Puglia – Salento Family Tour

The region Puglia is known for its whitewashed hill towns, centuries-old farmland, and hundreds of kilometers of Mediterranean coastline

Grade

Easy

When

Feb - Dec

Accommodation

3 *** Hotels

Breakfast

Included

Trekking Bike Hire

€80

E bike Hire

€190

Bike trailer

€50

Trolley bike

€85

High season

€140

Single supplement

€210

From: €550

Description

Puglia – Salento Family Tour

Puglia – Salento Family Tour. 8 days – 7 nights
Departures 2025: every Friday and Saturday from 28/02/2025 until 14/06/2025 and then 12/09/2025 until 27/12/2025.
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

 

Bike Hotels EuropeBike Rentals Europe

Puglia – Salento Family Tour in the “heel” of Italy, on a peninsula that, jutting southeast, divides two seas, the Adriatic and the Ionian. The region Puglia is known for its whitewashed hill towns, centuries-old farmland, and hundreds of kilometers of Mediterranean coastline. Here plays agriculture a prominent role in the economic context. It is mainly intensive and modern agriculture that allows the region to be among the first in Italy for the production of many products: olive oil, almonds, grape tomatoes, and durum wheat (which is used to produce pasta).

During this tour, you’ll start at Lecce the “Florence of the South” for its baroque architecture. From Neolithic cave paintings to ruins of ancient cities to Roman theaters and spas, to rupestrian crypts carved into the rock, or fortified castles, Puglia has to offer a lot. It’s 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. This land smiles at the bicycle tourist! Its hillocks never climb more than 200 meters, and even beginners can easily enjoy its beauty by bicycle. When you cycle this Tour there becomes light to the many hidden treasures, not only by the sea but also inland! In the ‘Entroterra’, you find many small farms and artisans who strictly follow traditional ethics and respect for the land.

Enjoy this Puglia – Salento Family Tour

  • The historic center of Lecce, the ‘Florence of the South with its Spanish-style baroque architecture and its Roman ruins
  • Martano, the capital of the “Salentine Greece”
  • Corigliano D’Otranto, with its majestic castle.
  • the church of Santa Caterina. Where the walls are completely covered with frescoes in the Giotto style. Wander around the beautiful historical center of the city
  • Relax at the Natural Park of Porto Selvaggio: a wooded area of more than 1000 hectares close to the sea
  • Visit some of these municipalities: Zollino, Sternatia, and Martignano. In their charming historical centers, you’ll discover some of the most delicious gastronomic specialties

Experience the culture of Puglia, taste the local traditional regional food, breathtaking coastlines, wonderful nature, and much more! This cycle tour is perfect for those who like short distances.

Day 1
Arrival
In the late afternoon, you will meet our staff for a briefing on your trip and the delivery of bicycles and GPS. Then we recommend a wander - by bike or on foot - around the historic center of Lecce, the "Florence of the South", that will win you over with its Spanish-style baroque architecture and its Roman ruins.
Day 2
Lecce to Martano - 29km
Completely flat route and on secondary roads. The first stop is in Cavallino, where we'll visit an open-air museum on the Messapian civilization (the people who lived here before the arrival of the Greeks and Romans). Continue then, through olive groves bounded by dry stone walls, up to Calimera. Here you can visit a nature museum, where you'll discover the distinctive flora and fauna of the region. The final destination is Martano, the capital of Salentine Greece.
Day 3
The ‘Salentine Greece’ - 23km
During the Middle Ages in Salento, people spoke Greek, thanks to the presence of the Byzantine monks. The Grecia Salentina is a small region of 9 municipalities where a version of this language is still spoken. You will visit some of these municipalities: Zollino, Sternatia, and Martignano. in their charming historical centers you will discover some of the most delicious gastronomic specialties, such as 'sceblasti', a soft bread seasoned with tomatoes, courgettes, onions, and peppers. Just this on its own is a worthy lunch!
Day 4
Martano to Galatone - 28km
The first path of the journey is still in the Grecia Salentina: you will pass through Castrignano de Greci where, among other things, you can admire the 'pozzelle', an ancient system of public rainwater collection. Then on to Corigliano D'Otranto, with its majestic castle. You can do an optional visit before continuing to an organic farm near Cutrofioano - which is also an educational farm. A cheese producer and honey producer.
Day 5
Around Galatone: Galatina - 19km
You can start the day by picking vegetables in the farm's vegetable garden and then take a cooking class with Anna, who will host you in her large country house with swimming pool. You can learn how to make orecchiette (typical pasta of the place, in the shape of an ear) and the "pitta di patate" -  a pizza made with potatoes and “pasticciotto cake”. The house has a large swimming pool, so before and after lunch you can relax with your family. Then, you set off in the direction of Galatina, where you can admire the church of Santa Caterina, whose walls are completely covered with frescoes in Giotto style, and wander around the beautiful historical center of the city. Galatina is the center of 'tarantismo', a ritual in which sick people (supposedly bitten by a taranta, a spider) were treated through music (the famous 'pizzica'). The ritual itself is no longer pursued but the traditional music is still very much alive and performed everywhere.  Do not miss the 'pasticciotto', a typical dessert of the locality, filled with a creamy custard that has in Galatina the great-grandson of its inventor: Mr Ascalone. Preferably eaten hot!
Day 6
Galatone to Gallipoli - 16km
Today, you'll continue to ride in the countryside, among olive trees and "pajare" (typical dry stone buildings, which dot the countryside). In Galatone you can visit the castle of Fulcignano (built by our Norman antecedents), and in Alezio the museum of the Messapian civilization. If you want, you can take a detour to Tuglie for a visit to the Radio Museum (where you can find a history of radio communication with dozens of ancient examples all working).
Day 7
Around Gallipoli to Porto Selvaggio - 20km
A relaxing day by the sea. After a short ride along the coast (quite deserted outside the peak season), you get to the Natural Park of Porto Selvaggio: a wooden area of more than 1000 hectares close to the sea. The calm sea here is fed by spring eaters, and you can swim and relax for your last day of travel. On the way back, you really must stop in Santa Caterina, a very small town, where the inhabitants seem to know no other activity than that of eating ice cream!
Day 8
Departure day
In the morning you can walk around the historic center of this fishing town, among whose narrow streets you can still breathe life as it would have been lived decades ago. Do not miss the wine served at the underground mill, where olives used to be processed when Gallipoli was the world capital for the export of olive oil. Transfer to Lecce / Brindisi / Bari.



Book Now
 

Booking Information

Add your start date
  • All prices are based on double rooms. Departures all days
  • For bookings & inquiries please contact us at info@cycleclassictours.com
  • Departures 2025: every Friday and Saturday from 28/02/2025 until 14/06/2025 and then 12/09/2025 until 27/12/2025.
  • High season from 30/05 to 25/09.

Extra Information

  1. Fill out and submit the online booking request or send an email to info@cycleclassictours.com
  2. We tend and try to send all over within 48 hours.
  3. Please do not make travel plans until you receive our confirmation.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  • 7 overnights stay in a farmhouse, 3*** hotels or B&B in a family room, triple rooms, or double room (according to availability)
  • 7 breakfasts
  • Baggage transportation
  • Tracks of the route, navigation app, and phone holder (1 for each booking)
  • Roadbook with cultural information and tips about the route
  • Assistance 24 hours, based on a local company
 
  • Adult Price: €550
  • Child price (until 18 years): €450
  • High season supplement (30/5 to 25/09): €140 per person
  • Trekking Bike: €80
  • Bike trailer: €50
  • Rental e-bike: €190
  • Bike trailer: €50
  • Trolley bike: €85
  • Single supplement: €175
  • 4**** supplement: €140
  • 4****/5***** supplement: €490
  • Cooking class with lunch: €50 (adults) / €25 (children)

Map

Related trips

About

Contact

Beukenhof 8
8332 VA Steenwijk
The Netherlands

Mail us at: info@cycleclassictours.com
Call us at: +31 (0) 521 745 019

Newsletter

© Copyright CycleClassicTours