What made this cycling trip special was our guide. The safety emphasis, local knowledge, and connections the guide has make this trip a wonder. This trip involves cycling every day from Matera, down along the Ionian coast, and ending by the Adriatic coast to the city of Lecce. This my fourth cycling trip with Exodus, and I have to say that every guide on this trips has been fantastic. Cycling is, in my opinion, one of the best ways to be part of the landscape at just the right speed.
Puglia Tours & Trips
Puglia Trips
Located in the heel of Italy’s boot, Puglia will surprise you with its picturesque landscape, ancient hilltop towns, emerald waters, and lush farmlands dotted by ancient olive trees and distinctive conical shepherd huts known as ‘trulli’. After a day of walking, sightseeing or cycling, enjoy the legendary regional cuisine that includes outstanding seafood and melt-in-the-mouth burrata cheese.
Highlights of Puglia tours include Matera, an area famous for its cave-and-stone Sassi houses, and Alberobello, where white cone-roofed trulli houses still stand after 500 years – on some of our Puglia holidays you can even stay in them. Strolling through the old narrow streets of Ostuni and Locorotondo will transport you back in time, allowing you to discover Puglia’s distinct identity. The whole region is a food lovers’ paradise and local produce includes durum wheat pasta, vegetables grown just a few steps from the sea, and olives, broad beans and chicory – all used to prepare simple, tasty dishes such as orecchiette pasta served with a sauce of turnip-tops or fresh tomato and sheep’s-milk ricotta cheese.
Puglia Adventure Holidays
John Hornby Cycling the Heel of Italy – Matera to Lecce
Jayne Robinson Discover Puglia: Italy's Ancient HeelThis was our first ‘cultural’ Exodus holiday although we’ve done lots of Exodus cycling holidays. We went not knowing much about the area so it was wonderful to find it so enjoyable. There was a good mix of learning about the region, relaxing, and tours of caves, olive groves and some of the more important towns in the area. Transfers weren’t too long (usually under an hour) and accommodation was excellent for the most part. The nature of the accommodation meant that we all had different style rooms in most locations, which was good fun comparing.
Dianne Roy Cycling Puglia & MateraWe thoroughly enjoyed our Exodus cycling trip from Matera to Leece in June 2025. As first time visitors to this part of Italy we really appreciated our guide, Manni’s knowledge of the area, contemporary and historical. We had a great group of fellow cyclists, eleven of us in total. The accommodation was excellent as were our bikes. This is our second Exodus cycle trip and we would thoroughly recommend the trip.
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