Puglia Bicycle Tour Itinerary
Day One: Otranto
Our rendezvous point is in Brindisi where our guides will meet and drive you through the gorgeous “Pugliese” landscape to the lovely seaside village of Otranto. The Byzantines made Otranto into the capital of the Terra di Otranto and they fortified the town, making it one of the strongholds destined to defend the region against the Normans and the Turks. After toasting your arrival with a traditional Prosecco you’ll be guided into a bike fitting, safety talk, and map review. Enjoy a short cycling loop outside of town on quiet, narrow roads lined with stone walls and endless olive groves. Tonight we’ll put our trust in our friend Pasquale’s gift for pairing great wines with original dishes as he hosts us at his well-regarded local restaurant. Enjoy a walk around the small sea-side town, sipping an excellent Salice Salentino for a great day one experience!
Meals: Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel Palazzo Papaleo
Cycling through: Otranto
Accomplished: 26 km / 16 miles
Day Two: Coast Ride to Leuca
Today's tour will be along one of the most stunning coastal roads in the world with breathtaking views of cliffs and bays. On your bike you will discover fishing villages, like Santa Cesarea Terme, famous for its Moorish architecture and thermal waters. Continuing along the coast, we will pass spectacular sea caves and the town of Castro, where Virgil claims the legendary Aeneas first made landfall in Italy. Nearing Leuca we will stop for a heavenly picnic, suspended in the branches of an olive tree overlooking the sparkling cerulean sea. After lunch it's a short ride to Leuca and the famous sanctuary there that is still visited by pilgrims. From here, you will have the option to go back to Otranto in the van to spend some time on the beaches or make it an epic day by cycling back for a 106 km roundtrip.
Meals: Breakfast / Lunch
Accommodation: Hotel Palazzo Papaleo
Cycling through: Santa Cesarea Terme, Castro & Santa Maria di Leuca
Accomplished: 53 km / 30 miles. Optional Century Ride (106 km roundtrip)
Day Three: Martina Franca and the Itria Valley
In the morning we will take a transfer to our next five-star hotel – Relais San Martino. Located just outside the stunning town of Martina Franca, this is a perfect base for exploring the surrounding Itria Valley with its characteristic trulli and DOC wine region. Our short ride will take us from the hotel to Locorotondo, a village that appears as a cluster of white structures perched on a high ridge. The local wine is light and considerably different from the other Apulian wines, which often have high alcohol levels and assertive flavors. Straw yellow or greenish in color, Locorotondo wine is delicately fruity and considered by experts to be one of the best DOC wines of the region. Here we will have the opportunity to explore the warren of whitewashed streets and stop in one of the local trattorias for a typical lunch. After lunch, we’ll visit a winery to sample the unique local whites. Following the tasting, you can opt to cycle back to the hotel to explore Martina Franca and relax by the pool, or set off through the countryside on an extra ride. Tonight we will dine in style at Relais San Martino’s highly-regarded restaurant.
Meals: Breakfast/Dinner
Accommodation: Relais San Martino
Cycling through: Martina Franca, Locorotondo, Itria Valley
Accomplished: 25 km/ 15 miles Optional extra ride available
Day Four: Alberobello
Start the day with a morning stroll around Martina Franca’s whitewashed streets or sleep in before hopping on the bikes to start riding. We’ll spin through the vineyards, orchards and pastures to Alberobello to see Puglia’s greatest concentration of trulli. You’ll have time to explore the town, ask locals about their peculiar architecture and enjoy a light lunch at one of the many restaurants and pizzerias. After lunch we will cycle through the trulli zone, passing quiet villages on even quieter roads. Arriving at the edge of the Itrian plateau, we will have a spectacular view of the coastal plain below before beginning the thrilling downhill to get there. Our destination is Torre Maizza, a luxury hotel created from a fortified estate, or masseria. The hotel houses a sleek Aveda spa, while the lush, flower-decked grounds extend in all directions. A lovely large heated pool, set amid fruit trees, is surrounded by decking and luxurious oversized lounges at various levels. The hotel’s serene, white-sanded, sun-shaded beach club - with restaurant and sushi bar - is about 4km away on the Adriatic Sea and there’s a par three golf course too. Take time to relax at this magnificent property this afternoon. Guests are free to arrange their own plans. If interested, your guides are more than happy to provide you with information on additional local activities such as playing nine holes of golf, doing some horseback riding, or taking advantage of the spa. In the evening we will reunite for a private cooking class with Vito, Maizza’s award-winning chef. We will cook a range of typical Pugliese dishes, including some handmade pasta and then taste the rewards with a well-earned dinner. Today you will officially become a local and fall in love with Puglia.
Meals: Breakfast/Dinner
Accommodation: Masseria Torre Maizza
Cycling through: Alberobello, Itria Valley
Accomplished: 45 km/ 27 miles
Day Five: The Canali
We start our day with a short ride to a small local cheese producer to see how mozzarella is made and try some of the fresh stuff, only a few minutes old! Then, weaving our way along country lanes lined with low stone walls, we will cycle to the coast. Riding down the coast we will pass sunbathers, swimmers, the Ancient Roman ruins of Egnazia and laid-back fishing villages like Savelletri and Torre Canne. Then, turning inland, we will explore the tiny roads, or canali, that wind through an endless plain of ancient olive trees, stopping for another gourmet picnic lunch. For an extra challenge you can take an extra ride up the ridge to the white city of Ostuni, or spin back to the hotel to spend the afternoon at the spa or relaxing on the beach. In the evening we will get together for a winetasting led by Torre Maizza’s sommelier before sitting down to another mouthwatering Pugliese dinner prepared by Vito and his staff.
Meals: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner
Accommodation: Masseria Torre Maizza
Cycling through: Savelletri, Torre Canne
Accomplished: 35 km/ 21 miles (Optional longer ride to Ostuni available)
Day Six: Savelletri– Your next destination!
After breakfast on the terrace, say goodbye to Masseria Torre Maizza however you see fit. Stroll the grounds, or take a morning dip in the pool lined with Roman columns. We’ll transfer you to Brindisi as you head on to your next destination.
Meals: Breakfast
Accomplished: Total Satisfaction!
TRIP TOTAL: 196 KM/ 118 MILES, averaging 25-50 km/ 15-30 miles per day.
Optional longer rides available each day.
