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Welcome to Hooked on Cycling and our cycling holiday in Italy. This cycling holiday in Italy is in the region of Apulia or the “ Boot “ of Italy. This region is really little explored by the tourist and is therefore very original and beautiful. This is an easy cycling tour and therefore we grade as a level 2 cycle tour. The biking vacation is also available as a 7 night self guided tour starting on a Saturday only.
Puglia, or Apulia as it is called in English, is the most south eastern region on Italy and this part of the country is the least densely populated as well as the flattest, after the Po delta flatland. People live mainly in towns, owning the lands around them. Tourism is becoming more and more important but it has not ruined the landscape as in other areas of Italy. Here you will also find the best beaches of Italy.
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Its strategic position, in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, lying between two completely different Europes, linking the eastern and western Mediterranean resulted in it being attacked by foreign powers, mainly Turks. One of the most famous and helpful conquerors was Frederick II (1194-1250), the last Emperor of the Hohenstaufen line. An enlightened man, he built many castles which still grace the region, along with acres and acres of vineyards and olive groves. The overlapping of cultures and languages (there are influences of Greek, Albanian, Latin and also Spanish in the many different dialects spoken in the region) can be seen not only in the towns and cities, but also in the countryside. Apulia produces one-tenth of the wine drunk in Europe. Olive oil, fruit (citrus trees, grapes) productions and fishery are its main activities.
Available each Saturday from March till November
Level 2 self guided tour
DAY 1 Arrival in Polignano a Mare
Own transfer from Bari or Brindisi Airport to the gracious town of Polignano a town that seems to have been a Greek colony (“Polis nea”, new city) founded on a rock over the marvelous Adriatic sea. Our hotel the Hotel Grotta Palazzese receives its name from the famous cave that lies bellow it. In summer it is the restaurant of the hotel but you can also ask to visit it any other time of the year and enjoy the amazing views from this “balcony” over the sea.
Let yourself become lost in Polignano’s labyrinth of streets and whitewashed houses and follow streets that sometimes end at a terrace overlooking the sea to enjoy the great views. You can visit the main church (Chiesa Madre, as they are often called in the south of Italy), the beautiful squares of San Benedetto and dell’Orologio (you can see the remains of a sun clock under the clock on the tower). The western part of the old city is still surrounded by high walls protecting the city from the frequent enemy attacks. You can still see one of the original entrances to the old town, Marchesale Arch where the cycling itinerary starts from.
DAY 2 From Polignano to Alberobello 21 miles 33 km
Today you leave the amazing blue sea behind, as you cycle inland, passing though the typical Apulian vineyard landscape, till Alberobello, the picturesque Trulli capital. On the way you can stop to visit the caves of Castellana, discovered and explored by Franco Anelli. These were created by an underground river and show a marvelous galleries full of stalactites and stalagmites and beautiful caverns. You can also visit the Museum Franco Anelli. Afterwards, the road takes you to Alberobello, a unique town consisting of over 1,000 Trulli: white stone houses with conical roofs and the most exceptional thing is that you will sleep in one of them. Wander around and visit the labyrinth of stone paved streets and the Trullo Church.
DAY 3 From Alberobello to Ostuni 30 miles 48 km
Following an inland route you will ride through the “Murgia” area, from the Trulli heartland to the flat lands by the Adriatic sea near Ostuni. You will see many stone lined country lanes bordering olive groves large Masserie (farm houses). In the renowned town of Martina Franca you will have your first opportunity to admire the Apulian baroque style in the charged balconies, window grates and gates. You continue on to Cisternino, a small medieval town with excellent wines. You can visit the centre of the town and cycle by the typical whitewashed houses and narrow streets, the tiny courtyards and outside stairs, by the arches and flower-filled balconies and then ride on to Ostuni, a charming town whose whitewashed arches and houses lay on top of a hilly area, rich in olive groves and vineyards. Ostuni’s historical centre is well protected inside the town walls, almost suspended in a flow of white lime. The old village represents the live and beating heart of the town and, at the same time, the historical memory with the most significant architectural treasure: the Cathedral (XV century) with its magnificent façade in late Gothic style. In the same street, the “Museum of the Pre-classical Civilization of Southern Murgia” holds the latest and most astonishing discoveries dating back to about 25.000 years ago: the body of a young pregnant woman, found near the prehistorical station of Agnano.
DAY 4 From Copertino to Gallipoli 26 miles 41 km
You start the day with quite a long transfer that takes you from Ostuni in the Murgia to Copertino in the Salento area. After a brief visit of Copertino you start pe dalling along a flat open country on your way to the sea. The landscape is filled only with giant olive trees, then forests of Mediterranean pine trees and finally sand dunes. You will see very few houses and hardly any people in this sparsely inhabited area, just you and nature. After passing through Nardò you can stop to visit the Masseria Brusca, a typical Salento fortress- farmhouse constructed in 1500’s under the Spanish rule. Inside there is a pigeon loft for carrier pigeons that guaranteed communication between the inland farmhouses and here they produce and sell local cheese.
As you reach the sea you will notice the ancient watch towers, built up by the Aragonites in the 14th century, still majestically guarding the coastline, on the lookout for possible pirates or enemies arriving from the sea These towers were strategically located and built eye distance from each other, creating a chain of sentinels along the Ionian and Adriatic coastlines and to the inland fortresses. By 1749 there were about 80 towers from Santa Caterina to Lecce. Today these towers give a magical atmosphere when you see them standing out against the setting sun. The towns of this area are well known for their beautiful beaches and the mundane living. Our destination is Gallipoli, whose name is derived from the Greek word kalé polis meaning "beautiful city." The medieval town centre is full of narrow winding alleys which almost burst into the houses, bastions, castle and churches. You will be guided to the Greek fountain, re-done in the Renaissance period and you will be able see Baronial houses which offer a rare attraction and render a holiday spent in the warm embrace of this town’s hospitality more than usually instructive.
DAY 5 From Gallipoli to Santa Maria di Leuca 30 miles 51 km
Today riding along a flat coastal road you will reach the most s outhern point of the Salento, which also divides the Ionian and the Adriatic Sea and you will have several opportunity to stop for a swim in the some of the beautiful beaches found here. Particularly paradisiacal is the Torre del Pizzo beach with it’s turquoise coloured water and fine white sand, it lies the opposite side of the bay from Gallipoli on a detour from the main route to Santa Maria di Leuca, the southern most point of the Italian peninsula. In the past the small village was primarily known as a place of pilgrimage because of its church, but at the turn of the century many grand mansions were built here whose architectonic shapes range from the fantastic to the absurd.
DAY 6 From Santa Maria di Leuca to Otranto. 30 miles 50 km
Continuing along the high coastal road which winds its way towards Castro, you will cycle along one of the most beautiful and panoramic routes in the region, with its gentle ups and downs and deep cliffs up to 80m. above the sea. Softening the bitterness of the rock, constantly beaten by wind, olive trees cling to the hills and valleys seeming to almost lap the blue stretch of sea. This part of Salento is quieter and more isolated than the Ionian part and it is extremely beautiful because of the contrast between the dark blue sea and the green and brownish Mediterranean vegetation.
The Grotta Zinzulusa is worth a stop; the guided visit takes you into one of the most famous karstic caves of South Italy. Continue along the coast till Otranto, in ancient times called Hydruntum. It was a Greek colony come roman town with a large natural port particularly popular during the Republican Roman period because of the commercial relations between Italy and Greece. In the middle ages it was one of the most important Byzantine centres in Italy, and it had a Greek bishop. Otranto became the chief town and an important military centre and during the XI and XII century it flourished thanks to the Venetian, Dalmatian and Levantine merchants who frequented its ports and because of the comings and going of the crusaders. The old Town is enclosed by thick city walls surrounded by a beautiful coast line.
DAY 7 From Otranto to Lecce 28 miles 45 km
The first part of the day’s ride will take you to the Large and Small Alimini Lakes, long shaped water extensions running parallel to the sea. The small one (also called Fontanelle) is a fresh water lake surrounded by marsh vegetation with marsh orchids and other rare plants such as the only carnivorous plant in Apulia. It is inhabited by cormorants, seagulls, egrets and ducks and it is linked to the Alimini Grande by a 1.5 km long canal providing it with freshwater. The biggest lake is a salt-marsh ecosystem which has a surface area of 1.37 km2. It is connected to the sea by its mouth that has been prepared as a little fishery where fish are bred. The south western part of the lake was planted with trees in the ‘50s and nowadays it is a hunting reserve while the south east part is a protected area characterized by typical Mediterranean vegetation.
After the lakes you head inland, cycle through flat open countryside in the area known as the Greek Salento. In ancient times some Greek colonies settled and flourished here and in the heart of eastern Salento, traces of the Greek-Byzantine civilisation linger on. Here Griko, the local dialect, which is surprisingly close to Modern Greek, is still widely spoken. This Greek area now includes the districts of Calimera, Castrignano dei Greci, Corigliano d’Otranto, Martano, Martignano, Melpignano, Soleto, Sternatia and Zollino,.
If there is one thing which these villages have in common it is the survival or memory of Greek rites, which were widespread here until the 17th century, and of the Greek gloss, roots of which are buried in local toponymy. The originality of the architecture: communal courtyards painted in blinding white, the balconies, the rhombus shaped decorations as well as the habits and customs, make this area worthy of attention.
DAY 8 Departure from Lecce
The trip and our services end after breakfast. You may have booked extra nights in Lecce
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What is Included
- 7 Nights Bed and Breakfast
- 3 and 4 star hotels , farmhouses and B & B’s
- Luggage Transfers
- Information Pack
- Routes and Maps
- Emergency help
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Extras
- 21 speed Rental Cycle
- Cost before and after tour
- Single Supplement
- additional nights at Polignano or Lecce
- Travel Insurance
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Tariff 2008
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Tour Code CEApulia1
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Price per person based on two persons sharing double/twin room
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£634
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Single Room ( 2 Persons minimum )
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£802
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Addtional nights in Polignano per person
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£63 double , £80 single
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How to get there
By Plane
Fly to Bari or Brindisi airports and transfer by train to tour start . Fly with Ryanair. Train from Bari and Brindisi takes around 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Private Transfers by Taxi are available from Bari and Brindisi please ask for prices
To View our other cycling holidays in Italy
Click below to view our
Walking Holidays in Italy
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