Your Journey

Day 1:

Arrive Alberobello in the province of Bari, famous for Trulli stone constructions. The town is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Day 2 Alberobello – Ostuni (40 km):

Cycler through the Valle d'Itria, dotted with ‘trulli’ and one of the prettiest cultural landscapes of the south. Stop in the vineyards in Locorotondo to taste some of the local wine. Continue to coastal Ostuni, the “white town” offering breathtaking views of the sea.

Day 3 Ostuni – Avetrana Area ( 55 km):

From Ostuni, you continue through olive groves, wine growing areas and fruit crops to Avetrana, a small historic town on the Via Appia. This Ancient Roman road once lead from Rome via Taranto and Oria Brindisi. You can still see some of the cobbled streets that have been preserved as they are on ancient paths as Via Appia Antica.

Day 4 Avetrana – Gallipoli (55km):

Ride along a coastal road to Porto Cesareo stopping to see numerous defence towers along the way. Continue along the Ionic coast until you reach Gallipoli.
Gallipoli is situated at the end of what seems to be an impregnable rocky island that stretches far out into the sea. There is a fantastic view both from the north and the south. The town itself has many churches, lanes and interesting museums.

Day 5 Gallipoli - Santa Maria di Leuca (50 km):

Today you reach the most southerly point of Salento and at the same time the watershed to the Ionic Sea at Santa Maria di Leuca. At the turn of the century, many opulent villas were built and their fantastic and sometimes absurd forms are now an architectural highlight.

Day 6 Santa Maria di Leuca - Otranto (52 km):

Today you can take a rest day, and relax by the pool or explore by bike.

Bike along the south coast of the Adriatic Sea, and up to the Messapian town of Otranto, another gem in this charming landscape. The old part of the town is surrounded by a mighty wall and contains the impressive Habsburger Castle. On the way to Otranto, stop at the Grotta Zinzulusa, the only coastal grotto open to the public.

Day 7 Otranto – Lecce (approx 50 km):

Continue cycling along the coast through innumerable olive orchards to Lecce, the capital of Salento. It is a town with lots of appeal mainly due to its Roman origins, buildings and churches. The cities of Naples and Lecce are the Baroque metropolises of the south. The amphitheatre and the Roman theatre were both built under Kaiser Augustus.

Day 8:

Arrangements end in Lecce after breakfast.

Terrain

Easy touring, apart from a few slight ascents and descents along the route, most of this tour is along flat, tarred roads.