7 Days & 6 Nights

4.5

Cycling the Coast of Puglia

Easy-going cycling in Puglia, tracing its southern Salento coastline
Start and finish in Lecce, an architectural Baroque masterpiece
Relax on the whites sands of Torre dell Orso and swim in the Adriatic
Explore the wonderful coastal towns of Gallipoli, Leuca and Otranto
Dine on fresh seafood and orecchiette pasta
Choose a standard bike, or perhaps an E bike for a bit of assist

Discover the charm of southernmost Italy with one of our best Puglia bike tours. Beginning in the baroque city of Lecce, where ornate architecture from the 16th to 18th centuries sets the stage for your adventure. From Lecce, follow peaceful roads through a landscape dotted with ancient olive groves as part of your unforgettable self-guided bike tour in Puglia, arriving in the walled seaside town of Gallipoli overlooking the Ionian Sea. Continue your journey along the coastline, pedaling past quiet coves and sandy beaches to the very tip of the region, where the Adriatic and Ionian seas meet. This stretch of cycling in Puglia offers breathtaking views of dramatic cliffs and crystal-clear waters as you approach the ancient port of Otranto. Heading north, enjoy a relaxing ride along the Adriatic to the golden sands of the Cesine Coastal Nature Reserve. Your Puglia cycling tour concludes back in Lecce, where you can savor one last plate of traditional orecchiette pasta.

From $1,559.00

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Gallery

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Itinerary

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Day 1 Arrive Lecce and overnight

The Baroque buildings and churches of Lecce are within an hours bus journey of Brindisi Airport or a 90-minute train journey from Bari. Depending on your time of arrival you may wish to visit the amphitheatre and the Roman theatre, both built when Caesar Augustus was in power (a 40-year reign from 31BC to 14AD). Explore cobbled alleys, lively piazzas and in the evening sample fresh seafood and delicious pasta dishes.

Overnight Lecce

Accommodations

A sample of our typical carefully chosen accommodation in this location. Where you stay will vary depending on availability, but will be a similar standard.

Palazzo Bignami | Bed and breakfast

A boutique B&B, Palazzo Bignami features a terrace and guestrooms. This bed and breakfast offers a shared lounge, rooftop terrace and easy access to all the sights.

Eos Hotel | 3 Star | Hotel

Modern and comfy, Eos hotel was born in 2008 from an unusual design competition, Viaggio nel Salento (Travel to Salento). Situated just outside the historical center of Lecce, the Roman Amphitheatre and other historical sites are 15 minutes' walk away.The hotel offers designer rooms with parquet floors, flat-screen TV, minibar and air-conditioning. Breakfast is served daily until 10:00 and includes a hot savory buffet as well as freshly baked traditional Salento pastries. In the evenings, you can relax with an aperitif or cocktail in the Espera wine bar.

Hotel delle Palme | 4 Star | Hotel

Hotel Delle Palme is located 10 minutes from the historic center of Lecce, within easy reach of the train station and bus stops. The hotel provides concierge services, room service, a restaurant, and a bar. The hotel will provide guests with allergy-free rooms, featuring air-conditioning, kettle, minibar, and a flat-screen TV.

Day X Cycle Lecce to Gallipoli via Galatina 33 miles / 53 km

Leaving Lecce, cycle southwards deep into the Salento countryside. Ride quiet country lanes through olive groves towards one of Puglia’s hidden gems, Galatina, a chic little town with beautifully preserved Baroque buildings. Once you have explored Galatina with its impressive walls, numerous churches and aristocratic palaces, pedal onwards to Gallipoli. Upon arrival here enjoy wandering the picturesque old walled town, built on a small island which juts out into the Ionian sea.

Ascent: 208m / Descent: 249m (608ft/817ft)

Overnight Gallipoli

Accommodations

A sample of our typical carefully chosen accommodation in this location. Where you stay will vary depending on availability, but will be a similar standard.

Hotel 33 Baroni | 4 Star | Hotel

The elegant 33 Baroni Hotel is finely renovated and located in a quiet place in the heart of the city, a few steps from the sea. The hotel offers a panoramic terrace overlooking the Old Town and both the Northern and Southern coasts, where you can enjoy breakfast or an energizing aperitif with a sea view from dawn to sunset. All rooms are decorated in a simple style, with large windows, air-conditioning and a mini-bar.

Relais Corte Palmieri | 4 Star | Hotel

An 18th-century town house, this Mediterranean-style boutique hotel offers a charming sun patio with a plunge pool, and breakfast on the rooftop terrace. It is located in town not far from St Agata's Cathedral, and just 650 feet from Purita beach. Each room at the Relais Corte Palmieri is unique, different from the others in style, location and size. All offer air-conditioning, wi-fi and a mini-bar.

Day X Cycle Gallipoli to Santa Maria di Leuca 32 miles / 51 km

After a fortifying breakfast today cycle to Puglia’s most southerly coastal town of Santa Maria di Leuca, where the Ionian and Adriatic seas meet. A day of easy cycling leaves plenty of time to make an short diversion to the beach or explore one of the many of the charming villages and towns you will pass through before arriving in Santa Maria di Leuca. One very interesting place where you may wish to stop and check out is Torre Vado, the town named after its round tower. The fortifications lend a magical backdrop to the beach and boat marina.

Ascent: 33m / Descent: 39m (108ft/128ft)

Overnight Santa Maria di Leuca

Accommodations

A sample of our typical carefully chosen accommodation in this location. Where you stay will vary depending on availability, but will be a similar standard.

Hotel Terminal | 3 Star | Hotel

Hotel Terminal has a private beach with a direct access reserved only to the hotel guests. The hotel has been refurbished mainly using local raw materials (the stones produced in the city of Alessano, the terracotta of the city of Lucugnano and the reeds of Gallipoli). It has wide terraces, a garden, a library and Wi-Fi service. Rooms equipped with private bathroom, shower, hair-dryer, telephone with programmable alarm-clock, TV with sky decoder, cable radio, air-conditioning, mini fridge, safe box.

Day 4 Free Day in Santa Maria di Leuca

Today you can spend a wonderful day in and around Santa Maria di Leuca, a place well-worthy of exploration. This lovely town sits on the most southerly point of the Salento peninsula and has long been mentioned in the annals of history. The Santa Maria part of its name refers to the religious sanctuary that was built on a hill high above the harbour. Visit the sanctuary, the impressive lighthouse, built in 1864, and a waterfall that signifies the end of the Puglia's Aqueduct. Discover its dramatic stretches of coastline and enjoy the sandy beaches, bars and restaurant that this attractive little town has to offer.

Overnight Santa Maria di Leuca

Accommodations

A sample of our typical carefully chosen accommodation in this location. Where you stay will vary depending on availability, but will be a similar standard.

Hotel Terminal | 3 Star | Hotel

Day X Cycle Santa Maria di Leuca to Otranto 35 miles / 56 km

With a choice of two routes today you can choose between pedalling the rise and fall of the Ionian coastline or an easier, rolling route through a patchwork of olive groves and small villages.

The rocky Ionian coastline reveals the most spectacular panoramic photo opportunities. Just over halfway you can visit one of the most impressive karstic cave networks, the ‘Grotto Zinzulusa’ (a 4km/2.4mi detour). Alternatively the gentle rolling route weaves its way through farmland and peaceful countryside to the historic and white-washed city of Otranto.

Currently there is a diversion in place on the coastal route while the Ponte del Cielo bridge undergoes repairs, so you will cycle slightly inland for around 4km (2.4mi) to avoid this.

Coastal route: 56km/35mi | Ascent/Descent: 526m/511m (1725ft/1676ft)

Inland and Coastal route (avoids the harder ascents/descents on the coastal route): 51km/32 mi | Ascent/Descent: 326m/309m (1069ft/1013ft)

Overnight Otranto

Accommodations

A sample of our typical carefully chosen accommodation in this location. Where you stay will vary depending on availability, but will be a similar standard.

Hotel Albania | 3 Star | Hotel

Set between the beach and the ancient gateway into Otranto, the Hotel Albania has fresh, bright rooms and a rooftop terrace (on a clear day you can see across the water to Albania).

B&B La Terrazza Sul Mare | Bed and breakfast

Set in Otranto, 200 yards from Castello di Otranto, La Terrazza Sul Mare features air-conditioned rooms with free WiFi throughout the property. Each room has a flat-screen TV. A terrace or balcony are featured in certain rooms. Rooms have a private bathroom. For your comfort, you will find free toiletries and a hairdryer.

Vittoria Resort & Spa | 4 Star | Hotel

Set in Otranto, the Vittoria Hotel & Spa features elegantly furnished rooms with WiFi and TV. There is also an onsite spa which is the perfect place to unwind after your adventure! There is a restaurant and the resident chef will take you on a journey through the flavours of Apulian local cuisine.

Day X Cycle Otranto to Lecce via Cesine Coastal Nature Reserve 30 miles / 49 km

The last day of cycling continues north towards the dunes, forests and flora of the Cesine Coastal Nature Reserve, pretty landscape of wetlands. From here, pedal inland through the Greek communities of Salento as you ride to Lecce, the ‘Florence of the South’. Enjoy a dinner al fresco surrounded by the grandeur of Lecce’s Baroque architecture.

Ascent: 51m / Descent: 21m (167ft/68ft)

Overnight Lecce

Accommodations

A sample of our typical carefully chosen accommodation in this location. Where you stay will vary depending on availability, but will be a similar standard.

Palazzo Bignami | Bed and breakfast

A boutique B&B, Palazzo Bignami features a terrace and guestrooms. This bed and breakfast offers a shared lounge, rooftop terrace and easy access to all the sights.

Eos Hotel | 3 Star | Hotel

Hotel delle Palme | 4 Star | Hotel

Day 7 Onward travel

THIS TRIP'S CARBON SCORE

This trip has a carbon score of 6kg per person per night, meaning it’s one of our best trips! For comparison, a carbon count of 6kg is equivalent to 4.5 ham and cheese sandwiches from the store. Here at Macs, we pride ourselves on being a responsible travel company and continue to adopt, develop and innovate ways to positively impact the environment. Find out more information about how we've carbon counted our trips.

Reviews

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Other Information

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Is it for me?

Graded easy to moderate, this tour follows the Salento coastline and is ideal for cyclists that like the idea of a riding between ancient towns. Because the terrain is not too undulating, most rides and predominantly easy-going here will be time to discover the impressive history, culture and architecture of this region, as well as the local pasta and seafood dishes unique to Puglia. Some sections are more moderately difficult, but you can offset this with an E bike for a bit of extra assist, and on some days you are given a choice of tracks, easier or more strenuous. Spending each night in comfortable, centrally located and characterful hotels and B&B's means you are only ever a few minutes walk or cycle from the sights or panoramic sea views.

Tour Type:

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.

Activity:

Leisure Cycling | Leisure Cycling

This trip is suitable for:

Solo Travellers, Families with Teens

The minimum age for this tour is: 12 Years

Ideal if you have an interest in:

Foodie

Wine

Activity Level & Terrain

This cycling tour is graded easy to moderate overall and follows a combination of quiet country and coastal roads which take you through little resort towns and national parks with saltmarshes and wetlands. The elevation gains and losses are minimal and daily distances not too challenging. We also offer an easier inland option on one of the rides which you may take if you prefer. We also offer the rental of E-bikes if you wish to take this more easy-going option. If you are using a regular bike it's a good idea to regularly get out on your bike for a couple of consecutive days in the lead up to your tour. Be prepared for busier routes when approaching and departing towns.

Experience & Fitness

This cycling tour is suitable for relatively fit regular cyclists seeking an active adventure who enjoy being on their bike for up to 3-6 hours per day. You'll spend much of the day in the saddle experiencing a region and discovering its variety. The terrain is rolling with some longer and steeper ascents/descents, with daily total elevations ranging from 10m to 300m (32ft to 656ft). E-bikes are available for hire should you want to have battery-powered assistance for the hills.

Accommodation & Meals Navigation What's Included

Included

5 Nights in 3-4* hotels
5 Breakfasts
Baggage transfer
Information pack
Access to maps, GPX tracks and route notes in the Macs Adventure smartphone navigation app
24/7 Emergency telephone support from our office

Excluded

Travel to / from Lecce
Bike hire (or upgrade to an e-bike)
Lunches, dinners, drinks & snacks
Personal equipment
Travel insurance

Extras

Additional nights along the route
Bike hire (standard hybrid)
Upgrade to an e-bike
Arrival and departure transfers

When to go Travel & Transfers Info & FAQ

Equipment

Bike hire is an optional extra for this tour as you are welcome to bring your own bike. If you intend to bring your own bike, please do let us know at the time as extra transfer arrangements may be required for any large bike cases/boxes.

Rental bikes are 21 speed touring bikes equipped with a basic repair kit, pump and helmet (though we recommend using your own). Specific male and female frames are available. If you’d like to hire a bike, we will ask for your height and the frame size you currently ride so we can make sure your rental bike is the best fit. E-bikes are also available (subject to availability) if you would prefer a power-assisted ride.

Minimum age for E bike hire is 16yrs.