Puglia - Cycling the heel of Italy
- michaeldhaydock
- May 23, 2024
- 15 min read
Updated: May 25, 2024
What better way is there to take in the sights and sounds of Puglia, than on two wheels? This was our thinking after scouring Europe for the destination of our next bikepacking trip. We weren't disappointed. Great food. Amazing weather. Turquoise sea. But not such good driving.
On this trip, we managed to take our own bikes after struggling to find rental in the region. There was a bit of added research to do to find a place to store our boxes for the week, and indeed, to find hotels that would accommodate us along the route. But we got there. Flying into and out of Bari, we topped and tailed the trip with a night at the same hotel, which worked out to perfection.
The 7-day route took us in a round-about-way from Brindisi in the east, to the west coast, via Matera. We then made our way back up the east coast, where we started. As a word of warning, the road quality in Puglia was pretty shocking, so we'd recommend a gravel bike, or a road bike with wider tyres. It would have been quite grim on our standard road bikes to be completely honest. But, you can always do your own route planning to avoid some of the gravelly bits.
Day 1: Brindisi to Monopoli
Accommodation: Santo Stefano Luxury Rooms
Key stats: 83km, 440m
Pave: Mixed. Gravel bike, or wide tyres recommended.
We arrived in Bríndisi to grey skies and drizzle but in good spirits as always. After a walk on the blustery sea front, we parked ourselves in Brunda - a pizza restaurant with an open kitchen - and toasted the adventure ahead. The first morning was much the same of the night prior. Grey, drizzly, and a bit windy. But we were still keen to get going. Leaving the town was quite frankly. Chaotic. And yes. The driving was comparable to Mario-Kart; although thankfully it didn’t take long to reach the outskirts of Brindisi and onto the quieter roads of Puglia.
It wasn't immediately olive tree-lined glory. The first stretch was actually a bit monotonous - beside, but segregated from, a main road - but with a national park on the opposite side. At around 30km, we turned through an open gate and joined onto a gravel path skirting the coast. It’s here where we had our first stop by a quiet cove. Like all athletes, we started with a beer and a water chaser. The owner was busying themselves building a make-shift stage, so it must have been jumping that evening. And the two other guests were also enjoying a cold one in the Italian sun.
It felt like we were on this gravelly path for a couple of hours. Constantly dismounting; remounting; walking around flooded paths and potholes; walking across empty beaches. It was baking by this point too. After what was probably only half an hour, we rejoined the same road as earlier, and continued south. A bit of confusion ensued not long after. We were refused entry to carry on along the road by a burly guard, to be told it’s now a private road for marina members only. He then told us it’s a 30km detour via Otranto to get back on track. Jobsworth! Thankfully it wasn’t. And luckily it tuned out to be the best part of the day. Quiet olive tree-lined roads at last. Uninterrupted views of the White City (Otranto) on the hill. And to top it off, the air was thick with butterflies. It was dreamy.
We were on this slice of paradise - along the Via Parco Lorusso - for 20km or so, before briefly turning north-east towards Torre Canne and then north-west towards Monopoli. The remainder of the route meandered along the impressive clifftops, through small sea-side villages, peppered with beach bars and restaurants. It was all on a nice cycle path too, which made going even nicer. With 10km or so to go, we had a photo stop overlooking the cliffs of Capitolo. It had turned a bit chilly again so we didn't linger there long, but it was still nice to stop and take in the view. The remaining 10km followed the SP90, parallel to the coastline, before taking us all the way into the historic town of Monopoli.
Day 2: Monopoli to Matera
Accommodation: Locanda San Martino Thermae
Key stats: 81km, 1,000m
Pave: Mixed. Gravel bike or wide tyres recommended.
We started day 2 a little later at around 9:15 after a nice coffee and a pistachio-filled Pasticciotto at Frizz Cafe. If you haven’t had one of these; they are a Puglian 'Nata': light, crumbly pastry filled with sweet goodness.
The first few kilometres of the day wasn't too noteworthy, but again we hit nice Puglian roads after around 5km; so we didn't have to wait long. The following 15km were pretty consistently uphill with gradients up to 17%. Oof. We passed through some pretty villages though, with limestone cobble streets and squares. We didn’t stop here, but carried on through and topped up our water at around 25km on a pretty village high street. It was a hot one so we kept it slow and steady.
It was relatively bumpy for a while, and the roads were super quiet and draped by fig trees, wildflowers and cherry trees. We helped ourselves on a few occasions. Rude not to, right? The perfect excuse to shelter in the shade for a few minutes.
It was in this stretch that we got our first view of the famous Puglian Trullies, which made it feel like we were finally here. I confess I didn’t properly proof the route and we hit some gravel at 40km. We had our gravel bikes so it was manageable and it didn't last too long. We were really feeling the heat at this point and after a period on a bit of a busy road, a mirage of a Co-op appeared, and we dived inside for a coke and some water. The shutters came down as we stepped outside, so it was great timing. We lingered with our hoard in the shade for half an hour before getting moving again.
There was another stretch of busy-ish road - and the route was a bit rogue so we detoured off it. Eventually, it started to quieten and we could see Matera on the hilltop in the distance. We only had a couple of snakes for company here, and we veered off through a barley field; rejoined the same road; and climbed the hill up to beautiful Matera's shining marble streets.
We loved our afternoon and night in Matera, and wished we had stayed longer. There's lots of nice hikes surrounding the city, where you can wander through the historic caves. Or if you're feeling lazy, take in the sunset with the help of a guided 4x4 trip.
Day 3: Matera to Locorotondo
Accommodation: Pietra Pesara
Key stats: 85km, 750m
Pave: Mixed. Gravel bike or wide tyres recommended.
I love leaf blowers. Especially at 6.30am on a weekend morning. This was our Matera wake up call. After some sleepy grumbles, we went for a walk to escape the noise, before tucking into the hotel’s fantastic breakfast buffet. We don’t normally go for ‘nice’ hotels. But this one was up there. The bath was its own room, and the bed was gargantuan! Anyway...
I would say that the first 40km or so of the day were absolutely perfect. It was pretty much the reverse of the rear-end of the day before: it started with the nice descent out of Matera and quickly back on to the quiet roads, past the trusty Co-op from day 2. Another coke anyone?
From here, the route took us through the main town before veering off towards Noci.
The route wasn’t well reviewed again, and there was a stint back in a relatively busy main road. The speed of some of the driving was scary and we made the decision to come off it and try - what looked like - a cycle path (according to Wahoo). In reality, it was a hot, spider invested, heavily-vegetated trench. We pushed our way through for an hour hoping it would improve. It didn’t. Eventually we emerged covered in sweat and cobwebs and pushed our bikes across farm fields. We ended up back on the road we left over an hour earlier.
An obvious re-route eventually took us through Noci. Noci was a bustling town with a white-washed centro storico, through which we meandered. It was another baking day and the sun beating off the limestone was enough to make the head throb! The route from here on though was a fairytale. It was predominantly traffic-free, quiet, and the path was lined with more olive trees and trullis: some crumbling; some immaculate. We couldn’t help but smile.
The next town that we encountered was Alberobello - a UNESCO World Heritage site, renowned for it's architecture and cultural heritage. It was alright. Admittedly we weren't here very long. And the day had been a long one so we simply grabbed an ice cream from one of the many gelaterias and went on our way again. It took another 45 minutes or so to reach our stop for the night, and we were very thankful when we rolled down the gravel path into the magical Pietra Pesara.
Day 4: Locorotondo to Maruggia
Accommodation: B&B Li Tirici
Key stats: 68km, 300m
Pave: Mixed. Gravel bike or wide tyres recommended.
The accommodation was a dream. We were warmly welcomed and looked after by the hosts, ample space to keep our bikes - both in and out - and the breakfast was to die for! We more or less had it to ourselves. We were treated to a wonderful homegrown/homemade spread of their own honey, peaches, nuts, fresh bread, cakes, cheeses and meats. Bursting, we then took a coffee up to the roof and absorbed the sun for 30 mins before getting our bikes and bums ready for another day.
We were sad to leave to be honest; although we knew more good things were to come on the trip. We hadn’t even dipped a toe in the sea yet!
The next 20km were some of my favourite of the trip. If not ever. It was perfect (for a gravel bike). The path was on an old aqueduct- how old I don’t know - and it was gently downhill for pretty much the whole day. The track was lined in greenery and wildflowers and teaming with lizards and butterflies. Best of all, we had it to ourselves; bar the occasional other bike rider.
At 25km we pulled into a cafe in Ceglie Messapica. We were both drenched in sweat already by this point, but no-one seemed to mind. Wisely or unwisely, we had a cold beer and a Maxibon - which were both delicious. The town square, it turns out, was not preparing for Christmas, but as we later found out, preparing for the Puglian light festival.
It felt like we barely pedalled for the next couple of hours with the slight downhill and oven-esque tail-breeze. It was more of the same from this point. Quiet country roads surrounded by olive groves and poppies, all the way to the historic town of Francavilla. We were conscious of staying hydrated as it was baking, and grabbed a couple of drinks from a corner shop and carried on our way. It was a bit main-roady (with shocking road quality) from here on in. It was relatively quiet at least.
As the sun beat down of us, we rolled into the rather quiet town of Marrugia, and checked into the (huge) room at B&B Li Tarici; shortly followed by a sprint to Spiaggia Giannarli - an absolutely idyllic beach, to wash away the grime of the day.
Day 5: Marrugia to Gallipoli
Accommodation: Il Giardano della Regina
Key stats: 67.5km, 230m
Pave: Mixed. Gravel bike or wide tyres recommended.
Another private buffet breakfast awaited us in the morning, after a brief dip in the sea early doors. It consisted of the usual goodies we'd had on the trip so far. Back on the bike, the first 10-15km were along the coastal road, past countless white sandy beaches and secluded coves. All of which we were dying to stop at. Eventually we succumbed to the heat and paused at Spiaggia Acquafredda for a swim; where a small river met the sea. It was freezing, but so refreshing. And clearly a popular gem with the locals.
The cycle from the ice bath was, well, nice. It was a tad more urban than the start of the day, which meant we had to contend with some questionable driving and potholes. A lot of potholes. But it was fine. The cycle then took us off-road on a gravelly, and often sandy, cycle path by the Dune di Torre Colimena. Here we skirted past glimmering pink lakes teaming with flamingos - not something you see every day - and the occasional bird watcher perusing the landscape.
As you've probably guessed, it was a bit of a stop/start type of a day. Hot and bothered, we paused again for a cold drink and an ice cream at Punta Prosciutto beach. It was one of the more touristy beaches we saw that day, and therefore kept it strictly business and held off going in the sea here. It was 37oc at this point and the going became quite slow. We made up for it a little further along the coast for a cooling dip (in our bibs of course) a few kilometres from Porto Cesáreo.
A bit sandy and sitting in a wet nappy, it wasn't long until we regretted a swim in the cycling shorts. Luckily the tarmac was melting, as was my helmet - so they were dry again in no time. And you guessed it, another quick drink stop at Bar Ficodindia just before entering the national park for a detour to the beach at Spiaggia di Porto Selvaggio. It was a bit of a faff to get to; although we were eventually rewarded with crystal clear water, surrounded by rocky areas, perfect for sunbathing, and a little beach. Learning the lesson from earlier, we covertly slipped into our swim stuff and had the third dip of the day, whilst chatting to a German man with a house in Nardo - and many bikes.
If it was a faff coming into the national park, it was a nightmare leaving it. The 'road' out of Porto Salvaggio was impossible - steep and very rocky - so we resorted to walking the bikes up. Not easy in the blistering heat. But we made it. Once out of the forest, the riding then to Gallipoli was a breeze. There was a lovely stretch near Santa Catalina with a cycle path hugging the coastline, and even more lovely looking ice cream parlours which were difficult to cycle past. Alas, our tiring leggies carried us onto Gallipoli's old town, and had a refreshing shower before another gelato to celebrate the day.
Day 6: Gallipoli to Otranto
Accommodation: Mediterraneo Camera
Key stats: 55km, 260m
Pave: Mixed. Gravel bike or wide tyres recommended.
The sun was shining, and again we were up early for a pre-breakky swim at the city beach. And as city beaches go, it’s pretty splendid. Refreshed and lycra'd up for the day, we had breakfast in the courtyard - which was ok; but guarded by the breakfast knight who didn’t let anyone serve their own portions. That aside, the breakfast highlight was definitely the pasticciotto. The coffee was pretty good too (which can be a bit hit and miss we'd found), but it always fired us up for the day.
The route of the day dissected the heel of Italy, west to east. Initially it was a real battle getting out of Gallipoli. And again, due diligence was poor and it was busy. Mad busy. Moaning aside, it again did not take us long until we were skirting past quiet olive groves and hay bales. If you’re on a road bike, you’ll definitely want to edit the day's route, as it was a bit gnarly in parts. Similarly, if you are allergic to bees, you might want to have a look too. Yes. We were chased by bees. Honey bees mind you. There were bee hives everywhere!
One of the perks of going accidentally off-road, aside from it being car-free, means you get to see things you’d miss otherwise. Here, the route took us past the ruins of an old villa with the foundations filled with colourful beehives and ornate mosaics. The air was buzzing and we could smell flowers.
The trail eventually gave way to more Strade Bianchi-type pave. Smooth, white gravel through rolling fields. It was also the day of chases. As we rounded a corner we were descended on by a pack of dogs barking and nipping at our feet. I find a squirt of water from a bidon normally does the trick. More so when they’re the size of Chihuahuas. And with our tails between our legs, we peddled on.
At around 33km we entered Scorrano - another shining white town with an impressive square. There wasn’t much open at this point apart from a small cafe called Cafe 41. It was another multi-ice cream day and here we had a Bikini and a water, but didn’t linger as the sun was beating off the limestone again. I can’t comment on what Scorrano was like as a whole, but I can say they had a serious light display game!
It was leaving Scorrano that things started to change. We’d heard a few rumours from hosts, but nothing prepared us for the scale of the olive tree devastation first-hand. Every field we passed was filled with the skeletons of hundreds of trees. Either standing or crumbling. And the smell of burning was ever present in our nostrils. And to think that some of the trees were originally planted by the Romans.
My notes describe the next section as 'the red road of loveliness.' And it was exactly that. I don't know if it was a purpose built cycle road or not, I just know that from 42km, just south of Palmariggi, it was beautiful. I've never seen so many wildflowers, or birds, or lizards in my life. We were the only ones on it. The road of loveliness lasted about 10km, before coming directly alongside the Strada Statale 16 - the main road into Otranto. The tail end of the day had us take a slightly longer route into the centre, in the shadow of the old castle walls, before being greeted by our lovely host, who welcomed us with a glass of fresh orange juice.
Day 7: Otranto to Lecce
Accommodation: La Loggia dei Rayno
Key stats: 51km, 191m
Pave: Mixed. Gravel bike or wide tyres recommended.
We woke up at Mediterraneo Camera and walked for a few minutes down to the town’s beach - Spiaggetta del Molo - for a quick dip. Aside from some slightly squidgy seaweed under-foot, it was the perfect spot. We enjoyed warm sea, still waters and some good people-watching (an over-70s swimming meet-up and octopus fishing). Afterwards, we got our gear on, had a quick rooftop breakfast and coffee, and started our cycle out of town towards Lecce.
As with all of our Italian urban cycling, there were some slightly sketchy moments on the roads exiting Otranto. However, after riding for just a few kilometres, we hit a lovely quiet gravel road that took us to a coastal path. Whilst the route from here (thank you, Komoot!) would have been perfect for a hike. It was a slightly more stressful experience with bicycles.
For 4km we were hiking along the cliff-side path, forcing our bikes through endless thorny hedgerows and bamboo filled with spider nests! Thankfully, we had beautiful views of jagged cliffs, blue coves and empty beaches to make up for it. What could have taken a few minutes on a road, took us the best part of an hour. Go by road if you can.
Eventually we decided to come off of our planned route (when we figured out how) and joined the main road (SP366) to make up for lost time. This road was fine; not the most scenic, but it was certainly easier to cycle. We took a slight detour down some more tracks just behind Baia dei Turchi. We were worried about prolonging the cycling in the heat of the day, so we ploughed ahead, but it would have made for a lovely beach sit and / or swim stop.
We cycled about 20km on the SP366 northbound to Lecce, until we reached the Mora Mora beach club. It was a lovely, though slightly pretentious spot. We parked up our bikes and enjoyed a beer, espresso, sea views and Ibiza-style chill-out beats. It was much needed in the heat! We eventually dragged ourselves away but soon got lured back into another beach-bar, before the route went in-land.
We weren’t quite ready to say goodbye to the coast - it’d been beautiful the whole way around Salento, and we wished we’d factored in more time for dips. As our final coastal hurrah, we had some food at the Lido Mediterraneo restaurant. I treated myself to a rare portion of octopus, which was ink-redible. But more so, because I couldn't translate the menu.
As we ventured north-bound, a cycling highlight was the 6km route through the Riserva Naturale Le Cesine - a designated state nature reserve and WWF special protection area. It’s supposed to be home to many water birds, tree frogs and snakes. Whilst we didn’t see any first-hand, we certainly enjoyed cycling through the deserted, tarmac pine-lined track through the back of the reserve.
From here we had about 20km remaining to Lecce. We decided to follow the main road (SP364) rather than our off-road Komoot paths, after we were slightly scarred by the spider hedgerows. The main road certainly wasn’t the most picturesque and didn’t have a designated cycle path (Komoot told us that there was one, but it didn’t exist!). However, it was wide and quiet, so we slowly plodded ahead. By this point in time, it was 43 degrees Celsius and we were roasting. We were very glad to arrive at our lovely little B&B - La Loggia dei Raynó - for a cold shower and some hydration.
We’d certainly recommend La Loggia dei Raynó to any fellow cyclists. The owner let us park our bikes in her private garage. It was in a great location just inside the old town (plus the rooftop breakfast ‘pasticciottos’ made the stay even more worthwhile).
We had a slow exploration of Lecce, with the heat beating down on us. We ambled around the streets and enjoyed lots of Friday night people-watching down some of the city’s bustling streets. We’d recommend dinner at Pizza and Co, which had a few outdoor tables and served pizza by the slice. We also had a lovely aperol spritz (surprisingly the first of our trip!) in La Bottega del Corso opposite beforehand. By the end of this, we were almost fooded-out, but definitely not ready to go home!
Day 8: Lecce back to Brindisi
Accommodation: Santo Stefano Luxury Rooms
Key stats: 42km, 126m
Pave: Mixed. Gravel bike or wide tyres recommended.
Day 8 is easy to write about because we didn't ride it. But I've provided the route nonetheless. To be honest, we weren't that excited at the prospect of heading back to Brindisi anyway - even though I’m sure it would have been lovely. Not long after starting on the last morning, it became obvious that my rear end had had enough, and the prospect of being sat on it again for multiple hours just wasn’t appealing. Defeated at last. So we turned back on ourselves and went for another coffee and pastry then hopped on the train up to Brindisi and the final stop of the trip. It was a disappointing end to a great trip. Definitely no regrets though!
FINITO
