Cycling Loop Between Two Seas Along the Ancient Roman Roads
|
Self-Guided Tour — 8 Days / 7 Nights A circular cycling itinerary through south-central Puglia, designed for those seeking a bike trip that combines landscape, history, and authenticity. The route starts from the sea at Brindisi, crosses the agricultural hinterland to Taranto, climbs through the trulli of the Itria Valley, descends toward the coast at Monopoli, and returns — passing through the "white city" of Ostuni — to the starting point. Six stages, two seas, one great cycling loop on roads that follow, at several points, the routes of important Roman roads: the Appian Way, the Trajan Way, the Via Francigena del Sud, and, at the heart of the Itria Valley, the modern Apulian Aqueduct Cycle Path. |
|
Itinerary
day 1 - ARRIVal in brindisi
Brindisi, the starting and finishing point of the loop, was for centuries the terminus of the Appian Way and, in the imperial era, also of the Trajan Way — the faster variant built by Trajan to connect Benevento to the Adriatic port. From the same port, in the Middle Ages, pilgrims of the Via Francigena del Sud set off on their journey to the Holy Land. To cycle this loop is therefore to travel through a land crossed for two thousand years by armies, merchants, and pilgrims, today rediscovered at the pace of a bicycle.
day 2 - BRINDISI - MESAGNE 54 km/+128 m
Setting off from the port and seafront of Brindisi, ancient terminus of the Appian and Trajan Ways, the route descends into the interior through centuries-old olive groves and historic farmhouses. A flat stage, ideal for warming up the legs, ending in Mesagne, a town enclosed within its medieval historic centre dominated by the Norman-Swabian Castle.
day 3 - mesagne - taranto 63 km/ +170 m -230 m
The route descends gently from the southern Murge toward the Ionian Sea, with rolling hills accompanying the descent to sea level, along routes that echo the ancient path of the Appian Way toward Tarentum. Along the way, the itinerary passes through Francavilla Fontana, an elegant town known for its baroque historic centre, and Grottaglie, famous throughout Italy for its tradition of artistic ceramics and its distinctive Ceramics Quarter. Arriving in Taranto offers views of the Mar Piccolo and the old city, overlooking one of the most evocative gulfs in southern Italy.
day 4 - taranto - martina franca 61 km / +577m
The most challenging stage of the tour, but also one of the most beautiful. From sea level, the route gradually climbs through the Ionian-Murge hinterland, leaving the coastal plain for the first undulations of the Murgia plateau. Arriving in Martina Franca, at nearly 400 metres above sea level, opens the gateway to the Itria Valley: baroque architecture, trulli, dry-stone walls as far as the eye can see, and the first glimpses of the Apulian Aqueduct Cycle Path, the greenway following the route of the great aqueduct built between 1906 and 1939.
day 5 - martina franca - monopoli 56 km / +285m
A largely downhill stage — the most restorative for the legs. The descent from the Murgia toward the Adriatic unfolds among scattered trulli and well-tended countryside, passing through Locorotondo, one of Italy's most beautiful villages, famous for its circular historic centre and white houses, and Alberobello, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and symbol of the Itria Valley with its distinctive stone trulli. For a stretch, you'll ride alongside the area crossed by the Aqueduct Cycle Path, before reaching the sea at Monopoli, with its ancient harbour and historic centre squeezed within its walls — one of the stations of the Trajan Way along the Adriatic coast.
day 6 - monopoli - ostuni 46km / +257m
The route follows the Adriatic coast for a stretch, tracing the Trajan Way which once ran parallel to the sea, then turns inland on a gentle climb to Ostuni. The "white city", perched on its hill at nearly 175 metres above sea level, is one of the most photographed sights in all of Puglia, and also a historic waypoint on the Via Francigena del Sud heading toward Brindisi.
day 7 - OSTUNI - brindisi 60KM / +122M -343m
The final stage closes the loop. Starting from the highest point of the entire tour, above Ostuni, the route descends almost continuously toward the sea, crossing back through the Brindisi hinterland along territories touched by the Trajan Way. Before reaching Brindisi, the route skirts the splendid Torre Guaceto Nature Reserve, one of Puglia's most precious protected areas, characterised by dunes, Mediterranean scrub, and crystal-clear waters. The ride continues back to the seafront of Brindisi, where it all began — and where, centuries ago, the Appian Way ended and the Via Francigena del Sud continued onward.
Day 8 - departure day
Breakfast. End of services — and farewell, Puglia!
Rates
CATEGORY |
Low Season |
Mid Season |
High Season |
Economy B&B/HOTEL 3* |
€ 1.350 |
€ 1.450 |
€ 1.550 |
Deluxe HOTEL 4*/5* |
€ 1.650 |
€ 1.700 |
€ 1.800 |
|
LOW SEASON
MID SEASON
HIGH SEASON
Note: this tour is not suitable for road bikes.
|
WHAT IS INCLUDED:
*Reduce Waste! Bring Your Helmet and Refill Your Water Bottle! For a more responsible tourism experience, we encourage you to bring your own helmet and refillable water bottle. If needed, we are happy to provide these items for you. Please inform us in advance if you require them. noT INCLUDED:
supplementS:
The rates above are based on a minimum of 2 participants. Travelling solo? Please see below for the Single Traveller Supplement. SINGLE ROOM: + 30 % on the base quote SINGLE TRAVELLER + € 360,00 (applies to bookings of 1 participant only, to cover per-person logistics costs) AUGUST SUPPLEMENTS: From 01 Aug to 24 Aug Categoria Economy: € + 185 per pax Categoria Deluxe: € +360 per pax E-BIKE rental: +160 € per bike |
Bikes available
Specifications:
FRAME: Aluminium
FORK: Suspension fork
BRAKES: Disc brakes
SPEED: 3 x 7-10 speed
WHEELS: 28”
PEDALS: flat (SPD, SPD-SL, LOOK on request)
ACCESSORIES: rear rack
FRAME: Aluminium
FORK: Suspension fork
BRAKES: Disc brakes
SPEED: 3 x 7-10 speed
WHEELS: 28”
PEDALS: flat (SPD, SPD-SL, LOOK on request)
ACCESSORIES: rear rack
Specifications:
FRAME: Aluminium
FORK: Suspension fork
BRAKES: Disc brakes
SPEED: 1 x 8-11 speed
BATTERY: 418-500 W
WHEELS: 27,5” / 28” / 29”
PEDALS: flat (SPD, SPD-SL, LOOK on request)
ACCESSORIES: rear rack, battery charger
FRAME: Aluminium
FORK: Suspension fork
BRAKES: Disc brakes
SPEED: 1 x 8-11 speed
BATTERY: 418-500 W
WHEELS: 27,5” / 28” / 29”
PEDALS: flat (SPD, SPD-SL, LOOK on request)
ACCESSORIES: rear rack, battery charger
Specifications:
FRAME: Aluminium
FORK: Carbon fork
BRAKES: Disc brakes
SPEED: 1x11 / 2x9 speed
WHEELS: 28”
PEDALS: NO (flat, SPD, SPD-SL, LOOK on request)
ACCESSORIES: rear rack
FRAME: Aluminium
FORK: Carbon fork
BRAKES: Disc brakes
SPEED: 1x11 / 2x9 speed
WHEELS: 28”
PEDALS: NO (flat, SPD, SPD-SL, LOOK on request)
ACCESSORIES: rear rack
Info and details
|
|
|
Apulia Bike Tours
Bike & Hike Srl Via Annibale De Leo, 19 San Vito dei Normanni (BR) 72019 P. Iva: IT 02475020745 Licenza Regionale 06.11.2006 no. 873 Fondo di Garanzia IL SALVAGENTE Pol. n 2022/1-0571 - Garanzia Assicurativa R.C. Unipol Sai Pol. 1/72076/319/189831229 |
Vertical Divider
|
Vertical Divider
|