This was an excellent way to explore Puglia, the towns of Matera, Alberobello, Ostuni and Lecce all were fascinating and atmospheric yet different. The hotel accommodation was in the town centers in the first three locations and was very good. The cave house and the trullo being a real experience. Accommodation in Lecce was a real disappointment. It was located on a ring road about a 25-minute walk from the center and was a basic business class hotel very few facilities. Our room was bright orange (think Easy Jet) and small, breakfast was limited compared to the previous hotels. Altogether a poor finish to a good experience.
Matera Holidays
Matera trips
You’ll find the enchanting city of Matera sandwiched between the heel and toe of Italy’s boot. Lying just east of Naples in the southern region of Basilicata, the magical city of stone was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site back in 1993 and was named the European Capital of Culture in 2019. So why not explore this captivating city for yourself on one of our Matera tours.
On our Puglia: Discover the Heel of Italy trip, visit the unique city of Matera whose century-old caves carved into the local limestone are still inhabited to this day and wonder around its workshops, restaurants and boutiques, before heading to the sparkling white city of Ostuni and onto medieval coastal towns of Otranto and the stunning Baroque Lecce, commonly nicknamed, “the Florence of the South”. Or explore this spectacular region on two wheels with our Cycling Puglia and Matera trip. On this Matera holiday, discover the best UNESCO World Heritage sites in the Puglia and Basilicata region by cycling past Matera’s Sassi houses and the fairy-tale, conical Trulli houses of Alberobello. The route then takes you to the white city of Ostini and on towards Gallipoli, where you can cycle past the dramatic Ionian coastline, Baroque towns and across the famous Salento Peninsula.
Enjoy riding through the heart of Southern Italy from the Adriatic to the Tyrrhenian sea. Taking in the beautiful Apulian town of Polignano a Mare, we stop off at Matera and Castelmazzano, a mountain village that’s cradled in the rocks of the Dolomiti Lucane. Your route continues along the shimmering Amalfi Coast and ends in Sorrento, overlooking the Bay of Naples. If you’d like to explore on foot on one of our Matera Holidays, Walking in Puglia and Matera takes in the legendary local cuisine and delicious wines in the district of Matera, Alberobello and Ostuni, allowing you to enjoy picturesque farmland and quaint villages along the way.
Matera Adventure Holidays
graeme davies Puglia: Discover the Heel of Italy
Susan Howard Puglia: Discover the Heel of ItalyI have given this tour a 4* rating because the basic structure of the tour was so good.
Matera, Alberobello and Ostuni were all outstanding. The towns have been restored and are fascinating and atmospheric as well as beautiful (especially at night). The hotel accommodation, which was in the centre of town in all three locations, was quirky, interesting, and well-appointed. We were disappointed with the Eos hotel in Lecce, however. It was a let-down and a rather sad end after what until then had been a fabulous trip with amazing accommodation elsewhere. It’s situated on a ring road, a 20 minute walk from the gate into the old town with little in the way of bars, restaurants or atmosphere nearby. It was a budget hotel with pared-down facilities and a disappointing and very basic breakfast. For example, by 8.00 am on the first morning there was limited choice because once foods had been consumed they were not always replaced. The staff were less helpful than in the other hotels. Lecce itself was very impressive with some amazing architecture. However, we were there over a bank holiday and it was consequently very busy. It would be nice to go back when it was quieter. The local guide in Lecce was not as good as the one in Matera, not least because her English was limited.
Dean Harman Puglia: Discover the Heel of ItalyI joined this itinerary in April 2025 and was utterly blown away by the locations visited. Matera was stunning, Lecce’s winding streets were beautiful with gems hidden round every corner, We stayed in a traditional Trulli house which was a personal highlight for me!
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