With dazzling beaches, heaps of history and timeless beauty, it’s no wonder Puglia has a quietly growing reputation as a destination-favourite with celebrities seeking an Italian bolt-hole.
Cycle Breaks’ in-house celebrities Ed Hogg and wife, Jen, flew in to give e-biking in this sun-kissed region a go. Their verdict? ‘There’s no question that it’s also a brilliant location for cycling holidays’.
Read about their e-bike adventure around the ‘Heel of Italy’ and find out why.
Oscar-winning actresses Meryl Streep and Dame Helen Mirren have homes there. So too Francis Ford Coppola and Mickey Rourke. Not to mention former frontmen from The Jam (Paul Weller) and Madness (Suggs)… oh, and TV’s Strictly Come Dancing host, Tess Daly too!
Puglia is enchanting. Tucked away on the heel of Italy’s ‘boot’, the region offers incredible variety with a dramatically rugged coast providing a total contrast to a lush green interior. Add very gentle terrain, fabulous climate, enviable culture and famous cuisine and Puglia is a perfect destination for relaxed two-wheeled experiences.
From Blighty to Bari
My wife and I opted to explore the region for a late September break. By that time of the year daily high temperatures fall to around 26 degrees. And with e-bikes and an average daily route of around 37 miles, it looked set to provide a challenging – but not too challenging! – adventure.
We arrived in Italy via a 2hr 45min Ryanair flight from Stansted to Bari. Most of the major UK airlines offer Bari as a destination and the smaller airport at Brindisi is another option although flights are more limited.
If flying isn’t for you or you fancy a more scenic travel option, there’s always the Eurostar and TGV trains to Milan before an intercity connection to Bari.
Our first overnight was in the regional capital city, where had a delicious meal, accompanied by the first of many bottles of the local Primitivo. The following morning, a 60-minute bus ride saw us arrive at the impossibly quaint village of Alberobello…
A Trulli Unique Experience
What a place to start our Puglia cycling adventure! Our tour began by staying in a classic trullo.
Trulli are the architectural emblem of Puglia. Small dry-stone buildings with conical roofs, they were designed to be non-permanent dwellings to avoid local medieval taxes on homes. The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Alberobello is home to more than 1,500 of these uniquely Italian single-storey buildings creating one of Europe’s most unusual urban spectacles.
Day 1: Alberobello to Ostuni (22 miles)
After a peaceful night and a typical Italian breakfast we began our tour in earnest with a gentle 22-mile ride through the stunning Itria Valley to the postcard-pretty ‘white’ town of Ostuni. Here the landscape is dominated by trulli, dry-stone walls and olive groves.
The beautiful villages of Locorotondo – with its bustling market – and Cisternino provided ideal stopping points for coffee and pastries and a leisurely lunch.
The descent into Ostuni was breathtaking and provided one of the visual highlights of the trip.
We stayed in a spectacular stone apartment in the famous ‘Street of the 7 Arches’ in Ostuni’s historic centre. Dinner that evening, which included amazing tagliata and also fava bean puree – one of the staples of Puglia’s renowned cucina povera (poverty cuisine) – was certainly one of the culinary standouts.
Day 2: Ostuni to Manduria (43 miles)
The following morning we headed inland through quiet minor roads through vineyards and more olive groves.
Today’s ride was the most rural of the tour. We found it upsetting that clearly some people weren’t giving the countryside the respect it deserves and that the authorities were struggling at the time with a rise in localised fly-tipping. Putting that aside, the authentic and unspoilt towns of Ceglie Messapica and Oria provided well-earned and picturesque refuelling stops before we eventually pedalled into the ancient city of Manduria.
Our hotel that night was tucked away in a side street close to Manduria’s central Piazza Garibaldi. That night we dined in a spectacular setting at a restaurant within the walls of the city’s castle.
Culinary Highlights
Focaccia: The classic Puglian version is topped with cherry tomatoes and eaten at any time of day
Orecchiette: Puglia’s famous ear-shaped pasta, staple of many regional dishes, is often still made by hand
Pasticciotti: Traditional breakfast pastry tartlets with a cream and cherry filling that originate in Lecce
Pesce et Frutti di Mare: Puglia’s long coastline serves the tables of the region’s seafront restaurants
Primitivo: Early ripening grapes, from central Puglia vineyards, produce full-bodied wines high in alcohol
Day 3: Manduria to Gallipoli (44 miles)
With our longest of the holiday ahead of us, we made an early-ish start after repairing a puncture with the cheery assistance of our hotel manager! We were eventually able to set off, heading south through another landscape dominated by olive groves until we were eventually descending to the Ionian coast. The rest of the day was a spectacular route that hugged the coastline, providing ample opportunities for café and restaurant stops (the 6 euro pizza in Santa Caterina was among the best I’ve tasted).
Our destination for the night was Gallipoli, founded in ancient times by the Greeks (the town’s name means ‘Beautiful City’) and the Greek dialect Griko is still spoken here. Gallipoli is divided into two parts with the historic fortified old town centre sitting on a tiny island connected to the mainland by a 17th century bridge.
After a refreshing (it was late September, so very refreshing) dip at the Beach of Purity we enjoyed another fabulous meal at one of the restaurants among Gallipoli’s labyrinth of bustling narrow streets.
Day 4: Gallipoli to Otranto (41 miles)
My favourite cycling day as the route crossed from coast to coast, starting alongside the Ionian Sea and finishing on the Adriatic coast in the historic small seaside port of Otranto. There was a relatively steep climb into the village of Tuglie early in the day – but certainly nothing too demanding on e-bikes.
In truth, Puglia couldn’t be kinder to cyclists with flat or very gently undulating terrain throughout the region.
Today’s ride was again mostly rural with quiet lanes through vineyards and forest trails linking the charming towns of Collepasso, Melpignano and Bagnolo del Salento before gently descending to our hotel in the heart of Otranto.
Now a thriving tourist resort, Otranto has a troubled past. The fortified city was besieged by a Turkish fleet in 1480 and, after holding out for 15 days, 800 inhabitants were beheaded on a hilltop near the town by the Turks. The skulls of these ‘Martyrs of Otranto’ remain on display in the city’s 12th century cathedral.
Day 5: Otranto to Lecce (34 miles)
Our final day in the saddle began with more stunning rural scenery as we headed north from Otranto before darting back to the coast at Sant’Andrea to admire the village’s stunning limestone sea stacks and crystal-clear waters.
Then we pressed on along the idyllic coast for the regulation coffee and pastries stop in Torre dell’Orso, before turning inland for the final leg of our journey to Lecce through the beautiful Salento countryside and the fortified village of Acaya.
No visit to Puglia would be complete without a visit to Lecce, the ‘Florence of the South’. Lecce is a treasure house of Baroque architecture while the university city is also young, vibrant and home to some fabulous restaurants and bars.
So we completed our Puglian adventure without actually bumping into any Hollywood royalty.
But we’re sure to return, so maybe next time..?
Ed & Jen’s E-bike Puglia Pedal – Key Stats
Distance covered: 184 miles
Trulli seen: Hundreds
Punctures repaired: 1
Reptiles spotted: 2
Tiramisu scoffed : 5
