Food & Wine Cycling in Apulia

You arrive in Lecce and meet our local representative for a personal briefing of the trip. Here you receive your bicycle, accessories and all necessary materials: route descriptions, maps and digital navigation. You'll surely also get some good restaurant tips for the first evening!

Today's stage is completely flat and rich in both cultural and natural experiences. You first cycle to the walled town of Acaya with its mighty castle and then continue through the Le Cesine nature reserve, a protected wetland area and important resting place for migratory birds. Along the coast you pass the ruins of the Bronze Age town of Roca Vecchia and the turquoise-shimmering Alimini lakes. The day ends in Otranto, where narrow alleys lead to Byzantine churches, city walls with sea views and the famous cathedral with its mosaic floor. The atmosphere of nearby Greece is palpable. Dinner with focus on fish and seafood.

You follow the small river Idro, which gave the town its name, to the village of Casamassella and the cultural center Le Costantine, where traditional looms are still used. Then you cycle on to Giurdignano through a megalithic landscape with dolmens and menhirs from the Bronze Age. During the morning, a tasting of local specialties awaits at a family-owned bakery. Return to Otranto in the afternoon and free evening in the historic city center.

One of the trip's most spectacular days. You follow Salento's wildest coastal stretch with views over the Strait of Otranto. At the Palascìa lighthouse you reach Italy's easternmost point. You pass an abandoned bauxite mine with its red lake and cycle along cliffs high above the sea, where visibility sometimes reaches all the way to Albania and Greece. There's an opportunity to visit the dramatic Zinzulusa cave. Via the Ciolo ravine you reach Santa Maria di Leuca, where the Mediterranean and Adriatic seas meet. Dinner with flavors of the sea.

You explore the southernmost parts of the Leuca peninsula. In Giuliano you see a castle and a church from the 900s and visit Centopietre – a mysterious burial monument built of large stone blocks. At Leuca Piccola, an important pilgrimage station, parts of the visit go underground. Then you cycle through olive groves and stone-walled landscapes to a traditional olive oil mill for tasting. The evening is spent in Ugento, where you can visit the archaeological museum and enjoy a good dinner to end the day.

In the morning you cycle towards the coast and Punta Pizzo nature park, with the opportunity to swim at Sant'Andrea island. Then you reach Gallipoli, a charming fishing town built on an island, where you enjoy a generous aperitivo and the town's lively atmosphere. After an ice cream break you continue to the church of San Mauro, known for its Byzantine frescoes, before reaching the day's final destination.

Today you have three choices:

Cycling to Galátone and Galatina

The bike tour goes through the peaceful inland. You visit Galátone's baroque old town and the Norman castle Fulcignano. Then you cycle to Galatína to see the unique church of Santa Caterina, completely covered with frescoes in the spirit of Giotto. Finally, you taste local products in a traditional bottega.

Cooking with a local family

Alternatively, you can choose a cooking course in the countryside, where together with a local family you cook and eat classic dishes for lunch. You cycle on small country roads through olive groves and along stone-walled fields until you reach Tenuta Donn'Anna. The ingredients are harvested directly in the garden before you together prepare classic dishes like pitta di patate, pittule, orecchiette and pasticciotto. You enjoy what you've cooked together with the family, accompanied by local wine. If season and temperature allow, there's an opportunity to swim and relax by the pool.

Sailing excursion

After several days on the mainland, today there's a chance to experience Apulia from a new perspective – from the sea.
The sailing tour departs from the harbor in Gallipoli aboard a 13-meter long sailboat with four cabins (which can be used for rest) and three toilets. The boat accommodates up to twelve guests and the crew is on board throughout the excursion. During the tour you can, if you wish, learn the basics of sailing or simply lean back and enjoy the moment. The excursion lasts half a day.

The final stage goes through countryside with historic farms and villas. You stop in Nardò to experience its decadent baroque center and in Copertino to visit the impressive Norman castle and hear the stories about the saint Giuseppe da Copertino. In the afternoon you return to Lecce, return the bicycles and end the trip with a final shared dinner in the city.

The trip ends after breakfast.