Puglia Food & Wine

Day 1: Arrival in Lecce
Day 2: Lecce -  Otranto, 35 mi. (56 km)
Day 3: Otranto and surroundings, 18 mi. (29 km)
Day 4: Otranto – Leuca, 34 mi. (54 km)
Day 5: Leuca - Gallipoli, 39 mi. (63 km) 
Day 6: Self-guided: Gallipoli, surroundings, 38 mi. (61 km)
            Guided, 22 mi. (35 km)
Day 7: Gallipoli - Lecce, 33 mi. (52 km)
Day 8: Departure from Lecce

All distances provided are approximate. The itinerary may be modified due to factors beyond our control, such as weather conditions or directives issued by local authorities before and during your holiday. For instance, temporary deviations or detours may be encountered along the route due to roadwork. In such instances, kindly adhere to the directions posted on-site for guidance.

Day 1: Arrival in Lecce
If you have booked an airport transfer, you will be met by our local representative at the airport. If not, please refer to our travel detail section for instructions on how to arrive in Lecce. A welcome meeting will be set for today. Here you will receive your bicycle and tour equipment, as well as a briefing about the route.

     Sample hotels:

• Re del sale B&B
• Orangerie d'Epoque: In the heart of Lecce, Southern Italy's jewel of Baroque architecture, L'Orangerie d'Epoque offers elegant accommodation in a 19th-century palazzo bordering the old walled city.

Day 2: Lecce -  Otranto, 35 mi. (56 km)
A relatively flat route stretches before you today with many interesting cultural sights. First on the agenda is Acaya, a fortified city with a huge castle. The route descends then to “Le Cesine”, a World Wildlife Federation area, and a crossing point for many species of migratory birds. From here, you head towards the coast along the ruins of Roca Vecchia, an archaeological site located on the Adriatic coast from which excavations have uncovered some of the best-preserved monumental architecture of the Bronze Age (2nd millennium BC) and the most extensive set of Mycenaean pottery ever recovered west of mainland Greece.  You also cycle to Alimini Lakes with its stunning white sand beach. This area is also a stopping point for migrating birds such as white storks, flamingos, cranes, greylag geese, swans, and many others. The final destination is Otranto, a once-thriving Roman port.  Highlights include the small domed church, San Pietro, with its Byzantine frescoes, the 15th-century Aragonese Castle, and the 11th-century Otranto Cathedral, with ornate mosaic flooring. Stroll the ramparts overlooking the sea, meander the old walled historic center, with its intricate web of alleyways and whitewashed homes, and simply enjoy!

     Sample hotels:

• Basiliani Resort & Spa
• Masseria Bandino: A lovingly restored and transformed Masseria that is family-owned and operated
• Hotel Vittoria Resort & Spa

Day 3: Otranto,  18 mi. (29 km)
Following the Idro River, the route leads to Casamassela, to Le Constantine Foundation, an agriculture education center. Olive tree groves and Mediterranean scrub enclose this peaceful oasis. The weaving studio here creates textile products with ancient wooden looms.  After a guided tour, you continue to Giurdignano, a beautiful town with ancient origins. Here you can find the remains of an imperial age necropolis from the II - III century and one of the most important sites where Megalithic findings were discovered. You will visit La Cutura botanical garden. The variety of plants, trees, and herbs will astound you, including the agaves, cacti, roses, myrtle, and much more. One of the day's highlights will be a stop to have a product tasting of regional bread cheese prepared in a traditional stone oven.  

     Sample hotels:

• Basiliani Resort & Spa
• Masseria Bandino: A loving restored and transformed Masseria that is family owned and operated
• Hotel Vittoria Resort & Spa

Day 4: Otranto – Leuca coast, 32 mi. (52 km)
Your route today leads along the wildest Salento coastal stretch. You visit the Palacia lighthouse at the easternmost point in Italy and the narrowest point of the Strait of Otranto at the mouth of the Adriatic Sea. The lighthouse was built in 1867 and abandoned in the 1970s, however, was reopened in 2008. Your route continues following the coast, weaving amidst the cliffs above the sea, overlooking the Strait of Otranto. On a clear day, you can see the mountains of Albania and Greece. There is an opportunity to visit the Zinzulusa cave, a dramatic seafront cave system with colorful rock formations and teeming with marine wildlife. As you cycle to Leuca, the day's destination, you will pedal through a typical landscape littered with boulders, Mediterranean scrub, lavender bushes, and laced with the high dry-stone walls and terraces typical of this area. You can also observe peasants' ingenious devices to get arable land into barren and impervious areas. After crossing the bridge over the “ciolo”, a canyon, carved by the waters, you reach Santa Maria di Leuca, where the Ionian and the Adriatic Sea meet. The village's name comes from the Greek "leucos", meaning light or luminous. Once a sleepy fishing village, it showcases a fascinating seascape and incredible panoramas. It became the summer residence of many aristocratic Pugliesi who built splendid villas, decorating the seafront with their varying styles. 

     Sample hotel:

• Hotel l'Approdo: This lovely Mediterranean-style hotel is located in the port of Leuca. Its large and bright spaces, the splendid swimming pool surrounded by greenery, the terrace overlooking the sea, the typical and prestigious restaurant, and the new sushi bar, make it a magical and authentic "landing place".  This establishment has been owned by the same family for three generations.

Day 5: Leuca - Gallipoli, 38 mi. (61 km) 
Today you discover Leuca Cape, the southern part of Apulia. In the 16th century, Emperor Charles V ordered the construction of a system of watchtowers along the entire length of the Puglian coast to protect citizens from constant invasions. The towers were built in strategic positions along the coast, close enough that each could communicate with the towers on either side. You will stop at one of the defense towers in the center of a small village. Next is Patù and the megalithic monument called Centopietre (100 stones), created from massive blocks of stone taken from Vereto. Next on the agenda is  Leuca Piccola (Little Leuca), an important pilgrimage station that still maintains a vast underground area.  Through olive groves lined by stone walls, the route leads to Ugento, where it is possible to visit its archaeological museum. The afternoon features the ionic coast again, until  St. Andrew’s Island and Punta Pizzo Natural Park. The final day's destination is Gallipoli, a beautiful seaside town, a mixture of old and new. The center of its ancient village is perched on an island, and connected to the mainland and the new city by a twentieth-century arched bridge.

     Sample hotels:

• Punta Cutierie: Cutierie was a term used in ancient times by sailors and fishermen to have a reference point in maritime coordinates and today, as then, this term has not lost its value. The B&B Punta Cutieri, located along the ancient walls of the historic center of Gallipoli, will be your eference point, your home, during your time in the Ionian Pearl.
• Una Finestra sul Mare: a "window" overlooking the sea
• Relais Corte Palmieri

Day 6: Gallipoli’s surroundings or cooking class 
Two options are offered today for the self-guided tour.

Option 1: Gallipoli's surroundings, 38 mi. (61 km)
This is a day dedicated to Gallipoli's surroundings. The first stop is in Sannicola to discover its underground oil mill, then Tuglie with its amazing “rural culture museum”. You will then go to Galatone to visit its beautiful Baroque old town and the Norman castle of Fulcignano. In the afternoon you will reach Galatina where you can admire the church of Santa Caterina, totally painted with frescoes in Giottesco style, and then visit the beautiful historical center of the town. If you prefer, you can enjoy a local cooking class and lunch. Fee is payable on the spot. See pricing.

Option 2: Cooking class, 19 mi. (30 km)
You cycle from your accommodation with a local guide to  "Tenuta Mamma Anna",  a family-run “agritourism” where a cooking class will be offered. The products are harvested directly from the family garden so a true farm-to-table experience.  You will prepare pitta di patate (a kind of potato gateau, with a stuffing of tomatoes, olives, capers, onion, and tuna), pittule (some fried dough balls), filled with tomatoes and capers, or plain, to taste with honey) and hand-made orecchiette (a typical local pasta).  The pasticciotto cake (a cake made with shortcrust pastry, filled with chantilly cream) tops off your culinary experience. After you enjoy your creations, you return to Gallipoli.

Day 6: Cooking class (guided tour), 22 mi. (35 km)
You will start in the morning from Gallipoli. After just a few kilometers, you reach Alezio (ancient Messapian city, where there is an interesting museum on pre-Roman civilizations) and then Sannicola. The route then leads to  "Tenuta mamma Anna" - a family-run “agritourism” where a cooking class will be offered. The products are harvested directly from the family garden so a true farm-to-table experience.  You will prepare  "pitta di patate" (a kind of potato gateau, with a stuffing of tomatoes, olives, capers, onion, and tuna), "pittule" (some fried dough balls), filled with tomatoes and capers, or plain to taste with honey) and hand-made orecchiette (a typical local pasta).  The "pasticciotto cake" (a cake made with shortcrust pastry, filled with chantilly cream) tops off your culinary experience. After you enjoy your creations, you return to Gallipoli.

     Sample hotels:

• Punta Cutierie: Cutierie was a term used in ancient times by sailors and fishermen to have a reference point in maritime coordinates and today, as then, this term has not lost its value. The B&B Punta Cutieri, located along the ancient walls of the historic center of Gallipoli, will be your eference point, your home, during your time in the Ionian Pearl.
• Una Finestra sul Mare: a "window" overlooking the sea
• Relais Corte Palmieri

Day 7: Gallipoli - Lecce, 33 mi. (52 km)  
You will not want your bike tour to come to an end but alas, today is your last cycling day in this beautiful land. On your way back to Lecce, you will pass many 19th-century fortified farmhouses and villas. You stop in Nardò to visit its baroque-style historical center and then Copertino to discover its impressive Norman castle. Some km before Lecce, you can stop at a local establishment, a traditional pottery workshop, the Martina brothers, skillful keepers of this ancient art.

Late afternoon arrival in Lecce and in the evening, farewell dinner in one of the best restaurants in town.

     Sample hotels:

• Re del sale B&B
• Orangerie d'Epoque: In the heart of Lecce, Southern Italy's jewel of Baroque architecture, L'Orangerie d'Epoque offers elegant accommodation in a 19th-century palazzo bordering the old walled city.

Day 8: End of tour
For those who have booked the guided tour, you will be offered a guided walking tour of Lecce that will end around 11:30 AM. Alternatively, your tour can end after breakfast.

Looking for more?  View all our featured bicycle tours, specials, & news, or look at our full list of tours in Europe & beyond.

In the self-guided version of this tour, you can choose to stay mainly in 4-star villas, resorts, farmhouses, or B & B’s or upgrade to the 4 & 5-star option. The guided version accommodates you in 3 & 4-star establishments. If the listed hotel(s) is unavailable, an establishment of equal standard will be booked. The confirmed list of hotels is determined based on availability and is considered final; your approval is not required. Once the hotels are booked, the tour is considered confirmed and is subject to the terms and conditions outlined.

Bicycles

Men’s and Women’s Touring Bikes

Please note that we will do our very best to accommodate specific bike requests but we cannot always guarantee your preference.

Atala Discovery FS

• Aluminum frame
• Shimano Tourney Gearing
• Aluminium V-brakes
• Royal Wave saddles
• 28 inch tires

Specialized Sirrus X 2.0

• Aluminum frame
• 24 speed MicroSHIFT gearing
• Bridge Sport Saddle
• Hydraulic disc brakes

All bikes are equipped with rear racks, pannier bags, spare inner tubes, a repair kit, and a first aid kit.

Electric bike

Please note that we will do our very best to accommodate specific bike requests but we cannot always guarantee your preference.

Velo De Ville - LEB990

• Step through frame
• Bosch Performance CX engine
• 500 Wh battery
• Super Moto 62-584 tires
• Medicus City saddle

Velo de ville AEB 800

• Wave Intra+ frame
• Bosch engine
• 500 Wh battery
• 8 speed
• Marathon E Plus tires
• VDV Trekking saddle