Salento 2024

In Lecce, the excellent five star Patria Palace***** awaits you, situated directly in the beautiful old city and only a short walk away from the most important sights worth seeing. We will meet up in the hotel lobby at 5pm for a guided round tour through the magnificent baroque city, the epicentre of Salentonian stone carvings. You will then have the rest of the evening to your own disposal. Numerous restaurants in the lively city invite you to linger.

We will leave Lecce and cycle towards the coast, past the Castello di Acaya. Our route then leads through olive groves in the hinterland and along the coast. Numerous caves have been washed out of the karstic rocks by the sea. We will take a look at the enchanting Grotta della Poesia, a popular bathing area for the local residents today. We will then load our bikes onto the support vehicle for a short while, and will take a walk on a path high up along the sea, and can enjoy the lovely panorama. Back on our bikes, we will pass the lagoons of Alimini, before we are welcomed by the Hotel Vittoria Resort & Spa**** in Otranto (two overnight stays / travel date 2: Relais Valle dell’Idro****). The outskirts of the city as well as the picturesque centre of the most eastern city in Italy are just a short walk away from the hotel. We will have dinner in a pleasant restaurant.

In the morning, we will view the Norman cathedral Santa Maria Annunziata with the only almost completely preserved mosaic floor of this time worldwide. We will then cycle southwards along the coast. We can enjoy splendid views of the blue sea time and again, before we cycle a section through the endless olive groves of the hinterland. We will reach the coast again at Santa Cesarea Terme and will arrive at Castro soon afterwards, where Signor Luigi awaits us with his ships. We will explore the spectacular cliffs from the water and will see enchanting sea caves (this can be cancelled if the weather is very bad). We will then take a short bus ride back to our hotel in Otranto. The best pizzeria in the city awaits us with its delicacies for dinner.

We will travel into the hinterland of Otranto by bus. Our cycling route leads us through olive groves and artichoke fields to Specchia, known for its historic town centre. The town is not considered one of the Borghi più belli d’italia for nothing (the loveliest places in Italy).  Afterwards, we will continue cycling in the direction of the coast. The lovely Hotel L‘Approdo**** awaits us in Santa Maria di Leuca, with rooms furnished in fine taste and a well-kept outdoor complex (two overnight stays). We will end the evening over an enjoyable dinner in the hotel restaurant.

In the morning, we will cycle from the coast onto the plateau of the Terrarossa. The often red-coloured earth is used for the cultivation of grain, artichokes and olives. We will make a stop in Tiggiano, where we can admire a magnificent palace from the Baroque period, before cycling in the direction of the coast once more. We will come upon Saracen towers time and again, which are reminders of the warlike past. Following the coastal road, we will return to our hotel in Santa Maria di Leuca. There will still be enough time to take a stroll through the town or to have a swim before we enjoy dinner together.

We will continue our journey in a northern direction. Our route leads via dream-like paths along the coast and via small roads in the hinterland, the blue shimmering sea to the left. We will be accompanied by dream-like beaches, also called the Maldives of the Salento. Crystal clear water and white sand remind one of the Caribbean. We will of course take the time to have a swim, before we reach Gallipoli, the black pearl, in the early evening. The city lies on a headland jutting far out into the Ionian Sea and is surrounded by thick walls. Here we are awaited by the Relais Corte Palmieri (Residenza d’epoca). The hotel has been lovingly integrated into several city palaces which merged together over the centuries and offers individually designed rooms and spacious open areas for relaxation. As lunch on Friday is included in your travel arrangements, you will have the evening to your own disposal. Relax at the city beach, which is only a few metres away and enjoy the evening in one of the numerous restaurants.

In the morning, we will go on a guided round tour through the lovely Gallipoli with its numerous sights worth seeing. The labyrinth of crooked alleys with their patrician residences and partly oriental seeming courtyards radiate a pleasant Mediterranean serenity. We will then take a bus ride into the cultivation area of the known Primitivo di Manduria. While travelling on desolate paths, we will pass small villages before we arrive back at our Hotel Patria Palace***** in Lecce in the late afternoon (travel date 3: Risorgimento Resort*****). We will enjoy the evening once again before our journey comes to an end.

We will enjoy one last hearty breakfast at our hotel before departing on our journey home. As there is no programme for today, your departure can be arranged individually. There are busses which travel regularly to the Brindisi airport (40 kilometres away), from where you can depart on your journey home.

We gladly assist you on booking additional nights. All prices are on request. Please note, that it can be cheaper, when you book additional nights by yourself.