Apulia is a delightful destination in the South of Italy with a thousand-year-old history. The region has a great variety of natural, cultural and historical attractions and, with its mild Mediterranean climate is an ideal year-round destination, with charming towns and a wonderful coastline. If you like cycle tourism, this is the place to come to awaken your senses, far from crowds and city life.
A cycle path along the Adriatic coast
This 150-kilometer cycling tour starts on the Adriatic, following the Imperial Coast from Siponto, a Romanesque masterpiece, to the Margherita di Savoia salt flats, a national nature reserve since 1977. The route continues through the charming towns of Trani, Bisceglie, Molfetta and Giovinazzo. After a stop in Bitonto, the old Apulian capital of extra virgin olive oil, you end up in Bari, with its quaint old streets and historical monuments.
Taking the trail used by the ancient crusaders
You now head south across a spectacular stretch with typical trulli dry stone huts and come to Polignano a Mare and then to Monopoli’s promenade. From here to Ostuni you encounter massive ancient olive trees and then reach the old centre of Brindisi, the Eastern gateway and layover of the Crusaders on their way to the Holy Land. Now you switch seas, leaving the Adriatic to move over to the Ionian coast. Starting in Ostuni, the White City, you cross the Murge hills and come to the Ionian coast near the Saturo archeological par. From here it’s a smooth ride, passing beach after beach and discovering some of the most beautiful coastal towns in Apulia. The tour ends in the Salento region in Gallipoli with its historic ramparts.
