The Path of the ravines - hiking tour
Self-guided hiking tour - 11 Days/ 10 Nights
The itinerary offers a fantastic journey through some of the highlights of Apulia and Basilicata. The tour will give you the opportunity to visit two Unesco Sites, the Sassi of Matera and the trulli of Alberobello. The walking route crosses the fascinating Terra delle Gravine: "Land of Ravines", a territory dotted with multiple naturalistic and anthropic wonders: starting from the deep and spectacular rocky gorges (Canyon) which are home to ancient villages and rock churches, decorated with precious medieval frescoes. Along the path, embellished with woods, farms and landscapes of unusual beauty, you will discover suggestive villages which, for millennia, have been a crossroads of cultures and a treasure chest of peasant traditions. The stop points are Matera, Montescaglioso, Ginosa, Laterza, Castellaneta, Mottola, Massafra, Crispiano, Martina Franca and Alberobello.
Itinerary
Day 1. ARRIVAL IN MATERA
Famous for its Sassi and stunning landscapes, Matera, located on the border of Basilicata and Puglia, is not only breathtaking, but fascinating: Its history goes back more than 30,000 years. There are several rupestrian churches open to the public, a reproduction of a typical cave house that you can visit, and refurbished caves made into hotels and restaurants. The sassi districts are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. If you arrive late at night, we suggest you an extra stay in this wonderful and unique city. Overnight stay in Matera.
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Day 2. MATERA - montescaglioso
Distance: 18,8 km; elevation: 442 m; terrain: gravel/paved; time: 5h.
In the morning you will meet our representative for the briefing. You leave Matera walking through a spectacular passage excavated in the rock, from where you can admire the extraordinary and ancient beauty of the Sassi, UNESCO World Heritage Site. For some kilometres you walk on a scenic path along the rim of the Matera ravine (in Italian: gravina), a deep canyon dotted with cave dwellings and rupestrian churches. Passing through the plains, the olive groves and the vast expanses of wheat fields, you arrive at Montescaglioso.
Overnight in Montescaglioso.
In the morning you will meet our representative for the briefing. You leave Matera walking through a spectacular passage excavated in the rock, from where you can admire the extraordinary and ancient beauty of the Sassi, UNESCO World Heritage Site. For some kilometres you walk on a scenic path along the rim of the Matera ravine (in Italian: gravina), a deep canyon dotted with cave dwellings and rupestrian churches. Passing through the plains, the olive groves and the vast expanses of wheat fields, you arrive at Montescaglioso.
Overnight in Montescaglioso.
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Day 3. MONTESCAGLIOSO - GINOSA
Distance: 14,3 km; elevation: 303 m; terrain: gravel/paved; time: 4 h
Walking down the hill on a panoramic path through the woods, you leave Montescaglioso and its wonderful Abbey of San Michele Arcangelo behind you. In this stage, you cross a gentle and surprising landscape, characterised by rolling hills covered with wheat fields and interspersed with small pine or oak groves and Mediterranean shrub. A series of paths winds through this landscape up to the harsh area of the ravines. At the end of the hiking, guests will be the chance to admire the Thinking Sage Olive Tree of Ginosa. Whose coordinates are a secret to many.
Overnight in Ginosa.
Walking down the hill on a panoramic path through the woods, you leave Montescaglioso and its wonderful Abbey of San Michele Arcangelo behind you. In this stage, you cross a gentle and surprising landscape, characterised by rolling hills covered with wheat fields and interspersed with small pine or oak groves and Mediterranean shrub. A series of paths winds through this landscape up to the harsh area of the ravines. At the end of the hiking, guests will be the chance to admire the Thinking Sage Olive Tree of Ginosa. Whose coordinates are a secret to many.
Overnight in Ginosa.
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Day 4. GINOSA - LATERZA
Distance: 13,8 km; elevation: 223 m; terrain: gravel/paved; Time: 4h
From Ginosa, the hike continues towards Laterza. You explore a couple of astonishing rupestrian villages, known as Il Casale and Rivolta, characterised by a lot of cave dwellings arranged on multiple levels and connected with each other by staircases and pathways. The two villages were inhabited until the first half of the 20th century and preserve old and recent evidence of human life. The walk continues towards Laterza on the ravine bed, in a wild and timeless landscape where the hand of nature and the hand of man have blended together since prehistoric times.
Overnight in Laterza.
From Ginosa, the hike continues towards Laterza. You explore a couple of astonishing rupestrian villages, known as Il Casale and Rivolta, characterised by a lot of cave dwellings arranged on multiple levels and connected with each other by staircases and pathways. The two villages were inhabited until the first half of the 20th century and preserve old and recent evidence of human life. The walk continues towards Laterza on the ravine bed, in a wild and timeless landscape where the hand of nature and the hand of man have blended together since prehistoric times.
Overnight in Laterza.
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Day 5. LATERZA - CASTELLANETA
Distance: 24 km; elevation: 457 m; terrain: gravel/paved; Time: 4h.
Start from Laterza, a town renowned for its maiolica and bread. For several kilometres, you walk down a striking path along the rim of the Laterza ravine, one of the largest ravines in Europe with its walls higher than 200 metres; an authentic naturalistic paradise that reveals breathtaking landscapes and views at every step. Then, from the MonteCamplo natural reserve, dominated by the Macedonian oak, the pubescent oak, the kermes oak, the holm oak and the Aleppo pine, a series of roads and paths lead you to Castellaneta, perched on the edge of a ravine; the Castellaneta ravine, 145m deep and about 300m wide, is in fact one of the largest and most spectacular ravines in Puglia. Overnight in Castellaneta.
Start from Laterza, a town renowned for its maiolica and bread. For several kilometres, you walk down a striking path along the rim of the Laterza ravine, one of the largest ravines in Europe with its walls higher than 200 metres; an authentic naturalistic paradise that reveals breathtaking landscapes and views at every step. Then, from the MonteCamplo natural reserve, dominated by the Macedonian oak, the pubescent oak, the kermes oak, the holm oak and the Aleppo pine, a series of roads and paths lead you to Castellaneta, perched on the edge of a ravine; the Castellaneta ravine, 145m deep and about 300m wide, is in fact one of the largest and most spectacular ravines in Puglia. Overnight in Castellaneta.
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Day 6. CASTELLANETA - MOTTOLA
Distance: 16,5; elevation: 374 m; terrain: gravel/paved; time: 4/5h.
The tour goes on towards Palagianello. After some kilometres, you find on the way the rupestrian church of San Nicola, an impressive picture gallery of Apulian popular sacred art in the Middle Ages. An old tratturo (sheep track) goes up through an area full of rupestrian settlements, including the village of Casalrotto, made up of a few hundred caves carved into the rock on both sides of the ravine, and the church of Sant’Angelo, the only rupestrian church in Italy arranged on two floors. You climb up to the top of the hill on which Mottola stands. Overnight in Mottola.
The tour goes on towards Palagianello. After some kilometres, you find on the way the rupestrian church of San Nicola, an impressive picture gallery of Apulian popular sacred art in the Middle Ages. An old tratturo (sheep track) goes up through an area full of rupestrian settlements, including the village of Casalrotto, made up of a few hundred caves carved into the rock on both sides of the ravine, and the church of Sant’Angelo, the only rupestrian church in Italy arranged on two floors. You climb up to the top of the hill on which Mottola stands. Overnight in Mottola.
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day 7. MOTTOLA - MASSAFRA
Distance: 18,7 km; elevation: 143 m; terrain: gravel/paved; time: 5h.
The stage starts from Mottola, known as ‘The Ionian Spy’ because of its position on a hill overlooking the Gulf of Taranto and the mountains of Calabria. Walking down at the foot of the hill, you come across the rupestrian church of San Gregorio, which preserves some frescoes, most notably a majestic Christ Pantocrator. A long path winding through ancient olive trees lets you leave the town and enter the silent countryside, where cultivated fields alternate with Mediterranean scrub. Then, you reach Massafra, one of the capitals of the rupestrian civilization in Italy, known for this reason as the ‘Italian Thebaid’. The town is in fact situated between two ravines, San Marco and Madonna della Scala, dotted with caves and underground environments that preserve extraordinary evidence of the life that man has led there for thousands of years. Overnight in Massafra.
The stage starts from Mottola, known as ‘The Ionian Spy’ because of its position on a hill overlooking the Gulf of Taranto and the mountains of Calabria. Walking down at the foot of the hill, you come across the rupestrian church of San Gregorio, which preserves some frescoes, most notably a majestic Christ Pantocrator. A long path winding through ancient olive trees lets you leave the town and enter the silent countryside, where cultivated fields alternate with Mediterranean scrub. Then, you reach Massafra, one of the capitals of the rupestrian civilization in Italy, known for this reason as the ‘Italian Thebaid’. The town is in fact situated between two ravines, San Marco and Madonna della Scala, dotted with caves and underground environments that preserve extraordinary evidence of the life that man has led there for thousands of years. Overnight in Massafra.
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DAY 8. MASSAFRA - CRISPIANO
Distance: 17,5 km; elevation: 374 m; terrain: gravel/paved; time: 4/5h.
Leaving Massafra, you go towards Masseria Amastuola, an old masseria (fortified farm) dating back to the 15th century, surrounded by a charming vineyard-garden designed by the famous landscape architect Fernando Caruncho. Walking down a path on the bed of the Triglie ravine, through the typical thick vegetation of the Mediterranean scrub and the rupestrian villages of San Cipriano and San Michele, you arrive at Crispiano. Overnight in Crispiano.
Leaving Massafra, you go towards Masseria Amastuola, an old masseria (fortified farm) dating back to the 15th century, surrounded by a charming vineyard-garden designed by the famous landscape architect Fernando Caruncho. Walking down a path on the bed of the Triglie ravine, through the typical thick vegetation of the Mediterranean scrub and the rupestrian villages of San Cipriano and San Michele, you arrive at Crispiano. Overnight in Crispiano.
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Day 9. CRISPIANO - MARTINA FRANCA
Distance: 27,4 km; elevation: 462 m; terrain: gravel/paved; time: 7/8h.
The hike starts from Crispiano, known as ‘the town of 100 masserie’, which marks the border between the Valle d’Itria and the Terra delle Gravine. The first stop on the way to Martina Franca is Bosco delle Pianelle, a large wood that is one of the most important and largest green lungs in Puglia. The wood is situated in a doline, called Gravina del Vuolo, and it is mostly made up of holm oaks, with some specimens of remarkable size. The second stop is the Natural Reserve of Eastern Murge. The itinerary goes along Masseria Galeone, which hosts the Murgese horse breeding centre and the Museum dedicated to this beautiful native horse breed. Overnight in Martina Franca.
The hike starts from Crispiano, known as ‘the town of 100 masserie’, which marks the border between the Valle d’Itria and the Terra delle Gravine. The first stop on the way to Martina Franca is Bosco delle Pianelle, a large wood that is one of the most important and largest green lungs in Puglia. The wood is situated in a doline, called Gravina del Vuolo, and it is mostly made up of holm oaks, with some specimens of remarkable size. The second stop is the Natural Reserve of Eastern Murge. The itinerary goes along Masseria Galeone, which hosts the Murgese horse breeding centre and the Museum dedicated to this beautiful native horse breed. Overnight in Martina Franca.
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DAY 10. MARTINA FRANCA - ALBEROBELLO
Distance: 19 km; elevation: 234 m; terrain: gravel/paved; time: 5h.
Martina Franca, Baroque gem of the Valle d’itria, is your starting point today. The route runs on paths and small roads characterized by the typical dry-stone walls and surrounded by a rural landscape consisting of wheat fields, olive groves, vineyards and masserie. Walking through the paths of Bosco Selva, what remains of a larger oak wood that once covered a considerable part of the area, you reach Alberobello, the renowned ‘Capital of Trulli’, UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. Its old town is in fact entirely made up of these unique buildings. Overnight in Alberobello.
Martina Franca, Baroque gem of the Valle d’itria, is your starting point today. The route runs on paths and small roads characterized by the typical dry-stone walls and surrounded by a rural landscape consisting of wheat fields, olive groves, vineyards and masserie. Walking through the paths of Bosco Selva, what remains of a larger oak wood that once covered a considerable part of the area, you reach Alberobello, the renowned ‘Capital of Trulli’, UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. Its old town is in fact entirely made up of these unique buildings. Overnight in Alberobello.
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DAY 11. DEPARTURE DAY
Depart after breakfast. End of services.
Price details
CATEGORY |
Low season |
Mid-season |
High season |
CATEGORY: Economy B&B/HOTEL 3* |
€ 1.030 |
€ 1.080 |
€ 1.170 |
MIX CATEGORY: 3 nights in Deluxe + 7 nights Economy |
€ 1.170 |
€ 1.225 |
€ 1.280 |
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LOW SEASON
From 08th Jan to 13 April From 22nd April to 31st May From 23rd Sept to 22th Dec MID SEASON
From 01st June to 14th July From 24th Aug to 22nd Sept HIGH SEASON
From 14th to 21th April From 15th July to 23rd Aug From 23rd Dec to 7th Jan |
what is included:
Reduce Waste! Refill Your Own Water Bottle! For more responsible tourism, we encourage you to bring your own refillable water bottle. If needed, we are happy to provide one for you. Please inform us in advance if you require it. not included:
supplements:
SINGLE ROOM: +30 % on the base quote AUGUST SUPPLEMENT: From: 05th Aug To: 20th Aug Category Economy: € +240 per pax Category Deluxe: € +475 per pax |
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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
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