Individual arrival at the hotel in Lecce.
In the afternoon you can immediately immerse yourself in the local culture: we have reserved for you a lively 1 and ½ hour rickshaw tour that allows you to discover the elegant historic centre of Lecce with a local guide. The Baroque splendour of palaces and churches are tinged with gold at sunset. Following this, a welcome toast accompanies the trip briefing with your Puglia Cycle Tours guide. The evening concludes, for those who wish, with dinner in the company of your guide at a typical cuisine restaurant.

+/- 55 km

The morning begins with a bike and accessories test, so that everything is perfect for your adventure on two wheels!
The first stage takes place totally inland, leaving behind the congested urban core and heading west through flat rural areas. They are marked by dry stone walls, olive groves and indigenous vineyards involved in the production of “red” wine. In fact, we start in the “Terre del Negroamaro,” cycling through the municipalities of Novoli, Salice Salentino, Guagnano and San Pancrazio.
After the visit to these small towns, where it is possible to stop for a winery visit, we proceed to the lower Ionian Murgia, famous for the production of Primitivo, in the direction of Avetrana.
The day ends at an extraordinary historic family-run masseria, where you are able to admire the large estate aimed at oil and wine production, relaxing by the pool and enjoying a taste of the local production, before the rich dinner reserved for you.

↗ 220mt   ↘ 210mt

+/- 63 km

This second day leads toward the Ionian coast. Past the centre of Avetrana, we follow a secondary road for a few kilometres to soon reach the sea in one of the most evocative settings of this area, the Saline dei Monaci. It is a nature reserve where it is possible to admire unique flora and fauna. Leaving the sandy path, we proceed to the mighty Torre Colimena, a splendid and very well-preserved example of a 16th-century watchtower. Once past the residential core, we proceed along the coast to Porto Cesareo, a characteristic small port that is home to a thriving fish market and an ideal place for a coffee and ice cream break. The day continues as we reach the scenic promontory of Porto Selvaggio (the only drop of the stage) and then head down to the bays of Santa Caterina and Santa Maria al Bagno, renowned centres of local seaside tourism. After a swim and a lunch break, the last 15 kilometres flow quickly to Gallipoli, the “beautiful city” (Καλλίπολις – Kallípolis – that’s the meaning in Greek), also known as the “Pearl of the Ionian Sea.”
In the afternoon you can devote yourself freely to pure shopping or a more cultural stroll, but don’t miss the striking sunset near the western bastion, where the silhouette of the island of Sant’Andrea with its small lighthouse will mark the end of another unforgettable day. Your guide will be happy to suggest the best places for a tasty aperitif or the most typical restaurants for a fish dinner.

↗ 310mt   ↘ 360mt

+/- 54 km

Today’s stop is the easiest of the entire heel: just hop on your bike and enjoy the south coast in all its authenticity, among lookout towers, beaches with crystal-clear waters and hidden bays, where in the warmer months there is the chance for a dip or a regenerating swim.
Leaving the urban centre of Gallipoli, you travel about 3 kilometres, adjacent to fine sandy beaches. Then we pass between Torre Suda and Torre San Giovanni, using an exciting bicycle/pedestrian stretch that runs winding and scenic over coves and wide rocky bays. It’s now time to stop for a coffee break with a pasticciotto (a typical Lecce pastry with cream and a thousand variations) or ice cream. A few kilometres further south, you reach Pescoluse, an area commonly named the “Maldives of Salento“. Once past the small port of Torre Vado with its circular turret, just a few kilometres separate you from the cape of Leuca, also referred to as ‘De Finibus Terrae’. It is the strip of land that with its imposing lighthouse and sanctuary square marks the end of Puglia and peninsular Italy before the Mediterranean. According to some, this is where the currents of the Adriatic and Ionian seas mix, but geographers claim that this happens at Capo d’Otranto. What is the truth? Once you reach Santa Maria di Leuca, try to guess it!

↗ 350mt   ↘ 370mt

+/- 54 km

From now on we go up exploring the Adriatic side, always heading north! Open your eyes because today’s stage, although being the most challenging of the week, is one of the most unique in beauty that southern Puglia can offer you.

Today’s landscape is really different from previous days, with elevation ranging from tens to hundreds of meters above sea level, offering panoramic views from the very first kilometres. The route winds up and down, opening on one side to sea caves, natural harbours and coastal towers and on the other one to perched and lonely villages. There are numerous attractions along the way, beginning with the vertiginous canyon on the Ciolo bridge that opens from the hill to the sea. Immediately after there is the picturesque Port of Tricase, a strategic stop for a coffee “with a view,” and then the beautiful town of Santa Cesarea Terme. The route then continues after a climb of a couple of kilometres reaching a plateau from which it is possible to enjoy a wide and wonderful view of the inlets to the north. Catch your breath and take the ritual photo that celebrates the end of the “climb,” off down to Porto Badisco. A few kilometres further on, we reach the lighthouse of Punta Palascìa, which towers imposingly over the Adriatic and the Bay of Orte, marks the most easterly point in Italy. We continue for a short off-road detour that leads to one of the most evocative places on the east coast, Bauxite Bay, an almost lunar landscape more unique than rare. In a few hundred meters and resuming the paved road, you finally arrive at your destination. Otranto, the “pearl of the Mediterranean,” welcomes you with its majestic Aragonese Castle overlooking the harbor and its mighty walls embracing the ancient citadel.

↗ 700mt   ↘ 700mt

+/- 55 km

Today you can opt for a day off (perhaps relaxing in a facility or at the beach), or join this loop. It  introduces you to the hinterland by passing through Grecìa Salentina, a linguistic island in the heart of Salento, where the inhabitants speak Griko, a dialect derived from ancient Greek due to a massive migration that occurred around the 11th century. You pass through the towns of Melpignano and Corigliano d’Otranto, which surprise you with palaces and castles of great beauty. The route then winds toward Maglie, whose historic center shows churches and aristocratic palaces, alternating with big brands in the shopping street! After a stop for a coffee and a pasticciotto break, we take the way back through the countryside of Giurdignano, exploring dolmens and menhirs widely spread here and megalithic relics of prehistory. They contribute to this town’s appellation as the “megalithic garden of Europe.” A compelling descent into the Valle dell’Idro among olive groves and caves brings you back to the heart of Otranto.

↗ 363mt   ↘ 360mt

56 km

The final itinerary encapsulates the best Salento has to offer: sea and olive groves, history and Baroque architecture, small villages, vibrant colours and intense flavours. This is be the best goodbye ever! A few kilometres after leaving Otranto, going into the countryside among olive groves and lush pine forests, you pass by the Alimini Lakes, small lakes of brackish water and a hidden oasis for those who want to relax, far from the coastal chaos. Immediately after, you cycle back to the coast, reaching the cliffs between Baia Sant’Andrea and Torre dell’Orso, unspoiled paradises where nature manifests itself in all its beauty. The ride then resumes streamlined until you reach the “Cave of Poetry,”. It has been recognized by National Geographic as one of the 10 most beautiful natural pools in the world, where you are able to explore the natural caves and the adjoining archaeological park of Roca Vecchia, an important medieval settlement, frequented since the Bronze Age. You thus continue along the coast, passing the bustling seaside village of San Foca and soon reaching the Cesine Nature Reserve, a green area a few kilometres wide and accessible only to pedestrians and cyclists. Leaving the reserve from this point, the itinerary continues entirely inland, passing through the splendid fortified village of Acaya, once an outpost against enemy raids, now a village suspended in time.
From here, following a quiet rural road for about ten kilometres, you reach Lecce again, the perfect location to celebrate your last day in Puglia at its best. Enjoy it!

↗ 310mt   ↘ 270mt

After breakfast, end of services.