8 days - Self-guided cycling

1° day: Matera. 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.

2° day: Matera–Alberobello (63 km). We 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 archi tectural 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.

3° day: Alberobello–Ostuni (43 km). We cycle through th coun-tryside 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.

4° day: Ostuni–Avetrana–Gallipoli (50 km transfer + 61 km).Private transfer in the morning to Avetrana from where we will cycle on to Gallipoli, which is located along the Ionian coast.

5° day: Gallipoli–Santa Maria di Leuca (50 km) 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.

6° day: Santa Maria di Leuca–Otranto (56 km). 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.

7° day: Otranto–Lecce (51 km). 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.

8° day: Lecce. Departure. Lecce is well connected by train with the air-ports of Bari and Brindisi.

Tour Level:
Mostly in the lowlands, sometimes hilly, the itinerary is almost always on asphalt roads. Traffic is almost non existent in Apulia except during the high holiday season. The route includes very beautiful stretches on the coast. The van transfer from Ostuni to Avetrana is included in the tour price.