The daily walks on this tour are rated as a mix of easy and easy to moderate routes. Puglia is predominantly flat, so there are few ascents/descents involved, and the walking distances are manageable with the longest walk being 16kms (10mi). A number of the included walks are loop walks, including the longest walk on the trip, so you can choose whether to take these or spend the day relaxing or partaking in local sightseeing instead. Puglia is an area with more olive trees than there are people in the whole of Italy. Agriculture is still a large part of local life here. So as well as walking through the serene countryside you can enjoy local cheese, freshly made bread, pasta, extra virgin olive oil, plenty of vegetarian dishes, and of course wine. You should book this tour if you like walking in peaceful landscapes of olive groves and vineyards, but also if you like staying in interesting towns with an appealing past. There is plenty to explore from the north to the south and from the interior of Italy’s heel to its coastline.

Slower Adventures | Where walking and cycling meet easy-going exploring, our Slower Adventures are the perfect combination. Most days are filled with picturesque journeys with some free time to dive into the destination and experience the people, local food and culture as you go.

Multi Centre Walking | With a mix of loop and point-to-point walks stay 2 or 3 nights in one place which offers the chance to slow down and really explore a destination.

Solo Travellers

As a guide, we would suggest that the minimum age of traveller this holiday would be suitable for is: 5 Years

This trip is graded easy to moderate. You will mostly be walking on small country roads, lanes and tracks, plus some trails. Please be aware that when on country roads and lanes that you will likely be walking on tarmac, so it is important to be prepared for this. Puglia is predominantly flat, so there are few ascents/descents involved, and the walking distances are manageable with the longest walk being 16kms (10mi). A number of the included walks are loop walks, including the longest walk on the trip, so you can choose whether to take these or spend the day relaxing or partaking in local sightseeing instead. This trip is suitable for those with a good level of fitness and it is advisable that you have had previous walking experience. It’s best ahead of time to do some practice walks including distances like those you will experience on the trip whilst carrying your day bag.

We specifically choose the hotels, guest houses, and agriturismo (country hotels) to ensure that you enjoy every minute of your stay. All offer a warm welcome to walkers, traditional hospitality and delicious local food and drink. Details of the lovely local accommodation we normally use are detailed below. 

Accommodation Details

We will always try and accommodate you at the locations detailed, but because of limited availability (especially June-September) we may have to accommodate you at an alternative location of the same or better standard (a supplement may be possible). Alternative details will be noted on your accommodation sheet.

Additional Nights

You may wish to add some extra nights along the route, either to rest or for those with plenty of energy to explore some of the other walking opportunities nearby. Please let us know if this is of interest and we can help organise this for you.

Single Rooms & Solo Walkers

This holiday is available for solo walkers but we would recommend that you are experienced in walking and navigating alone and there is a solo walker supplement payable. If you require single rooms within your party we would be happy to accommodate you although there is a single room supplement payable.

Meals

Breakfast is included each morning. In Italy, this is generally a light continental breakfast with baked goods. Lunch and dinner are not included but are available from your hotel or nearby restaurants. The food in Sicily is strongly influenced by local produce. Traditional specialities include Orecchiette pasta, pane di Altamura bread, and taralli crisp bread snacks with fennel seeds.

The routes are waymarked in some areas, but most areas are rural and don't have any waymarks and the road signage is limited. However, we provide the Macs Adventure Smartphone App making it simple to follow the route using a smartphone. Rest assured that by downloading the route maps in our app, that this will continue to work even in areas without any mobile or internet reception. We strongly recommend following the GPX track in the app as this is the easiest way to avoid getting lost, however, for extra reassurance there are also turn-by-turn route notes within the app for the walks.

You can start this walking tour anytime between March to July and September to October. This trip is not available in August due to the high season and the difficulties of confirming accommodation during this time, as well as the summer temperatures being very high, which make it unpleasant to walk at this time of year.

It is best to avoid starting this trip on Sundays/Mondays as trains/buses between Lecce and Otranto are not available on Sunday's, however if this is something you would like to do then you will need to extend your stay by a night to avoid this problem. If you are beginning your trip on a Monday, then we would recommend extending your stay by a night in Lecce which would then mean that you are travelling to Otranto on a Monday and back to Lecce for your onward journey to Bari on a Tuesday. If you are beginning your trip on a Sunday, then we would recommend extending your stay by a night in Otranto which would then mean that you are travelling back to Lecce for your return journey to Bari on a Monday.

Peak Season Availability

We recommend making your booking as soon as possible if you are considering a departure during the peak season of May, June, and September, as the region can be busy, limiting accommodation availability. 

Time of Year

In March the spring is starting to arrive and the amount of rainfall is lessening. It's a good time to go walking before the temperatures in Italy start to rise. The springs months offer warm sunshine, fewer crowds, and pleasant walking conditions. May is when most wildflowers are coming into bloom. The autumn months are also a favourable time of year, boasting cooler weather and a striking landscape made up of autumnal colours. It's worth noting that the later in the year you choose to travel the higher the likelihood of rain (October-March is when the rainfall is more likely). Also before Easter and in late October some local shops, and restaurants may have reduced opening times or have closed for the winter. July is a good month to go but can be very hot for walking and therefore isn’t best suited for everyone. You will have to start early to miss the heat of the day and carry a lot of water (additional weight) with you. Although the towns and villages are buzzing at this time of year which is great to see.

You can fly into Bari Airport which is the closest one to Alberobello. There are daily flights from the UK to Bari and from other major European hubs.

To get to Alberobello you can take a train direct to Bari Centrale Stazione. It is a 10 minute walk to the platform, the journey takes 20 minutes, and they run approximately every 20 minutes to 1 hour depending on the time of day and day of the week (trains run less frequently on Sundays). More information on the train times may be found here www.ferrovienordbarese.it/times. To reach Alberobello from Bari Centrale Stazione you can board a local direct train. The journey takes approximately 1 hour 45 and the trains leave about every hour.

We can also arrange a private taxi transfer from Bari Airport to Alberobello. Please ask your Destination and Adventure Specialist for details.

The closest airport to Lecce is Brindisi Airport. You can take a direct bus from Lecce City Terminal to the airport, running approximately every 1-2 hours, depending on the time of day and day of the week. The journey takes 40 mins. We suggest taking a taxi to the City Terminal Bus Station from your accommodation. You can find the bus timetables here at Puglia Air Bus.

You can also fly out of Bari Airport if you wish. Trains run from Lecce to Bari Centrale every hour or so and take about 1 hour 20. You will find schedules on the Trenitalia website. As on arrival you can then take a train to the airport from here.

Your bags will be transferred from your accommodation as per your itinerary and moved onto your next overnight accommodation. We ask you to limit your luggage to one bag of up to 20kg per person. On this itinerary (days 2, 4 & 6) you will have private transfers to the beginning of your walks, and you need to take your luggage with you as the driver will take it on to your next destination. Also please note when taking the train from Ostuni to Lecce you will be carrying your own luggage, so please pack accordingly. In other words pack light!