Basilicata Coast to Coast

This 7-day hotel-to-hotel tour crosses Basilicata from the Sassi of Matera to Maratea, linking the Ionian and Tyrrhenian seas. Self-guided, or guided on set dates, it has five riding days of 48 to 85 km that build from easy stages to long climbs, and suits road bikes, gravel bikes and e-bikes.

Leaving the Murgia plateau, the route enters the Lucanian countryside and the Calanchi, vast clay badlands with lunar-like ridges, before a night in a masseria. It then descends to the Ionian coast at Policoro, the ancient Greek colony of Heraclea, for a night by the sea.

From the coast the route climbs into Pollino National Park, Italy's largest, with a strenuous 10 km climb to Terranova, then threads woods and small villages to San Severino Lucano and Viggianello. The last day follows a former railway cycle path from Rotonda to Lago Sirino and the Noce Valley down to Maratea's rocky coast.

Highlights

• The Sassi of Matera
• The Calanchi badlands
• The sandy Ionian beaches and Policoro's archaeological museum
• The woods and silence of Pollino National Park
• The cycle path from Rotonda to Lago Sirino
• The rocky coast of Maratea

Surface and Terrain
Sealed hilly and mountainous roads of increasing difficulty, including a strenuous 10 km climb on day 4 and a challenging stage on day 5. A short section follows a cycle path on a former railway. Stages of 48 to 85 km take 4 to 8 hours.

Weather
Mediterranean on the coasts, cooler and more changeable in the Pollino mountains, where early-season mornings can be fresh. Late spring and early autumn are best; mid-summer is hot on the lower stages.

Suitable for
Fit, experienced riders comfortable with 48 to 85 km days and long climbs over five consecutive days. Rated Moderate to Challenging by the operator. E-bikes suit those wanting help on the climbs.