Cycle holidays in Italy: a growing trend
Whether it is summer or autumn, alone or in groups, cycling holidays are a type of travel that, in recent years, has become increasingly frequent among Italian and foreign tourists of all ages. A growing trend that, to be honest, doesn’t surprise so much: you don’t need to be a “two-wheel fanatic” or an “expert cyclist” to understand how exciting and inspiring a bike trip can be. Discovering culture, traditions and the enogastronomy of a place It’s always a good thing.
Traveling by bike means not being satisfied with a superficial holiday, but exploring a territory in depth, knowing its rhythms, feeling its smells (and believe it, they are more important than you think), being free to stop in front of unexpected views pedaling along authentic and original routes.
The important thing is to choose the right destination! And speaking of tourist cycling destinations, Italy is a country that offers a lot both on a cultural and on a landscape level.
From the mountains of the north to the landscapes of the south, the “Bel Paese” is full of cycle tracks and tourist itineraries designed for lovers of two wheels; and they are all beautiful and exciting!
But there is a region, in southern Italy, where cycling holidays are slowly becoming a type of travel increasingly appreciated by experienced cyclists and not: Puglia.
Here are some reasons for this success:
Puglia: right destination for cycling vacation in italy
Let’s take a little test. What kind of cyclist you are or would you like to be? Are you the one for whom the holiday must be strictly by the sea, perhaps with an itinerary not too far from a beach where to take a break to refresh spirit and body? Or do you prefer to travel between mountains and hills, looking for places where nature has remained uncontaminated and you can see the differentiation of flora and fauna?
In Italy there are specific cycling routes for those who love the sea, both for those who love the hills, but a cycling holiday in Puglia Italy allows you to do both without renouncing either. From the crystalline beaches of Salento or Polignano a Mare, in just a few kilometers of rides you can reach the most hilly paths of the Murgia or the beautiful Itria Valley stopping from time to time to admire the typical olive trees, the trulli and the “masserie” (ancient farm).
A real comfort especially for those who choose a group holiday and is looking for the right compromise that will satisfy all participants. Moreover, the surface, which is basically flat (except for rare journeys), makes Puglia a cycling destination suitable for everyone, experts and non-experts of all ages.
Perfect weather: mediterranean and never wet
Knowing the climatic conditions of the place you want to visit is a valid best practice for every tourist and it’s even more important for a cyclist. We have already discussed the topic Weather in Puglia in a dedicated article. Here we will only say that temperatures in Puglia are extremely favorable for a Cycling holidays, almost all year round, although, spring and autumn are undoubtedly the ideal seasons for organizing a cycling holiday. Spring begins early and is neither too hot or too cold. While autumn makes the first cold feel only at the end of November.
And then there is summer. Needless to say, Puglia is wonderful in the summer. Of course, it can sometimes get hot (otherwise what summer would it be?) But it is a dry heat and never excessively humid. And then there will always be a beach to cool off!
Puglia food… at the table after a ride? a whole other taste
One thing is certain. Indeed two. Pedaling makes you hungry and in Puglia the food is delicious! When these two things come together, well, then the result is wonderful! The cyclists who have already spent their cycling holidays in Puglia Italy know this very well: at the end of a long ride or a hard stage, there is nothing more rewarding than a table spread with wines and dishes from Puglia. Not to mention the “in-itinere” breaks, maybe with the typical bread from Altamura or with taralli and capocollo from Martina Franca, or why not, with some “discovered” mozzarella in one of the many farms that you will meet during the trip.
It’s for this reason that a Bike Tour in this region is transformed automatically and naturally into a Food & Wine Cycle Tour in which you will appreciate and discover the flavors of the area, the wines and all the typical dishes of Puglia.
But be careful, doing a break is fine… but never weigh yourself too much: you have to keep pedaling!
History and local traditions
Often those who imagine Puglia connect it to the summer, to the beaches, to the sea and to good food. All right, of course, but it would be a mistake to think that it has to offer “only” this. Puglia is in fact a treasure chest, beautiful all year round and in all seasons, not only in the hottest months. Among the many places to visit in Puglia some are famous and universally recognized for their beauty, such as Alberobello (UNESCO heritage), Polignano a Mare, the park of the Gravine, the Itria Valley, the Caves of Castellana, the Salento or, immediately beyond the border, Matera (UNESCO heritage and city of culture 2019) with its Sassi.
Others are smaller and hidden treasures like a bizarre-shaped olive tree, a complex of trulli that emerges in the typical red earth or the hospitality of a villager met in a country road. Pearls that can only be discovered by the eyes of the most attentive and “slow” tourist, perhaps just riding a bicycle!
If you are looking for anecdotes, secrets and curiosities that only a local knows, we advise you to choose among our guided cycling Tours
We at Puglia Cycle Tours have always known all these wonders, because in this land we were born, grew up and we continue to explore it with passion, looking for new itineraries and original routes to offer. This is how our tours of Puglia are born by bike and that is why we are able to offer tailor-made cycling holidays in line with our principles of slow, cultural and sustainable tourism.
