Heel of Italy

Imagine an area of mainland Europe with superb climate, outstanding cuisine, relatively flat terrain, quiet tourist-free roads and 500 miles of coastline with sandy beaches and warm azure seas. Or why not go there and cycle! Puglia, the southern region forming the heel of Italy’s “boot,” is known for its whitewashed hill towns, centuries-old olive groves and hundreds of kilometres of Mediterranean coastline. It remains, however, relatively undiscovered and offers one of the few remaining opportunities for superb cycling free from the tourist throngs. It is also home to some stunning cities including Lecce (the Florence of the South) and Gallipoli (reminiscent of Dubrovnik, but with only a fraction of the tourist numbers).

With 7 days riding from Sunday to Saturday, this tour can be accommodated within a single week of annual leave and is suitable for cyclists of all abilities and experience. Our average daily distance is around 55 miles, with just 2000 feet of climb and our route takes in as many as possible of the ‘must see’ locations.