This tour will let you discover another fascinating area of Italy. Starting at the heart of lively Salento area, you’d be amazed by its rural yet refined culture, able to create the beautiful “Masseria”, ancient fortified countryside farmhouses, you’ll feel in love with its healthy and fresh food, with probably the best vegetables of Italy, the millennial olive oil making tradition and its generous wines. Then every small village along your journey will surprise you, until the astonishing and truly magical Matera.
Lively Lecce, capital of Salento area
Cheese, Olive Oil, local products tastings along the way
The neat Apulian villages
The magical Matera
1 | Arrival in Puglia | D | |
2 | Otranto: Hike to Punta Palascia | B | |
3 | Otranto: Dairy farm visit and Neolithic culture | B | |
4 | Otranto to Ostuni | B | |
5 | Ostuni loop | B | |
6 | Alberobello to Locorotondo | B | |
7 | Locorotondo: Hike to Martina Franca | B | |
8 | Locorotondo to Matera | B D |
Otranto is a fascinating town representing the link between the East and the Western world along the centuries, with its Cathedral decorated with the impressive mosaic of Pantaleone, and its Castle dominating over the Mediterranean.
Overnight: OtrantoWe start our adventure exploring this solitary coastline immersed in unspoiled landscapes until the easternmost tip of Italy: the solitary Cape of Otranto, with its Punta Palascia Lighthouse standing out from the scenery.
Overnight: OtrantoThe day starts with a visit to a dairy farm and of course a tasting of the world famous Burrata Pugliese, something like a Mozzarella but from heaven.
Then you'll hike to the area of “Grotta dei Cervi” (The deer cave), an incredible Neolithic site famous for its paintings dating back between 4000 to 3000 years BC.
After breakfast we’ll shuttle to the kaleidoscopic Lecce, a city that will surprise you with its peculiar Baroque style and the whiteness of its stones.
Then we’ll reach the Regional Park of Coastal Dunes, stopping to taste a refined extra virgin olive oil in an ancient farmhouse, visiting the underground oil mill supposedly dating back to Roman times.
After breakfast we'll head back to the the Coastal Dunes Natural Park, hiking through fields. After a local products tasting in a family-run farm surrounded by nature, we'll continue up the hills through the forest, climbing slowly towards the white Ostuni and its hilltop old town.
Overnight: OstuniAlberobello is the iconic village of Trulli houses, the ancient peasant dwellings now converted in charming homes and hotels.Then you'll follow the Greenway of Puglia Aqueduct , Europe's longest aqueduct, taking you all the way back to Locorotondo.
Overnight: LocorotondoAfter breakfast we'll get to the city center of Martina Franca, a splendid example of Puglia Baroque art.
We'll walk following the way to a local winery, and of course we'll have a tasting experiencing some great wines of Puglia and learning about the improved quality of its wine sector.
We’ll start with a shuttle to Basilicata region arriving to Matera, Unesco site since 1991 and 2019 European Capital of Culture.
Today’s route will take you along an enchanting panoramic trail, plenty of stunning views over the “Sassi” (Rocks) and old churches carved on the limestone.
These itineraries are original tours created for real guests, so you may want something different specifically designed to suit your own wishes.
The price of every tour is available upon requests, and varies by time of year, number of guests and level of guiding.
Start dreaming looking through it, then contact us and let's talk. We'll listen to your needs, we'll suggest ideas and propose experiences, and together we'll create your perfect voyage.
Check our Ready to Book section with active and cycle tours in our Mediterranean destinations.