Apulia – Cycling Down the Heel of Italy | Cycling Holiday in Italy | Self Guided Cycling Holiday

The countryside of Apulia is ideal for an Italian cycling holiday, with flat or gently undulating farmland and a spectacular coastline. There are well-maintained towns and villages with whitewashed stone houses, beautiful palaces and churches. Ancient olive groves and long sandy beaches with a turquoise sea make it a lovely destination for a cycling holiday.

Grade: Easy

Getting There:
Fly to Bari or Brindisi and transfer (£35 per person, minimum of 2 people) to Alberobello. Alberobello has a railway station if travelling by train.

Day 1 Arrive Alberobello (has a railway station).
This small town in the province of Bari is famous for its many Trulli white stone houses with conical roofs.

Day 2 Alberobello to Ostuni.
You begin your tour by cycling from the gently undulating Trulli heartland to the flat land nearer to the Adriatic. You will ride along narrow lanes with dry stone walls, bordering olive groves. You go through the Valle dItria, one of the prettiest cultural landscapes of the South, and can stop in the famous wine town of Locorotondo to taste some local wine. There is plenty to see and explore in the white town of Ostuni with its 15th century cathedral and stunning view of the sea. ~ 25 miles

Day 3 Ostuni to Mesagne.
Cycling a few miles along country lanes you come to the Adriatic coast and the WWF protected nature park of Torre Guaceto. Olive trees line the route inland to your overnight stay in Mesagne. ~ 30 miles

Day 4 Mesagne to Gallipoli.
Today you cycle south to the Ionian Sea. The landscape is filled with giant olive trees, which give way to Mediterranean pine trees and finally sand dunes as you reach the coastline. Along the coast there are still 14th century watchtowers built by the Aragonites. Your destination, Gallipoli, is situated at the end of what seems to be an impregnable rocky island that stretches far out to sea, giving fantastic views both north and south. The old town is fascinating place to explore with its many churches, narrow alleyways, and an interesting museum. ~ 42 miles

Day 5 Gallipoli to Santa Maria di Leuca.
You follow the coast south from Gallipoli, passing long sandy beaches as you make your way to Santa Maria di Leuca, with its pilgrimage church, at the tip of the peninsula where the Ionian Sea meets the Adriatic Sea. ~ 31 miles

Day 6 Santa Maria di Leuca to Otranto.
The Adriatic coastline is quite different to that encountered on Day 5. It is quite rocky at this point with cliffs dropping steeply to the blue waters below. It is a quieter and more isolated coastline and your route gives you panoramic views over the spectacular scenery. The port of Otranto has a long and colourful history. The old part of the town is surrounded by an imposing wall that contains the impressive Hapsburger Castle. ~ 32 miles

Day 7 Otranto to Lecce.
The final day's ride takes you past the Alimini Lakes and further up the coast to Torre dellOrso, which has a lovely beach surrounded by limestone cliffs. Making your way inland, you pass through an area known as Salento. Greeks settled here in ancient times and the local dialect still has Greek influences and the architecture reflects this chapter from the past. Your destination, Lecce, is a beautiful city, full of wonderful palaces and churches. ~ 30 miles

Day 8 Departure.

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