Grande Puglia Cycling Tour

Grande Puglia is a 13-day cycling tour, self-guided or guided, that crosses the length of Puglia, starting in the seaside town of Trani and finishing in Lecce, the Baroque gem of the south. Along the way you ride through olive groves, the grasslands of the Alta Murgia and quiet back roads where time seems to stand still, slowly learning the region's history and tasting its celebrated food.

Early stages take in Castel del Monte, Gravina in Puglia and Altamura before reaching the Sassi of Matera, where a rest day allows a guided walk or one of two optional loop rides. The route then heads to the trulli of Alberobello, white-washed Ostuni and the masserie of the interior, before following the Ionian coast via Gallipoli to Santa Maria di Leuca, the heel of the boot, and the rugged eastern coast at Otranto. Accommodation is in 4-star hotels and farm stays.

Highlights

• Castel del Monte, Frederick II's UNESCO-listed medieval castle
• The Sassi of Matera, with a rest day to explore the cave town
• Altamura's famous bread and the trulli of Alberobello
• Ostuni "the White Town" and Oria's 13th-century castle
• The Ionian coast from Gallipoli to Santa Maria di Leuca, the heel of the boot
• Otranto's Romanesque mosaic and Baroque Lecce

Surface and Terrain
Mostly quiet sealed country roads and lanes through olive groves, Murgia grasslands and coastal stretches. Easy rolling hills with short climbs, a few moderate climbs around Matera and Otranto, flattening out through Salento.

Weather
Mediterranean climate. Ideal in spring and pleasant in autumn, with mild to warm days and little rain. Not recommended in mid-summer, when heat can be intense.

Suitable for
Riders of reasonable fitness comfortable with 40-69 km days over consecutive days, with time to explore. Suits those interested in history, UNESCO sites and regional food. E-bikes available for extra help on the hills.