The very south-east of Italy – that’s Apulia. A singular landscape between the Adriatic and the Ionian Sea and the open friendliness and hospitality of the South-Italians are the specialities of this cycle tour. Additionally a manifold culture is awaiting you: Greek, Romans, Byzantines, Normans, the Staufer, Aragons, Habsburgs and Bourbons – every culture left its distinctive traces.

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Itinerary

Alberobello is part of the UNESCO world cultural heritage.

Bicycle tour through the valley Valle d’Itria, which belongs to one of the most beautiful cultured landscapes of the south. Stopover in the known wine-growing town Locorotondo for tasting the local white wine (not included). Via Cisternino to the next stop Ostuni, the “white town” with beautiful view to the Sea.

From Ostuni you cycle through olive groves, vineyards and fruit orchards to Manduria. This old roman road lead from Rome, via Taranto and Oria to Brindisi in former times. Today only a few parts are still preserved as Via Appia Antica.

You continue along the coastal road with its numerous defence towers to Porto Cesareo. Your tour brings you along the Ionian coast to Gallipoli.

This “Kale Polis” (beautiful town) of Greek origin is a real urban surprise on the Ionian Sea. Like an impregnable fortress Old-Gallipoli sits on the very top of a peninsula, stretching far into the sea. Discover a maze of small streets and thoroughfares in this town, where also a number of churches and an ancient museum wait for your visit. Very interesting to see also the omnipresent fishermen, thus completing the scenery of a town, that belonged to Europe’s most important exporter of lamp-oil in the 17th and 18th century.

Today we reach the southernmost point of the Salento and the watershed to the Ionian Sea at Santa Maria di Leuca. Being a well-known place of pilgrimage the church is quite famous. Around the centennial a number of villas were built, which form an interesting architectonic highlight because of their absurd and fantastic stiles. Here eccentric “fin-de-siècle” lovers settled, to enjoy the remoteness of this area.

The next part of our tour follows the southern coast of the Adriatic Sea unto the Messapian town Otranto. This place has a reputation of being an art-historical jewel in between a lovely landscape. The old town is surrounded by a mighty wall, remarkable here the Habsburg-Castello. On the way to Otranto you can visit the famous Grotta Zinzulusa – the only one of a number of coastal grottos, which is open to public. Also an interesting stop-over forms the thermal resort Santa Cesarea, known for hydro-therapeutics and radioactive moor therapeutics.

Further on you follow the Adriatic coast; through uncountable olive-groves you reach Lecce. Should you wish to take a break, we can recommend the bay of Torre dell’Orso, enclosed by steep limestone rock walls. Lecce, the capital of the Salento, is a picturesque town, overwhelming with the beauty of buildings and churches. Next to Naples, Lecce is a baroque metropolis of the South, even creating the own terminus of “Lecce-Baroque”. Here about 30 churches and an uncountable number of palaces are waiting to be discovered. Not to forget the amphitheatre and the roman theatre, both constructed under Caesar Augustus, and worth a visit.

The airports of Bari/Brindisi are conveniently accessible by train. Alternatively our transfer is at your service.

Tour character

Mostly this tour is following flat, asphalt side roads, apart from some slightly hilly parts. As Apulia is not a transit country and you travel outside of the high season, the streets almost are free from traffic.

Services and infos

Services
  • Accommodation as mentioned
  • Breakfast
  • Luggage transfer between the hotels
  • Digital tour information
  • Navigation-app and GPS-data
  • Service hotline
Infos

Arrival / Parking / Departure

  • Monopoli, Lecce or Alberobello train station
  • Bari or Brindisi airport
  • Car park at the hotel, to be paid for at the time, no reservation possible
  • Transfers by minibus daily, reservation is necessary, payable in advance:
  • Bari/Brindisi airport - Alberobello, cost per transfer EUR 179 (1-3 persons), EUR 209 (4-6 persons), EUR 229 (7-8 persons)
  • Lecce - Bari airport, cost per transfer EUR 309 (1-3 persons), EUR 359 (4-6 persons), EUR 389 (7-8 persons)
  • Lecce - Brindisi airport, cost per transfer EUR 149 (1-3 persons), EUR 169 (4-6 persons), EUR 189 (7-8 persons)

Please note:

  • Where visitor’s tax is due, it is not included in the tour price
Contact & booking

Do you still have questions about the tour? We are happy to help and look forward to your inquiry.