Puglia (Italy) - Land of History, Scenery, Beaches

† Explanation of BAC Ride Fee – This fee is not included in the Estimated Cost and is non-refundable once submitted. The Ride Fee for US and Canada is $85 and $100 for all other countries, both are per participant.

Ride Description

This 13 night tour begins in Matera on October 7, 2017 for orientation, happy hour and dinner, and ends after breakfast on October 20, 2017 in Lecce.   Both cities are served by trains from and to Bari.  There is also an airport at Lecce, our departure city. The tour is supported by Circolo degli Esploratori - Hike and Bike Italy.  Bicycle rentals will be available; participants who wish to rent bikes will make their own arrangements with the provider.

OVERVIEW:   Puglia, the heel of the Boot, has some of the most classic and quintessential aspects of Italian and Mediterranean culture.   We will start from Matera, a timeless town with dwellings carved in rock, very often used as a set for Hollywood movies.   We will explore the town on foot accompanied by a local guide who will tell us about its history.   Then we will cycle to the Valle d’atria, a UNESCO HERITAGE site famous for the Trulli, small stone dwellings with conical roofs, traveling through olive and almond groves.   We will then reach the picturesque town of Polignano a Mare, an ancient greek town perched on cliffs overlooking the Adriatic sea.   Once there we will follow the coast along minor roads among century old olive grove forests.   From Ostuni, “the white city,” we will continue south to the plains of the famous wine region of Puglia entering the territory of the Salento (the southern part of this region) whose capital is Lecce, one of the most beautiful towns of Southern Italy with its imposing Baroque style Palazzi and churches.   Our adventure will then continue to Otranto, Gate of the Orient, and to Gallipoli (Kales Polis - The Beautiful city) on the Ionian sea, and we will end in Lecce.

ACCOMMODATIONS:  Matera, Locorotondo (2), Polignano Mare (2), Torre de Diamante, Tenuta Moreno, Lecce, Otranto (2), Gallipoli (2), Lecce.

RIDE RATING:  The itinerary is rated 1B!.  The ride from Matera to Locorotondo is 2C but van shuttle support will be available in case of need.  On some of the core routes we will be cycling occasionally on gravel roads for short times but that should not be a problem on road bikes with slightly wider tires - 700x25-28 tires recommended. Hybrid and touring bikes are perfect for this tour.

Optional longer rides will be available on some days for those who wish a longer ride.

ITINERARY

Day 1 - Arrival in Matera - get together late afternoon and dinner with music and tarantella dancers. For those arriving early a guided visit of the town is planned.  It is highly recommended that participants plan to come a day early to get over jet lag and make sure all luggage is with you.

Day 2 - Matera to Locorotondo   82.5 km/51 miles - 630 m/2060 ft

Easy-moderate, flat and gently rolling. From Matera’s rocky area you descend to a mostly agricultural landscape. After 40 km slightly more hilly. Small farms, characteristic limestone walls and the “Trulli,” typical conical-roofed buildings, dot the land.

Day 3 - Locorotondo to Locorotondo   34.2 km/22 miles - 392m/ 1300 ft

Two different ride options are planned - One takes you to Martina Franca, the largest town in the area with its beautiful historic center, baroque palazzi and churches of Spanish influence, and also Cisternino, a whitewashed town. The other option is across the famous Valle d'Itria and takes you to the town of Alberobello, Unesco heritage, a famous settlement of buildings with conical shaped roofs, and back to Locorotondo through minor roads.

Day 4 - Locorontondo to Polignano   58.1/36 miles - 265 m/870 ft

Gently rolling. Minor roads to the Castellana caves, a major attraction, and to Conversano with a very nice historic center. Then descend towards the sea town of Polignano a Mare on the cliffs facing the Adriatic sea.  Another option is a more direct and slightly shorter route without visiting Conversano.

Day 5 - Polignano to Polignano   78.1 km/46miles - 286 m/940 ft

One option is a bike path, then roads parallel to the coast to reach Bari. Nice views of the coast, including fishing villages of San Vito and Mola. Visit the old city center of Bari, recently renovated and restored as the main attraction of the area.  Another option is an inland ride to Conversano for those who did not see it the day before.

Day 6 - Polignano to Torre del Diamante   35.7 km/22 miles - 189 m/590 ft

Easy, flat. Ride to Monopoli with its old harbor and beautiful old town, the archeological site of Egnatia and its museum, and finally the area of Pezze di Greco where our country hotel is located. A relaxing day but with some extra riding available for those who wish.

Day 7 - Torre del Diamante to Tenuta Moreno   67km/42 miles - 412 m/1352 ft

Gently rolling. From coastal plains with olive groves we cycle to the “White City” of Ostuni, where it is worth spending some time visiting the old town. Then south to the Salient land, the land of the Sea, the Sun, and the Wind, as we descend to a much wider flatland with lots of olive groves. Our hotel is a very charming country estate in the vicinity of Mesagne.

Day 8 - Tenuta Moreno to Lecce   57.4 km36 miles - 230m/760 ft

Easy, flat. We will visit Mesagne and the most famous winery in Puglia - Mr. Falvo’s Tenuta Li Veli. Then on to Lecce through olive groves and vineyards to explore on foot the most fascinating and elegant town of the Mediterranean.

Day 9  - Lecce to Otranto   57.4 km/36 miles - 197m/650 ft 

Ride towards the small village of Acaja, then closer to the sea in the Natural Reserve WWF Cesine. We will pass small fishing villages until we reach the Alimony lakes, and finally the beautiful Gate of the East, Otranto, with its incredible historic center and cathedral.

Day 10 - Otranto to Santa Maria di Leuca (one way)   50.8km/32 miles - 632m/2075 ft. - 

Optional ride. Gently rolling to rolling. This is a classic ride to the tip of Italy with great views of cliffs. Along the route we will pass through a spa area (Santa Cesarea Terme) and a popular cliff diving site (Castro).  This is a hard day, so go as far as you wish and turn back, or take a rest day.

 Day 11 - Otranto to Gallipoli   54km/32 miles - 301m/1015 ft

We cross the peninsula through many small villages, olive groves, tomato fields, almond trees and vineyards.

Day 12 - Gallipoli to Santa Maria di Leuca (one way)   52km/33 miles -  305m/1000 ft

Optional ride. Go as far as you wish or all the way, passing fishimg villages and very appealing sandy and rocky shores - bring a swim suit with you!

Day 13 - Gallipoli to Lecce   53.9k/34 miles - 329/1080 ft

Easy ride initially following the coast passing through the reserve of Porto Selvaggio, then passing the town of Cupertino and its extensive agricultural land, and arriving in our final destination, Lecce.

Day 14 - Leave after breakfast

Note that on days 3, 5, 10 and 12 we spend two nights in the same hotel so participants can choose to cycle or take a rest day.

COSTS:  The estimated cost of the tour is based on an exchange rate of $1.25 to the euro. The price is subject to change based on the exchange rate and will be reviewed for a possible adjustment in April 2017. 

Included are 13 hotel nights in 3-4 star hotels, all breakfasts, 6 dinners, the luggage van, maps, GPS tracks, and sightseeing information.  In addition, GPS units will be provided at no extra cost to any participant who does not have a GPS of their own. Cue sheets will not be provided.  A guide who is a native Italian, yet also speaks excellent English, will support us.

We will have a get together every evening. Because of hotel restrictions all Happy Hour/map meetings will  be cash bar with limited snacks. Our gourmet dinners will be plentiful. Also included are guided walks of Matera and Lecce with professional guides. In Matera we will have dinner with traditional folk music and tarantella dancers.

SINGLES & SOLOS POLICY: Singles are welcome and encouraged to find compatible roommates and/or riding partners. The Ride Director will introduce and assist singles to find roommates, but singles must make their own rooming decision.  Solo supplement is $650 and is limited to two spots.  

CANCELLATION POLICY: The BAC ride registration fee of $100 for this tour is not refundable unless the entire tour is cancelled.  Refunds of tour payments will depend upon whether a replacement rider signs up, and on costs that can be recouped.  The amount refunded will be based on the principle that the tour’s remaining participants will not incur any additional cost as a result of cancellations.  If the cancelling participant is replaced, a refund will be made at that time.  If the cancelling participant can't be replaced, any refund will be determined after the ride and final expense report are completed.  If a single participant cancels and another roommate cannot be found, in addition to other costs that cannot be recouped the cancelling roommate may also be liable for the single supplement fee of the roommate remaining on the tour.

In addition, Hike and Bike Italy cancellation penalties are: 10% of their cost if you cancel up to 90 days before departure, 25% of their cost if you cancel between 30 and 90 days before departure,  and 100% of their cost if you cancel between 0 and 30 days before departure.  These penalties only apply if a replacement can not be found.  If a replacment is found, there is no cancellation penalty.  Note: Please sign on only if you are committed to riding this tour! BAC encourages members to purchase personal trip cancellation insurance.     

RIDE PARTICIPANT RESPONSIBILITY: Please remember that BAC Ride Leaders are volunteers, and that successful tours depend on participants providing much of their own support. Participants are expected to come to the ride well trained, in good health and ready to accomplish the required daily riding using well-maintained bicycles.    All participants should accept responsibility for a safe and enjoyable tour. We encourage you to read the ride description carefully and respond to requests from Ride Leader. While on the ride, support your Ride Leader.   Please keep the Ride Leader informed of any special request you may have and respect the Ride Leader’s decisions.

SIGN-UP: To submit a request to join this ride use the "links" displayed above this Ride Description. When you are accepted, the Ride Leader will move you from the Waitlist to the Pending List. At this time you will receive an email notification to login to the BAC website to sign the release of liability form and pay the non-refundable BAC ride registration fee online. Once those steps have been completed, the initial deposit of $1000 will be due.   The final payment for the trip will be May 15, 2017.  To contact the Ride Leader, "click" the name at the top of this Ride Description.