BikeSherpa Bike Tours Let's ride together

Difficulty

Location: Puglia, Italy

Distance: 300 km (50 km/day)

Type: independent 

Interest:

Type of Biking: Hybrid

Duration: 8 days / 7 nights

About your bike tour

Discover the south east end of Italy. On this bicycle-tour you will not only experience the unique countryside between the Adriatic and the Ionic Seas, but also the friendliness and hospitality of the southern Italians.
The countryside is rich in culture. The Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Normans, Habsburger and the Bourbons have all left their mark in the region.

Characteristics of the route
Easy touring, apart from a few slight ascents and descents along the route, most of this tour is along flat, tarred roads. As you are travelling out of the main season, most of the roads are mainly free of traffic. The tour is suitable for children from the age of 12.


What we love

  • the friendliness and the hospitality of the southern Italians
  • Puglia as the region of olive groves, vineyards, sunshine and see
  • you are never more than 30 miles away from the coast
  • Monopoli with many small sandy beaches along its coastline
  • Alborello with the trulli - beehive-shaped, whitewashed, mortaless structure made of stone, usually used as barns in farming areas

What to know

  • it is to hot to cycle in Puglia during july and august

Photos of this bike tour

Travel destinations on the map

Day 1: Alberobello (Apulia)

Arrive at the hotel in Alberobello. This small town in the province of Bari is famous for Trulli stone constructions. The town makes part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.


40 km Day 2: Ostuni (Apulia)

Enjoy a tour through the Valle d'Itria, one of the prettiest cultural landscapes of the south, with a stop in the famous vinyards in Locorotondo to taste some of the local wine. The next stop is Ostuni, the “white town” offering breathtaking views of the sea.


50 km Day 3: Mesagne (Apulia)

Guided by the soft sea breeze you will reach the Adriatic coast and the nature park Torre Guaceto. Here are various and abundant breeds of animals, including several migrating birds in their nesting places. Agde old olive groves line the cycle path going inland towards Mesagne.


52 km / alternative route: 82 km Day 4: Gallipoli (Apulia)

After breakfast transfer by minibus to Salice Salentino (included). After a short ride through the interior of the country you carry on along the Ionic coast to Gallipoli. This Greek "Kale Polis" (beautiful town), a surprise awaits you on the Ionic Sea. Alt-Galliopoli is situated at the end of what seems to be an impregnable rocky island that stretches far out into the sea. There is a fantastic view both from the north and the south. The town itself has many churches, lanes and interesting museums. Watch the fishermen at work. The town was the largest exporter of lamp oil made from olives in the 17th and 18th centuries. (approx 82 km without transfer)


50 km Day 5: Santa Maria di Leuca (Apulia)

Today you reach the most southerly point of Salento and at the same time the watershed to the Ionic Sea at Santa Maria di Leuca. The town is well known for its church and pilgrimages. At the turn of the century, many opulent villas were built and their fantastic and sometimes absurd forms are now an absolute architectural highlight. The people who lived here were eccentric people who loved the peace and quiet and wanted to enjoy the sea and the town.


54 km Day 6: Otranto (Apulia)

The tour takes you along the south coast of the Adriatic Sea, and up to the Messapian town of Otranto, one of the nuggets in the charming landscape. The old part of the town is surrounded by a mighty wall and contains the impressive Habsburger Castle. On the way to Otranto, you have the chance to visit the famous Grotta Zinzulusa, the only coastal grotto that is open to the public. The Santa Cesarea Thermal Spa is well known for its hydrotherapeutic cures and radioactive mud therapy, and is well worth a visit.


50 km Day 7: Lecce (Apulia)

Carry on along the coast through innumerable olive orchards to Lecce. If you want to stop on the way, the best place is at Torre dell’Orso beach which is surrounded by limestone cliffs. Lecce, the capital of Salento, is a town with lots of appeal mainly due to its buildings and churches. The cities of Naples and Lecce are the Baroque metropolises of the south. There are over 30 churches and innumerable palaces. Don’t forget to visit the amphitheatre and the Roman theatre, both built under Kaiser Augustus.


Day 8: Lecce (Apulia)

The airports at Bari/Brindisi are easily reached by train. For those who parked their cars at Alberobello, this too is also very accessible train. We can provide a transfer service if necessary.


Arrival Info

By plane (airport Bari or Brindisi)
By train (train station Lecce, Monopoli or Alberobello)
Transfer:
Transfer on request and as there are limited places, a reservation is necessary. The transfer is payable during the briefing
Transfer Monopoli Station – Alberobello: € 20,00 for person, daily possible, with a minimum of 2 pax
Transfer Bari/Brindisi Airport – Alberobello: € 35,00 for person, daily possible, with a minimum of 2 pax
Transfer Lecce – Alberobello: € 45,00 for person, daily possible, with a minimum of 4 pax
Transfer Lecce-Bari: € 59,00 for person, daily possible, with a minimum of 4 pax (Alternatively good rail connections)
Transfer Lecce – Brindisi: € 30,00 for person, daily possible, with a minimum of 4 pax

since the bikes come in various colors and sizes, your actual bike may vary slightly from those shown here.


21-gear unisex

$105.00

Tandem

$724.50


Included

  • Accommodation in hotels in a 3*** and a 4****star category or on an Agritour farm in a room with bath/shower and WC
  • Breakfast buffet or full breakfast
  • Personal tour information
  • Luggage transport from place to place
  • Transfer from Mesagne to Salice Salentino
  • Well planned routes
  • Detailed documents (maps, route description, places to visit, important telephone numbers)
  • Telephone service hotline for the whole tour (German, Italian and English speaking)

Not included

  • Transfer on request and as there are limited places, a reservation is necessary. The transfer is payable during the briefing
  • Transfer Monopoli Station – Alberobello: € 20,00 for person, daily possible, with a minimum of 2 pax
  • Transfer Bari/Brindisi Airport – Alberobello: € 35,00 for person, daily possible, with a minimum of 2 pax
  • Transfer Lecce – Alberobello: € 45,00 for person, daily possible, with a minimum of 4 pax
  • Transfer Lecce-Bari: € 59,00 for person, daily possible, with a minimum of 4 pax (Alternatively good rail connections)
  • Transfer Lecce – Brindisi: € 30,00 for person, daily possible, with a minimum of 4 pax

Description of Accomodation during the bike tour

In addition to this during the months of May and June it’s possible to arrive on Saturday, too. Minimum number of participants: 2 With a minimum of 6 pax, we can organize a start on every other day (only on request and depending on the availability) Accommodation in hotels in a 3*** and a 4****star category or on an Agritour farm in a room with bath/shower and WC


Accommodation & Rates

  • $974: Double Room (1 bed)
  • $974: Double Room (2 beds)
  • $1,257: Single Room

Tour Season

April 1st – October 7th 2012


Check-in

  • Sunday

Ask BikeSherpa

Questions? Call us at 646 403 4432
or email us at info@bikesherpa.com

Select the day you'd like to check in

  • Available departure days
  • Journey days

1 Person booked

  • MikeP (+1) tour date: Sun, Sep 25 2011
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