Cycling the Heel of Italy - Matera to Lecce

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12 Days from

USD 3,179

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Cycling

Ways to Travel :

Self-Guided Holidays

Activity :

Cycling

Activity Levels :

3 out of 7 - Moderate

Ages :

14+

Trip Code :

C11PI

Starting in Matera, the city of 'Sassi' and a UNESCO world heritage site, and through the local canyons, the 'gravine', you will enter Puglia, a unique landscape sandwiched between the Adriatic and Ionian seas.

We explore the very best of this captivating region from Murgia to Salento.

Your daily cycle routes allow you to explore a series of architectural and natural wonders, sites of immense historical and cultural interest, and of course, to be tempted by local culinary specialties! Cycle through the Murghe plateau, the Salento plain and along the coast through a landscape of ancient olive groves and vineyards and past traditional masserie, coastal watchtowers and splendid Baroque towns .
This holiday is offered with a choice of mainly 3 Star, or mainly 4 Star accommodation. The 3 Star accommodation is listed on the hotels page. Stays are in the UNESCO listed towns of Matera and Alberobello; Putignano, known for its ancient carnival; white-washed Ostuni; Galipolli, where the historic centre is on an island; Santa Maria de Leuca, where the Ionian and Adriatic seas meet; Otranto, known as the gateway to the Orient and Lecce, known as the 'Florence of the South'. Stay also in Castellaneta and Avetrana where evening meals are included.

Highlights

Matera - UNESCO World Heritage Site; visit the cave houses
Alberobello's fairy-tale trulli houses
Olive groves, towering limestone cliffs and Roman amphitheatres
The white city of Ostuni, the majestic castle of Otranto and Baroque Lecce
Based on our popular 7 night, Cycling the Heel of Italy - Alberobello to Lecce

Key Information

11 nights in a mix of HHH, 3 and 4-star hotels
9 days cycling
E-bike hire available on request (supplement applies)
Self-guided holiday. Min age 14 yrs

Countries visited: Italy

What's Included

All breakfasts and 2 evening meals
Management by your local Headwater-appointed agent
GPS Route directions and maps
Headwater navigation app
High Quality Bikes
Luggage transfers between hotels

What's Not Included

Travel insurance
Single accommodation (available on request - compulsory supplement)
Solo traveller supplement (where only one person is travelling on a departure date)
Visas or vaccinations
Arrival & departure transfers
Hotel Upgrades

9 Days of Cycling

Terrain:

Low altitude; 90% tarmac, 10% easy gravel roads

Day 3

60 km / 37.3 miles

Day 4

55 km / 34.2 miles

Day 5

35 km / 21.7 miles

Day 6

49 km / 30.4 miles

Day 7

55 km / 34.2 miles

Day 8

60 km / 37.3 miles

Day 9

50 km / 31.1 miles

Day 10

53 km / 32.9 miles

Day 11

55 km / 34.2 miles

Responsible Travel

At Exodus we believe in the power of Responsible Travel.

Every time we travel, we are part of a global movement that creates jobs, builds more sustainable societies, encourages cultural understanding and safeguards common natural and cultural heritage. To learn more about what Responsible Travel means to Exodus click here…

Itinerary

Make your way to Matera, one of the oldest inhabited human settlements in the world.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Explore the UNESCO-listed Sassi of Matera; a complex of houses built into the natural caves of the Murgia.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Your first cycling day takes you through a landscape of wheat fields and wide panoramas. Visit the town of Laterza, famous for its tasty bakery products and majolica pottery. Continue to Castellaneta, a small city perched on the edge of a ravine.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Today you will cycle in the Terra delle Gravine Natural Park, amongst deep canyons, carved by rivers over millions of years. Leaving the ravines you will soon discover the iconic Puglia scenery: dry stone walls, old masserie (fortified stansteads) and trulli, rural houses with a conic roof typical to the area, built without any cement or mortar. Reach Putignano, known for its ancient carnival.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Leaving the medieval centre of Putignano, cycle in the lush countryside to reach Castellana Caves. It is the main karst site in the South of Italy and a visit is recommended.After the caves, continue along the rolling lanes of the countryside where olive, almond, apricot and cherry trees grow. Continue to the UNESCO heritage site of Alberobello, the world capital of Trulli.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Cycle through the lush Valle d'Itria, passing more white-tipped trulli houses on the way. Boasting beautiful coastal views, the route takes you through the famous wine town of Locorotondo, regarded as one of Italy's most stunning villages. After sampling some of the local sparkling white wine, continue to the white city of Ostuni - so called for the dazzling effect of its whitewashed houses.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Cycle through the colourful Salentinian countryside, characterized by olive groves and red soil towards the medieval towns of Oria and Manduria with their authentic historic centres.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Head to Torre Colimena on the Ionian Sea, then follow the coast alongside a series of beaches and the old coastal towers of Salento. Reach Gallipoli, known as the 'Ionian Pearl' with its Old Town situated on a rocky island. Take time to wander the narrow lanes of the historic centre to discover its baroque cathedral, elegant palazzi and enticing restaurants.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Cycle towards the most southerly point of Salento at Santa Maria di Leuca, where the crystal waters of the Ionian and Adriatic Sea meet. This village is home to one of the most important lighthouses in Italy, as well as numerous villas built at the turn of the century.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Pedal along the south coast of the Adriatic Sea, stopping off at the famous Grotta Zinzulusa and the thermal baths of Santa Cesarea Terme. Your final destination is Otranto, the most eastern point of Italy with a stunning cathedral and Aragonese castle.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Follow the shoreline through olive groves to the Baroque metropolis of Lecce. Known as the 'Florence of the South', Lecce is home to over 30 churches, an amphitheatre and a Roman theatre dating back to Emperor Augustus.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Make your own way back to the airport for your flight home.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Essential Info

Visa

Vaccination

Eating and Drinking

Breakfasts are included and consist of a continental-style buffet. However, please note that the typical Italian breakfast are generally light; usually a cup of coffee and a cream-filled or jam-filled croissant.

In Puglia you will find genuine regional cooking that has strong links to the land and the sea. To give you just a small list 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 food lovers paradise and the abundance of delicious vegetables makes it a perfect destination for vegetarians! On this trip there will be many opportunities to taste the best local specialities.
Suggestions of what to do for lunch and dinner are given in the cycling route notes.

Weather

Puglia enjoys a wonderful Mediterranean climate with all year round sunshine and just enough rainfall to ensure that the green is never too far off. Although Puglia covers a large area it is long and narrow - not more than 30km across. This means that you're never far from the sea which has a moderating effect on the weather. Please note that Puglia can be very hot, reaching high 30s in the summer.

Weather Charts

Is this trip for you?

Cycling conditions
This is a self-guided cycling trip for those who like to cycle independently, but with back up to take out the hard work and planning. We arrange your accommodation, provide you with a map and route notes so that you can cycle at your own pace, while your bags are transported from one hotel to the next.
Activity Level: 2 (Leisurely/Moderate)
Please see the introductory pages of the cycling holidays brochure or our website for more important information on classification and grading.
Av. daily ride: 51km (32 miles).
No. of days cycling: 6.
Terrain & route: The suggested cycling is along quiet, tarmac roads (mainly traffic-free). There are a few ascents and descents along the way.
Vehicle Support: A representative will be there to meet you, make sure the bikes are all set up and will be on call throughout the trip should you need.

It is important that you are happy reading maps and following route notes, we make these as accurate as possible and they are regularly checked. Where possible we stick to cycle tracks and quiet roads to make the journeys as pleasant as possible, however, on occasion we have to use busier routes.

As this is a self-guided holiday there is no group and no leader. There maybe others on the same departure date as you, but you will not be organised together. The route notes contain an emergency assistance telephone number should you need it and in emergencies, the local representative is normally able to dispatch a taxi or pick you up themselves. They may wish to charge for this service.

Families
Self-guided cycling holidays are a perfect option for families as they offer the freedom for you to take your holiday at your own pace. You can stop as and when you want and need, at the cafes and restaurants that suit your family and the sites that interest you. As a guide we have suggested that 14 years is the minimum age for this trip, but as it is self-guided and you will be leading your own family we will ultimately leave this decision up to you. The daily distances are all published in the trip notes along with a description of each days cycling so you have a good idea of what to expect. Please do be aware that on some occasions on this trip the cycling can be along busier roads so any children must be comfortable cycling alongside traffic. If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact one of our experts. The principle idea is that these holidays can be as flexible as you like, with logistical support but no group or leader to dictate the daily activities.

Covid-19 refund commitment

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

Availability

This trip is available on request. Please proceed with your booking online or contact our Sales Team for assistance.

Cycling the Heel of Italy - Matera to Lecce

Starting in Matera, the city of 'Sassi' and a UNESCO world heritage site, and through the local canyons, the 'gravine', you will enter Puglia, a unique landscape sandwiched between the Adriatic and Ionian seas.

9 Days of Cycling

Responsible Travel

Itinerary

Essential Info

Visa

Vaccination

Eating and Drinking

Weather

Weather Charts

Is this trip for you?

Hotels