Across Puglia

Introduction
Puglia Italy
Discover Southeastern Italy on a self guided cycling tour!

Olive groves and crystal seas
Gargano or Puglia is a region in southeastern Italy that includes the "heel" part of Italy’s "boot". It is bordered by beautiful sea on two sides - the Adriatic Sea in the East and the Ionian Sea to the Southeast. The region is characterized by endless  romantic olive groves, lengthy fields of grain and pretty wine vineyards, as well as endless steep cliffs overlooking the waters. The route includes very beautiful stretches on the coast and the charm of this self-guided cycling tour is that it will lead you on a journey of your own through a region of picturesque scenic beauty, which by today’s standards is still unspoiled by the unattractive aspects of  heavy tourism and still retains much testimony of its great past and ancient culture.

Accomodation

Accommodation
We personally choose all the hotels mindful of your comfort as well as the proximity to cycling paths and any relevant local sites.
The hotels of this tour are 3/4* hotels (in Alberobello in some cases a typical "widespread hotel", the so called "trulli"). All rooms have en suite facilities; in the Trulli accommodation there is no air conditioning.

Meals
Breakfast included in the trip.

Riding

Route profile
Total length: 320 km
Total vertical up: 1,340 m
Terrain: 99% tarmac, 1% unpaved
Train connection among the overnight stays: NO
Possibility to shorten the itinerary by taking the train: day 3.
Mostly in the lowlands, sometimes hilly. Traffic is almost non existent in Apulia except during the high holiday season. The route includes very beautiful stretches on the coast.

Activity level
Easy to Moderate: some days flat, others with some hills. Suitable for everyone with some cycling experience and a few physical condition.
We have carefully chosen our bicycles and accessories in order to be able to satisfy the requests and wishes of our customers. In this page we illustrate some of the available types of bicycles.

Rental bikes
Girolibero’s City bikes are available in various sizes in unisex/women’s or men’s models. At the moment of booking, you can choose from the following bikes:
- City bike 27-gear Shimano Deore
- Electro-bike

Features:
- aluminum frame
- mudguard
- rear rack
- comfort gel saddle
- anti-puncture Schwalbe tyres
- ergonomic bicycle grips
- Speed Lifter system (only for City bikes)

Accessories
All rented adult bikes are equipped with:
1 cycle computer
1 Ortlieb one-sided saddlebag
1 front bar bag or 1 map holder
1 water bottle (0.75 l)
1 repair kit per room: 1 spare inner tube, glue, patch, a pump, 2 allen keys and
tyre levers
1 combination bike lock

At the moment of booking you can also rent helmets suitable for head circumferences from 54 to 61. All our helmets have a certification mark according to the DIN EN 1078 (CE) European norm.

Accompanying material
The Information Pack (one per room) includes:
- final hotel list: due to overbooking or organizational needs your hotel list may be changed just before your arrival
- luggage labels to be fixed at each piece of baggage, which has to be carried
- hotel vouchers to be given to the reception of each hotel on your arrival

Girolibero Greens booklets:
1) Travel guide with valuable information about the history, artistic heritage, landscapes and natural treasures of the areas visited on the tour. Plus: local events, some great anecdotes, suggestions on how to make the best of an extended break along the route, and tips on local wining and dining.
2) Detailed Maps of the itinerary: in colour and scaled 1:75.000/50.000, an altitude profile chart and maps of any historic city centres you would visit.
3) Roadbook describing the cycling route, stage by stage. Great on its own or in conjunction with the maps.

Itinerary

 

Sample itinerary - Subject to changes

Day 1:  Matera
Individual arrival. For millennia, inhabitants of this region have carved dwellings directly into ravines and gullies made of tuff (or tufa), a characteristic honey-colored soft stone. These houses are called “Sassi” and are today World Heritage site.

Day 2:  Matera–Alberobello (70km, uphill 400m)
You cycle to the famous trulli of Alberobello and Locorotondo. Trulli were generally constructed as dwellings or storehouses. Alberobello is situated upon two hills, once sepa-rated by a riverbed. On the eastern hill is the new town, with modern architectural features. On the western hill, the trulli are lined up in an urban conglomeration, subdivided into two districts: Monti and Aia Piccola, both National Monuments from 1930, and today World Heritage sites. This is the first stage of the tour but it is also the most changeling. The first 35 km do not present particular altitude difference and the route is mainly flat. The last part from Gioia del Colle is lightly more difficult because of some long but not steep climb.

Day 3:  Alberobello–Ostuni (45 km, uphill 260m)
You cycle through the countryside to Ostuni, which is reputed an architectural jewel, and is commonly referred to as “the White Town” for its white walls and its typically white-painted architecture. You leave Alberobello and the Trulli city crossing the last part of Murge and going through the towns of Martina Franca, Locorotondo and Cisternino before arriving to the white city of Ostuni. The most challenging part is between Locorotondo and Cisternino.

Day 4:  Ostuni–Lecce–Gallipoli (70 km transfer by train + 50 km by bike, uphill 70m)
A train transfer brings you to Lecce. After a few kilometres through this amazing baroque town you go deep into "salentinian countryside", before approaching the Ionian coast and your daily destination, Gallipoli. The route winds through country roads and not binding and unpaved trails, almost completely flat.
Transfer: about 60 minutes by train from Ostuni to Lecce. The train ticket from Ostuni to Lecce is included in the package tour price.

Day 5:  Gallipoli–Santa Maria di Leuca (50 km, uphill 50m)
Cycling further along the coast you will reach Santa Maria di Leuca. The name Santa Maria di Leuca was given by the ancient Greek sailors who came from the East. They saw this place lightened by the sun and therefore called it “leukos”, meaning white. Santa Maria di Leuca is a famous seaside resort and a fishing area. It is the easiest stage, all on asphalted road, flat with some short ups and downs in the final part.

Day 6:  Santa Maria di Leuca–Otranto (50 km, uphill 460m)
Today you will cycle northwards along the Adriatic coast to Otranto, the most eastern point of Italy where you can visit the beautiful Cathedral and the great Aragonese Castle. The most challenging stretches are 1km climb out from S.M. di Leuca and 3km of continuous but regular slope after Santa Cesaria Terme. Today you will cycle along the coast road 358: one of the most scenic roads in the world.

Day 7:  Otranto–Lecce (55 km, uphill 100m)
Riding along the Alimini Lakes and their unique Mediterranean bush you’ll enter into Lecce. Thanks to its Baroque style, it has deserved the nickname of Florence of the South. You’ll come to appreciate the rich sculpted motives done in the 17th-century with the tender stone from Lecce. The old town enclosed by what is left of the ancient walls, bears the impression of that exuberant period. This is an easy stage. We leave the lovely town of Otranto behind us to discover the Alimini Lakes nature reserve, the old hunting ground of the Swabians and the Aragonese.

Day 8:  Lecce
Departure after breakfast.

-- Subject to change --

Tour program variations
Due to organizational reasons, weather conditions or provisions issued by local authorities, the itinerary may be subject to some changes before and/or during the holiday.
Along the way you may find temporary deviations (for example road works) which cannot be foreseen; in this case each rider can decide autonomously how to deal with these stretches.

Rates and Dates for Across Puglia

Dates Note:

Other Info
Meeting: Matera
Airport: Bari
Transfer: from Bari by train (not included)

Climate:
                                                Matera area