passing by Erchie, you'll have your overnight stay at a farm in the countryside of Avetrana (or in a B&B).

Day 6

Around Manduria - Distance 45 km

The journey to discover the surroundings of Manduria will take you towards the sea, the long seaside bordered by the dunes of Torre Colimena, where you will have the chance to visit the Salina dei Monaci and also, if you like, do some birdwatching. Cycling along the coast heading north, you will reach San Pietro in Bevagna, where a crystalline sandy beach - totally deserted in the spring and autumn - will allow you to sunbathe and swim in the emerald waters of the Ionian Sea. From San Pietro in Bevagna, you'll head to Manduria where you can visit an ancient archaeological site of the Messapica era and the Primitivo Museum (Primitivo is a high-alcohol red wine).

Day 7

From Manduria to Lecce - Distance 60 km

On this final day, you'll head towards the 'Florence of the South': the city of Lecce. The route is mainly in the area of 'Salice Salentino', whose vineyards produce DOCG wine, very popular around the world. You'll go through a few small villages where, all year round, you'll find the squares filled with elderly residents, hats pulled down against the sun, discussing politics and agriculture, and it seems that time has stood still. Later in the afternoon, you'll reach your destination, the City of Lecce.

Day 8

Departure from Lecce

Breakfast and Time to say goodbye! We hope to see you soon.

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All prices are based on double rooms - for bookings & inquiries: send an email to info@cycleclassictours.com
Base package per person in double room €730
Start every Friday and Saturday from March till half July and End of August till half November
Departures: every Sunday from 02/04/2023 until 02/07/2023 (last departure) and from 03/09/2023 until 17/12/2023 (last departure).
Other days on request.

Extra Information

Fill out and submit the online booking request or send an email to info@cycleclassictours.com
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Please do not make travel plans until you receive our confirmation.
Please be advised that we make every effort to ensure that all the information given on this site is accurate. All statements and information have been researched and supplied by third parties.
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.