Cycling Puglia & Matera

Name: Cycling Puglia & Matera
Brand: Exodus
Rating: 4 (4674 reviews)

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Covid Clear Groups

100m rewilded per person

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8 Days from

$ 3,045

4/5 from

Cycling

Ways to Travel :

Guided Group, Private Group Adventures

Activity :

Cycling

Activity Levels :

3 out of 10 - Moderate

Group Size :

6 - 16

Ages :

16+

Trip Code :

MWV

Cycle from the UNESCO town of Matera through Italy's heel to Lecce

In the deep south of Italy, nestled between the Adriatic and Ionian seas, lie the captivating regions of Puglia and Basilicata. This extensive itinerary explores the very best selection of all the cultural and natural treasures found here. Matera’s fascinating ‘Sassi’ houses and the UNESCO 'Trulli’ houses of Alberobello set the scene for the journey to come. After passing through idyllic countryside and the 'white city' of Ostuni, the route veers towards Gallipoli and the dramatic Ionian coastline. While riding across the famous Salento Peninsula, we immerse ourselves in the charming laid-back Italian way of living and explore a landscape made of olive orchards, limestone cliffs, crystal waters and Baroque towns.

Highlights

Ride from the stunning UNESCO town of Matera
Enjoy gentle cycling through olive groves and past conical trulli houses
Sample fine seafood and wine from the famous Salento coast
Stay in charming accommodation bursting with character

Key Information

6 nights comfortable hotels and 1 night 'masseria' (converted farmhouse)
8 days land only / flight inclusive
6 days cycling with partial vehicle support (limited seats)
99% tarmac and some short sections of gravel
Quiet rural undulating roads
Local bike hire included
E-bike hire available on request, supplement from £115, USD $161 or CAD $191

Countries visited: Italy

Whats Included

All breakfasts
All accommodation
All transport and listed activities
Tour leader throughout
Flights from London (if booking incl. flights)
Local bike hire

Whats Not Included

Travel insurance
Single accommodation (available on request)
Visas or vaccinations
Local city taxes (approx. €10)
E-bike hire supplement

6 Days of Walking & Trekking

Pace:

Moderate: 13-16km/8-10miles an hour

Terrain:

Low altitude; 99% tarmac, 1% gravel path

Day 3

70 km / 43.5 miles

Day 4

45 km / 28 miles

Day 5

56 km / 34.8 miles

Day 6

65 km / 40.4 miles

Day 7

70 km / 43.5 miles

Day 8

50 km / 31.1 miles

Responsible Travel

Tourism can be a real help to local communities, providing income, positive cultural exchanges and a financial incentive to protect their natural environment. Ours is a 'total approach' to responsible tourism, covering everything from the way we plan and operate our trips to the practices of Exodus as a company.

On this trip, we use locally staffed accommodations including a night in a typical Masseria (a traditional converted farmhouse). When meals are provided, ingredients are locally sourced wherever possible otherwise there are plenty of opportunities to try local specialties in local restaurants and cafes recommended by our local guides.

Cycling trips have very little detrimental impact on the environment and local residents as it is a quiet, low impact activity requiring comparatively little resources to support. By making donations and using businesses which surround the historical sites and attractions we visit, we are ensuring that the community benefits from our tourism.

In March 2019, Exodus Travels launched the Exodus Travels Foundation where we support initiatives all around the world. But it cannot exist without travellers who care. Get involved or learn more about what Responsible Travel means to Exodus here…

Exodus People - Marinella

Cycling and walking leader Marinella shows us why she is so passionate for her job and her country.

Recommended Trips

Cycling Puglia & Matera

Walking in Puglia & Matera

Itinerary

Include Flights

Matera Lecce

The trip starts in the town of Matera, a real jewel of Southern Italy. The hotel is located within walking distance to the historic centre. There is usually time in the afternoon to wander through the narrow alleys of the town’s famous UNESCO cave-dwelling district and enjoy the unique atmosphere of this enchanting city.

On leaving Matera we pedal through the area that makes this town so special. For millenia, inhabitants of this region have carved dwelling directly into ravines and gullies made of tuff (or tufa), a characteristic honey-colored soft stone. These houses are called 'Sassi' and are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Matera is the only place in the world where people can boast to be still living in the same houses of their ancestors of 9,000 years ago. Today's ride is mostly hilly with gentle ascents to be expected throughout, as we cycle on quiet rural roads amongst the picturesque Apulian countryside towards Alberobello. En route we pass the lovely towns of Noci and Gioia del Colle as well as some famous fairy-tale trulli houses that have also made the historic centre of Alberobello a recognised UNESCO world heritage site. Overnight in Alberobello. Cycle approx. 70km (ascent +659m; descent -648m).

Meals Included: Breakfast

Today we cycle through the lush Valle d'Itria, one of the prettiest cultural and natural landscapes of southern Italy, to the hilltop town of Ostuni. The route is undulating throughout but much shorter than yesterday's ride. This allows us to enjoy the views at a more leisurely pace with plenty of opportunities for rest stops. Along the way we pass the famous wine town of Locorotondo and Cisternino, both known for their historic centres filled with whitewashed houses, narrow streets, churches and elegant piazzas. In the afternoon we reach Ostuni, known as the 'white city' thanks to the dazzling effect of its white buildings.

Overnight in Ostuni.

Meals Included: Breakfast

We continue pedalling through tranquil country lanes to the town of Francavilla Fontana and on to Oria. A popular destination among Apulians, Oria is famous for its 13th century castle and delightful historic centre of cobbled streets, whitewashed walls and beautiful architecture. We continue through the countryside to a masseria, a typical Apulian converted farmhouse and our accommodation for the night. The masseria is still a working farm and most of the produce grown here, from vegetables to olives and wheat, is used daily for the preparation of local dishes. Before dinner we will have the opportunity to taste some organic olive oil produced by the family that runs the farm and accommodation.

Overnight in Avetrana.

Meals Included: Breakfast

From the masseria we cycle towards the Ionian Coast and the beautiful town of Gallipoli, known as the 'Ionian Pearl' with its old town situated on a rocky island offering fantastic views both to the north and the south. The town itself has many churches and narrow alleys and was the largest exporter of lamp oil made from olives in the 17th and 18th centuries. Weather permitting, today there are plenty of opportunities for swimming in the Ionian sea near the popular seaside resort of Porto Cesareo.

Overnight in Gallipoli.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Our route continues along the south of the peninsula and the impressive stretch of coastline leading to the ancient Messapian town of Otranto, the easternmost point in Italy. Before dinner there will be time at leisure to explore the town’s mediaeval centre. Here the interesting architecture, views, sea-front restaurants and white sandy beaches make it one of Puglia's most picturesque towns.

Overnight in Otranto.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Today we follow the shoreline through innumerable olive groves to Lecce, the Baroque masterpiece of southern Italy, in the heart of Puglia. Sometimes described as the 'Florence of the South', the city is an architectural gem, boasting sumptuous palazzi and churches. Today's ride is relatively short and easy, giving us time to stop en route for a last swim (seasonal) in Torre dell'Orso, a lovely bay surrounded by limestone cliffs with many ancient caves to discover. In Lecce there will be some free time to explore the historic centre before an optional farewell dinner.

Overnight in Lecce.

Meals Included: Breakfast

The trip ends in the morning of day 8. We recommend spending an extra day in Lecce to soak up the atmosphere of this elegant Baroque city, home to outstanding architecture. Exodus can arrange post tour accommodation for you if needed; please contact our Sales or Operations team for a quote.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Essential Info

Visa

Italy

No visa required for British passport holders. Please note in Italy it is compulsory to carry ID with you at all times.

For further Brexit travel advice please visit https://www.abta.com/tips-and-advice/brexit-advice-for-travellers

Vaccination

Italy

There are no specific health risks.

Eating and Drinking

7 breakfasts are included and usually consist of a continental-style buffet. A typical hotel breakfast consists of: toast/bread with jam, cereal, cheese and ham (occasionally), served with coffee, tea, milk, orange juice, fruit, cake and yoghurt. Lunches are normally arranged as picnics or taken in small cafes' along the route. Vegetarians and people with special dietary requirements can be catered for but please inform us of your requests prior travel.

In Puglia you will find genuine regional cooking that has strong links to the land and the sea. Some of the types of food on offer in Puglia: bread from the Murge, durum wheat pasta, olives, the pasta delicacy Orecchiette served with a sauce of turnip-tops or fresh tomato and sheep's ricotta-cheese, Cavatelli with pulses, aubergine and parmesan bake, grilled fish and seafood, burrata (soft mozzarella and cream cheese), plus excellent wines. This region is a paradise for food lovers!

Weather

Puglia enjoys a wonderful Mediterranean climate with year round sunshine and just enough rainfall to ensure a lush landscape Although Puglia covers a large area it is long and narrow. In fact it is never more than 30km across, which allows the sea breeze to have a moderating effect on the weather.

Weather Charts

Is this trip for you?

This trip is classified Road, Activity Level: 3/Moderate.

6 days cycling, average 60 km/day (37 miles) Terrain and route: 99% tarmac, with a couple of very short sections of gravel.

Most of the cycling is along flat to hilly tarmac roads (mainly traffic-free), with a few steady ascents and descents along the way, so a reasonable level of fitness is required. Road conditions are generally good, but tarmac may be pot-holed in places.

A support vehicle (with only two passengers seats) is available throughout the trip, it will not be able to follow the group at all times but it will meet you at the end of cycle paths and at junctions to give route directions and allow access to any items you don’t wish to carry on the bike.

Please see the introductory pages of the cycling brochure or our website for more important information on classification and grading. If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip please do not hesitate to call us.

Following a review of all our trips we have categorised this trip as generally not suitable for persons of reduced mobility. However if you are a regular traveller on such trips, please contact customer services to discuss the trip and your personal condition.

Tim Robinson

Reviewed July 2022

Lots of Olive trees

A lovely part of Italy visiting beautiful towns and cities on the route. The hotels were very nice and comfortable and some quite unique. The level of cycling was as advertised with a few lengthy uphills and a few long days in the saddle which were quite tough in the high temperatures but expected. Puglia is full of millions of Olive trees with a few vineyards too. Therefore the vistas on the route became very similar and repetitive each day. This was in contrast to the beautiful on-route vistas of the Amalfi Coast or Portugal's Atlantic coast trips which I preferred.

Claire Holloway

Reviewed June 2022

All round brilliant trip

We waited two years for this trip but it was worth the wait - beautiful scenery, relaxed riding, lovely food, excellent tour leader and a great fun group. Bikes were comfortable and very able to cope with the terrain.

Francis Kng

Reviewed June 2022

Cycling Puglia and Matera

An interesting trip in very hot weather. The places visited were interesting and the hotels were good. Bikes as usual,even though brand new, were basic and heavy. More suited to town riding than touring. This added to the amount of time on the road, so leaving less time to explore the towns we stayed in.

Barbara Knowles

Reviewed June 2022

All round excellent trip. Stunning towns. Good quality hotels. Great Tour Leader.

A great trip with some beautiful scenery and stunning towns. Cycling on some of the days was quite tough given the weight of the bikes combined with the undulating terrain and Puglian heat (end May 2022). Great tour guide Antonio and driver Piero could not have been better. Very good standard of accommodation.

Lesley Foote

Reviewed May 2022

Cycling the undulations of Puglia

A varied trip with great cycling opportunities, mostly off main roads, led by an experienced leader. Emanuele was our leader, a local man with knowledge and passion for local history and geography. There were opportunities each day to eat and drink local specialities, and a couple of special treats such as cheese-making and olive oil tasting. There are no bus transfers, you cycle a good way each day, sometimes a few challenging hills and dips, sometimes a chance to cycle as fast as you want off road, but on good surfaces. Emanuele is an excellent leader who keeps control of the group at the same time as giving everyone the chance to go at their own pace. You don't need to be a strong cyclist to do the trip, there are always regroupings so that nobody gets left behind, and nobody feels left out. There are a couple of coffee and lunch stops where we were able to swim in the gorgeous blues of the Ionian Sea if we wanted, or just laze on a bench with a marvellous gelato. A couple of the hotels en route had swimming pools.

Sue Duncombe

Reviewed October 2021

A fantastic cycling trip

I'd highly recommend this cycling trip to those who are looking for a 'moderate' cycling holiday. The route is great - you visit some of the main tourist sites in Puglia, but also visit some of the little towns that have very few tourists. The scenery is beautiful - you cycle through olive groves, along the coast and through narrow lanes in little towns. Our tour leader, Emanuele (Mani) was fantastic. He was keen to ensure that everyone had a great time. I really can't praise him enough. We ate in a range of cafes and restaurants for lunch and dinner - all were very good with some delicious food.

Yvonne Renwick

Reviewed July 2019

Foodies Paradise

Have just returned from a brilliant 8 days with a great fun group of people. Its a beautiful part of Italy with plenty of pretty towns and villages that differ from one to the next and great mixture of peaceful countryside and coastal views. The bikes were very comfortable, with gel seats and easy to ride. Everything was very well organised and the staff at every hotel were welcoming and friendly and getting our rooms every day was quick and efficient which is so important after a long day in the saddle! The food was fantastic and I tried so many things I haven't tasted or heard of before! The afternoon at the farm location with the most stunning pool is a real treat after a very hot ride! There is plenty of spare time at the end of the ride of a few days or that could have been because we had an efficient group that all kept up. Nobody was particularly super quick or slow and our leader kept a good pace the whole week.

Debbie Franks

Reviewed June 2019

Fabulous Puglia.

A wonderful trip with a dedicated and passionate guide, Antonio, who was determined to ensure we experienced the best in the safest possible way. It was reassuring when he would direct the traffic at tricky intersections. Pierrot was his conscientious and polite offsider. The itinerary was carefully selected to showcase amazing locations, cultural experiences, landscapes and history. The Sassi, Trulli were only two stand outs in a landscape of fields splashed with red poppies and yellow, pink, and white wild flowers. The accommodation was generally good to very good. The price of food, the coffee, aperitifs and gelato was so cheap compared to the north and our home country.

Elaine Stephenson

Reviewed May 2019

Brilliant!

Excellent rating for the leader and route. However a few hotels were damp and musty due to the early date of holiday.The first and last hotels were by far the best.

kathleen collin

Reviewed April 2019

Disappointed

Overall this was not the trip I expected and I am disappointed. There were many pros but a lot of cons too. Starting with the good points: Pros: -the guide Michele Q was excellent. He guided us safely, was enthusiastic, knowledgeable about the places we visited, encouraging, funny, very supportive. He went above and beyond trying to find places for us to eat (more about that in the 'cons') and dealt with last minute problems smoothly. Even though he didn't need to, he stayed out with the group and socialized. On a horribly rainy/thunderstorm/lightning day he called ahead to make sure our hotel rooms would be ready when we arrived soaking wet and freezing cold. I rate him 11/10. - bikes: were very good for this type of terrain. The gearing was excellent, we could climb steep gravel hills easily. Comfortable. I liked having a waterproof pannier. The brakes were good. - the agriturismo olive farm was the BEST day/night. It was luxurious (the pool, the terrace, our suite), the olive oil tasting and education was so interesting, the food was delicious. Very peaceful and elegant. - the hotel in Osturia was also lovely. Cons: - we did the first trip of the 2019 season, beginning April 8, 2019. Now that I have done this, I think it is too early in the season to do this trip. It was sometimes a challenge to find cafés or restaurants open to eat at during the day. At a couple of hotels, we were the first guests of the season, and it was clear they were not really ready for us. - dinner: It is the Italian custom to eat dinner(supper) at 9 pm at night. This is not the custom in North America or England, and as people who had been cycling all day and who needed to be awake fairly early the next day, this didn't work. After two nights of eating very late, Michele would call ahead to the next town and try very hard to negotiate a fixed-price 2-choice menu, and tried to convince the restaurant to open at 7 pm for us to have dinner. Mostly he was successful, but it often meant we didn't get food until around 8 pm at night. As well the afternoon siesta made finding food a bit challenging at times. - picnics: many of my friends have taken this trip, and other trips with Exodus. Their experience was: a pot of money was collected from the guests and the van driver would purchase food for "a fabulous picnic" which would be waiting at the lunch stop. This was not offered, and it would have been a very nice option. - my own problem: our Italian hotels didn't have in-room coffee. I'm not a human until I have coffee. I did not like having to get dressed and wait for the breakfast to be served to have coffee. I admit, this is my problem. - group riding. I found out that I really don't like riding in a group. I felt that 90% of the time I was watching the bike in front of me, and making sure the bike behind me didn't do something stupid. I didn't have the opportunity to enjoy the scenery as much as I would have liked. I felt that if I stopped to take a photo (which had been a very important goal of mine - photography!) that I would be slowing down the group. Thus, not many photos taken to my disappointment. - the van: the van was for luggage, and not a support van for injured or tired riders - that was made clear at the start - no problem. However, we were told by our guide that if we wanted to skip a day of riding, and take transit, just tell him in the morning. So we decided to skip day, told him at 0700H as required, and we were told we would have to pay for the bikes to be transported to the next town. We said "but can't you put them in the van?" No, the van is full. "Can't you put them on the roof racks of the van?" No, the roof racks are broken. In the end, the bikes WERE put on the "broken" roof racks, but I recall thinking 'it's not my problem that Exodus hired a van with inoperable roof racks. Fix this problem'. - some of the hotels were quite basic, and one hotel had broken air conditioning, which made the night absolutely intolerable. - on a day with horrific rain, I felt it was dangerous to continue riding. The water was inches deep on the road, we were riding in traffic for about 30 minutes, and we could not see the road under the water. One of us could have hit a pothole and been thrown off the bike into traffic. The traffic also made "tidal waves" as it passed us. - automobiles: Near Matera and one other town it was very clear that the car and truck drivers HATE cyclists. Sometimes they would pass very close to us, dangerously so. What I thought were friendly waves were in fact the exact opposite.

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Covid-19 refund commitment

You will get a refund if you have to cancel your trip due to COVID-19.

Availability

This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.

View Trip Notes

Availability

This departure is guaranteed to go ahead and can be booked, although some components will need to be requested. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.

View Trip Notes

Availability

This departure is guaranteed to go ahead and can be booked, although some components will need to be requested. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.

View Trip Notes