Cycling Undiscovered Puglia

Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Normans and Spaniards have all left their mark on Puglia in the shape of amphitheatres, palaces, castles and churches, so every stop along the way is fascinating. Plus, as relatively few people visit the ‘Italian boot and heel’, I was able to enjoy it all far from any jostling hordes of tourists.

This is what I loved about our newest tour, starting in the astonishing cave town of Matera.

...was so easy. We flew into Bari airport, which has a brand-new railway station, so €11 and an hour and three-quarters later we were standing in the amazing Old Town of Matera, which has – quite rightly - just been named European City of Culture 2019.

This tour now starts in Alberobello but you can choose the optional pre-trip extension to Matera.

...typified Italian beauty. The beginning of the week was spent cycling through rural countryside covered with ancient olive trees, and fields separated by stone walls. Scattered amongst them were the pretty white-washed trulli, traditional dry stone huts with a conical roof built as temporary storehouses or as permanent dwellings for farmhands.

We passed numerous small towns which most tourists would not normally stumble across, all with beautiful squares, Baroque churches and plenty of pavement cafes for a coffee break - just remember not to order a cappuccino after midday, as it upsets the Italians who would never do that!

The second half of the week provided a lovely contrast, as we rode along the Ionian coast to the very bottom of Italy’s ‘boot’ in Santa Maria di Leuca before joining the Adriatic coast. Sometimes hugging the beaches, sometimes higher on a coastal road, with craggy cliffs and coves below us, there were plenty of quiet, golden beaches for a blissful swim. We found the Ionian side considerably warmer, but it was always refreshing, and we dried quickly in the constant sunshine!

...stay with me for very different reasons. Matera, with its fascinating and beautiful maze of caves known as ‘Sassi’ carved into the rock, where amazingly people still lived into the 1950s;  Alberobello and its masses of pretty trulli originally built to avoid paying local taxes; the glittering ‘White Town’ of Ostuni; the historic Old Town in Gallipoli, on an island in the Ionian Sea linked to the mainland by a bridge; Santa Maria di Leuca, where the Ionian and the Adriatic meet at the most southerly point of Italy’s heel; Otranto and its impressive castle, and beautiful Lecce, justifiably known as the ‘Florence of the South’. I loved them all.

......were a good mix of three and four star. All central, very welcoming and, of course, with safe storage for our bikes. A real highlight was staying in a former cave-dwelling in Matera, which happily came complete with electricity and hot water! We also loved staying in our very own little trullo in Alberobello.

...came custom-made, well-maintained, with 27 gears and a handy handlebar bag. We also had a map holder; an Ortlieb pannier for extra water and our daily picnic; a comfortable gel saddle; and even an on-bike computer! The bikes were the perfect size for us, but it was great that the handlebar height could be adjusted to make the riding even easier. We were provided with a repair kit with a spare inner tube, tyre levers and pump, but as the tyres lived up their manufacturer’s claim of being puncture-resistant, they stayed unused in our pannier for the duration. We collected the bikes on the Sunday morning from a central point in Matera, where we could test the size, check the gears and brakes, and ask any questions we had about the tour.

…that we were given were excellent, and complemented each other well. The arrows on lamp posts along the route were also very reassuring. Written instructions were so easy to follow, with every turning or fork in the road marked with the number of kilometres next to it, which tallied with our bike computers. 

The maps were ideal for cycling through the countryside, but understandably a bit trickier to use in the towns, despite being enlarged. The route notes explained it perfectly though, so we never had any difficulty finding the hotels every evening. In our welcome pack, there was also a 1:260,000 map of Puglia, a guide book full of historical facts, plus leaflets on attractions in Matera, so we felt very well-informed. There were also suggestions in the route notes for nearby historical towns to visit, farms where you could sample local produce, or interesting places to discover, such as hidden caves and coves. 

...were most courteous, once we worked out that their honking was just a friendly “Hello, just wanted to let you know we are here” rather than an aggressive “Get out of my way!” To be honest, I hadn’t been entirely sure what to expect, despite having had a pleasant surprise in the north of Italy on our Mantua to Venice tour. However, all cars gave us a respectable berth when passing, or held back if there was a bend. In fact we encountered very little traffic on the roads, which was wonderful, and the majority of our time was actually spent on cycle routes or tiny roads where we would occasionally encounter a tractor or a tiny Cinquecento.

...as you might expect, was incredible. While most Italians will happily just grab an espresso and a small, sweet pastry in the morning, I was pleased – and relieved - to discover every hotel laid on a wide selection for breakfast, perfect for setting us up for the cycling day ahead. A typical choice included several types of bread, meat and cheese, plus yogurts, fruit and muesli, along with chocolate cakes, tarts and muffins in case we wanted to live like a local! And of course, the coffee was always good.

The tour is based on bed & breakfast, so we could choose where to eat in the evening and I doubt even the biggest foodie would be disappointed. Italians eat late, so we’d first head for an aperitivo and enjoy some complimentary nuts and olives, often in a town square surrounded by beautiful buildings. We would watch the locals, or chat about our day with fellow cyclists that we’d met along the way. After 8pm most restaurants had started to open. 

Small portions are almost unheard of, and the shared plates of antipasti, a mixture of cured meats, various cheeses, olives, artichokes and marinated peppers, always filled me up before my main! Pizzas were around €6-€8, massive, and generously spread with various toppings. Seafood fans will love the variety of fresh fish on offer, and local wine by the carafe was always very well-priced, but with plenty of bottles from other regions to choose from too.

A week never seems long enough, so we added a few days in Lecce and I’m so glad we did. In practically every direction you look, there is a beautiful Baroque building or Roman ruin, and the square with the cathedral and camomile takes your breath away. Most Italians either sleep or stay inside between 2pm-5pm, so the narrow streets were deserted, leaving us to happily explore in peace, read under a tree in the park, or café-hop for gelato. I would highly recommend adding on a few extra days to relax and explore this beautiful town further, before other people realise how wonderful it is!