Why a two-wheel option may be the best way to see Puglia
The road hugs the coastline, swooping and turning above the Adriatic. The climbs are generous, the descents rewarding, and the views? Ridiculous.
The battered black-and-gold helmet that Francesco hands me is emblazoned with Street Fighter on each side. It feels slightly prophetic, given we’re moments from taking to the traffic-filled cobbled streets of Bari, in southeastern Italy, at the start of our nine-day self-guided cycle tour of Puglia.
I look ridiculous, but take a photo anyway, my ear-to-ear grin too big to ignore in anticipation of what’s to come.
I needn’t have worried about traffic – or anything, really. Barely 600m in, we’ve already left the main road and are cruising along a dedicated cycle path. It’s easy to forget that in a city known for traffic chaos there’s the occasional unexpected cycle-friendly set-up.
It’s our first time riding in Italy’s southeast, but fellow cyclists have long sworn by it, gushing about the food, the coastline, the quiet roads, the siestas that stretch into late afternoon. We’ve organised this self-guided cycle for two through Apulia Bike Tours, which has provided us with a day-by-day, turn-by-turn route accessible via an app, and has pre-arranged all the deluxe hotels and luggage transfers. All we have to do is turn up ready to ride.
Along with the unfashionable headgear, Francesco has set me up on a near-new Merida gravel bike, easily surpassing the quality and comfort I was expecting. My partner is equally pleased with his top-of-the-line Merida eBike, which has a “turbo” setting for use at his discretion on challenging climbs or when end-of-day fatigue kicks in (though he swears he’ll never need it).
The first few days are akin to two-wheeled therapy. We grin like big kids as we settle into our new “eat, ride, eat, sleep, repeat” schedule. We pass rolling hills and quiet back roads lined with hyper-green vineyards, masses of olive groves, ripe fig trees and roadside gardens thick with tomatoes and bordered by wild fennel. There’s barely any traffic – just the occasional farmer on a tractor who gets a hearty wave and an accidental “g’day” from me.
Dry stone walls, stacked in every direction with a precision that’s hard to fathom, line the roads. The sheer number of these walls – and the labour they must have taken to build – is quietly humbling. I’m reminded, not for the first time, how fortunate I am to live in a time where the hardest part of my day is deciding whether to have pizza or pasta for dinner. In what feels like the middle of nowhere, we pass tiny abandoned stone churches, and near the town of Alberobello, fields scattered with trulli – Puglia’s storybook-like stone huts with pointed conical roofs.
Our well-behaved navigation app does more than guide us – it serves a stream of historical notes on the sights we pass, from grand basilicas and piazzas in cities like Martina Franca and Acaya to lesser-known landmarks well off the tourist trail. When we’re not riding country roads, we’re carefully weaving through cobbled lanes that drop us straight into the heart of charismatic old towns. The app even knows when to suggest a granita stop, where to detour for a caffè or cream-filled pasticciotto, and what time to arrive if we want a puccia stuffed with soft cheese and grilled vegetables before the shutters drop for siesta.
Arriving at each hotel is part of the fun. In Matera, born-and-bred local Materan Simone proudly shows us to our junior suite: a 1600s cave carved into the hillside, once home to a family of nine plus their livestock. It’s now an air-conditioned bunker, with the former manger transformed into a cosy, well-stocked tea nook. The original private well has been restored, though Simone laughs and assures us we’re no longer required to draw our own water.
The inland riding is a joy, but it’s the Ionian coastline that cyclists relish. We whizz past a packed Porto Cesareo Beach – all white sand, crystal-clear water, and wall-to-wall Italians under umbrellas. Families sunbake and stand knee-deep in water so clear it makes you want to weep. But we skip the beaches. We’re here for the grottos — those postcard-worthy rocky inlets you might be lucky enough to have to yourself, or share with just a few sunbaking locals stretched out on the rocks.
In Porto Badisco, dictated by our stomachs, we make an impromptu stop for lunch and a mid-ride swim. We’re greeted with blank stares after requesting a menu at Bar Alimentari and discover a goldmine through the whitewashed bar at the rear, where locals jostle for space at two counters – one for salumeria, another for salads and hot food.
I take a number, watch the regulars closely, and when it’s my turn I start pointing with hangry intent, nodding wildly – “Si, si, grazie grazie.” Arancini alla norma, eggplant parmigiana, green bean salad, rice salad. How much is too much? The limit does not exist.
I wander out with a stacked tray and a couple of beers after handing over €8 (A$15), marvelling at how well I’m adjusting to Italian life. Did I mention how much I love it here? And the satisfying meal wouldn’t have been complete without a dash across the road and a fully-clothed plunge into the refreshing grotto, popping up for air and mentally pinching myself in disbelief at my surroundings.
In Santa Maria di Leuca we find our hotel, Villa Romasi, tucked behind grand gates at the end of a long driveway. It feels slightly cheeky rolling our bikes into the pristine grounds of a restored fortified tower, marvelling at the gardens and imagining the effort it takes to maintain them. Inside, vaulted ceilings, antique furniture and original paintings give the villa a distinct old-world charm; hand-made ceramic lamps and custom pieces make each room feel like its own discovery.
The temptation to sneak a look into the family’s living quarters is almost as strong as the daily urge for gelato. It’s a treat to be in a setting like this, sitting in the cool breakfast room where we’re greeted each morning by a still life of summer fruit, freshly baked cakes, boiled eggs, bread, cheese and cold meats. Again, I’m glad we’re cycling – if only to justify going back for seconds.
Among the handful of cyclists whose paths we cross, everyone volunteers that the stretch into the seaside village of Otranto – with its walled old town, calm swimming beach and marina – is a highlight. It’s hard to argue. The road hugs the coastline, swooping and turning above the Adriatic. The climbs feel generous, the descents rewarding, the views ridiculous. Traffic is light and courteous. This ride lacks the chaos of the Amalfi coast or Cinque Terre, and photos never quite capture the scale. I try to commit it all to memory. It’s the kind of joyous riding that gets under your skin and reminds you of how riding felt as a kid.
Afternoons stretch longer than they do at home. The Italians seem to have discovered extra hours in the day – enough to ride, nap, wander slowly through town, and still have time for a pre-dinner Aperol. Every evening is a reminder of how much older, richer and more generous this place is than home.
Historic Lecce is our final stop, and a destination we’ve looked forward to the entire trip. But as soon as we check into Palazzo Lecce, a former private home that now comprises six luxe guest rooms and a rooftop terrace for breakfast, we’re reluctant to stop. The only decisions left are whether to head east to the coast for one last grotto swim, visit a few of the old town’s 48 churches, or settle into a long dinner and plan when we’ll be back.
Checklist
Getting there: The Puglia region forms the heel of Italy’s “boot”. It has three main airports. Flights and trains leave from Rome and other Italian cities every few hours. Flights from Rome take about 40 minutes.
Do: Apulia Bike Tours (apuliabiketours.com) offers a nine-day self-guided trip from Bari to Lecce, including accommodation, luggage transfers, route planning via GPS app, and on-call support. Prices start from €1690 (A$2700). High-spec gravel bikes and eBikes are available as part of the package. BYO pedals, saddle and helmet if you’re fussy.
Stay: Highlights include Hotel Il Belvedere in Matera (which offers a cave suite with modern comforts), Le Alcove luxury trulli boutique hotel, the restored fortified tower Villa Romasi in Santa Maria di Leuca, and Palazzo Lecce in Lecce’s old town.
Swim: Faraglioni di Sant’Andrea, about 30km southeast of Lecce, is a must. Lock up your bikes and take a leap into the clear, gloriously cold water. Swim around the sea stacks and natural arches – it’s magic.
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