Italy: Puglia’s Undiscovered Coast

Depart home for Italy. The particulars of your arrival overseas are detailed with your flight itinerary.

Upon arrival at the airport in Bari, Italy, claim your luggage and clear customs. A VBT representative will meet you and help you transfer (approximately one hour) to your centrally located Alberobello hotel If you are going to be delayed meeting the transfer for more than 15 minutes due to delayed or lost luggage, please let our driver know by calling or sending a text message to +39 330 96 49 27. Please type VBT Guest at the beginning of your text. The driver will generally be able to wait up to 45 minutes from the time your flight lands, after which you would be responsible for your own transfer. You may also contact Allianz Global Assistance to advise them of your delay, and they will contact the transfer company.

Upon arrival in Alberobello, meet your hosts and settle in the trullo dwelling (a traditional Puglian stone hut) that VBT has selected for your stay. Your comfortable accommodations are part of a group of 500-year-old dwellings which have been completely remodeled. A trullo is a whitewashed, round house topped by a large cone of local stones—all assembled without mortar. It is believed that trulli originated as storage sheds for agricultural implements. Much later, they became dwellings, with adjoining buildings added as families grew. Like your room, most trulli have been refurbished and are used as cozy homes today. Some of the roofs show mysterious chalk marks, possibly either to protect the inhabitants from evil or to bless the dwelling.

Please note: You have the option of attending a cooking class the following morning before check-in to your masseria. You must tell your Alberobello host this evening if you would like to attend.

Dinner is on your own tonight in Alberobello.

Accommodation: Trulli & Puglia, Alberobello

After breakfast, you will meet our local expert guide at your trullo reception at 8:30 a.m., and stretch your legs on a guided walk through this unique city. Learn about trulli design and why this local style of architecture has helped this setting be recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

A transfer at 10:00 a.m. takes you to your first masseria, where you will stay for the next three days. Explore the peaceful surroundings on a self-guided walk (our representative will give you the VBT route directions), enjoy the amenities of this country resort, or maybe join in an optional cooking class organized by the masseria. Check-in time is 2:00 p.m., but you can store luggage with the reception desk and use the hotel amenities this morning.

For guests staying at Masseria Torre Coccaro you have the option of partaking in VBT Cooking School, which is a big highlight for many Puglia travelers. This class will teach you how to prepare typical Apulian dishes before dining on the fruits of your labor. You will have to reserve the cooking class by 7:00 p.m. the day before with your Alberobello guide, while you are in Alberobello. The price is €50 per person and includes lunch and drinks during the lunch.

For guests staying at Masseria Calderisi, an optional cooking class of approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes with the masseria’s chef is offered on your arrival. You will have to reserve the cooking class by 7:00 p.m. the day before with your Alberobello guide, while you are in Alberobello. The price is €50 per person and includes lunch and drinks during the lunch.

For guests staying at Masseria Torre del Diamante, a cooking class of approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes with the masseria’s chef is included this morning in your package. You will learn how to prepare typical Apulian dishes like taralli and focaccia. The workshop will extend through lunch and cover your meal – a typical informal Apulian lunch featuring the fruits of your labor as well as refreshments. No reservations required.

Please be in the main lobby at 3:00 p.m., dressed and ready for biking for introductions and a safety meeting. Readily identifiable VBT trip leaders will be in the main lobby beginning at 2:00 p.m. to answer any questions, provide assistance and collect pedals you may have brought from home.

Masseria is the local name for large farms, which were fortified around the 16th century to ward off attacks by pirates and brigands. Masserie feature high boundary walls, angular towers, drawbridges, and watchtowers. Families worked and lived inside these walls with their own church, oil mill, and oven for baking bread. These farms also housed cisterns for water, storage rooms for tools and hay, stables, and everything else needed for day-to-day life. These days they are elegant country resorts, most of which grow produce and bottle their own olive oil.

Meet your VBT trip leaders early this afternoon for a safety and bike-fitting session. Then take a short warm-up ride along quiet country roads, past 800-year-old olive groves to the fishing village of Savelletri.

Later, enjoy a welcome cocktail reception on the elegant hotel patio. Dinner is at the hotel restaurant and is prepared with local products and herbs produced on the farm.

Accommodation: Masseria Torre Coccaro, Savelletri
Alternate Hotels: Masseria Calderisi or Masseria Torre del Diamante
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Today’s Ride Choice:
Cumulative Distance Range: 14.5 km (9 miles)
Afternoon
Savelletri Warm-up: 14.5 km (9 miles)

What to Expect: A loop in the countryside on a totally flat and paved terrain through the fishing village of Savelletri.

This morning, you will ride inland to Masseria Il Frantoio, another award-winning country hotel famous for the quality of their food. The estate extends over 150 acres and includes a “secret garden” planted with orange and lemon trees, as well as a well-preserved underground olive oil mill. Your hosts, Armando and Rosalba, have collected many interesting odds and ends over the years, from ancient dresses and hats to precious books and a gramophone. Each piece has its own story.

Your lunch at Il Frantoio is prepared using produce grown on the farm and is truly an experience for all of your senses. You’ll also have the opportunity to try a sampling of five different extra-virgin oils that Rosalba uses to flavor her focaccia, pickles, preserves, and delicious laganari pasta.

Later, you can opt to relax or continue cycling to the hotel along the ancient Traian road. An additional moderate ride option takes you up to the whitewashed city of Ostuni. End your day with a shuttle to the nearby small city of Savelletri on the sea. You are free to traverse the cozy pedestrian area to choose a restaurant for your dinner.

Accommodation: Masseria Torre Coccaro, Savelletri
Alternate Hotels: Masseria Calderisi or Masseria Torre del Diamante
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Today’s Ride Choices:
Cumulative Distance Range: 20 – 67 km (12 – 41 miles)
Morning
Hotel to Il Frantoio: 28 km (17 miles)
Afternoon
Il Frantoio to Hotel: 20 km (12 miles)
Il Frantoio to Hotel Plus (moderate): 19 km (12 miles)

What to Expect: An inland bike ride in a rural setting passing through charming, small villages. An optional moderate ride will take you up to the hill of Ostuni and down toward the ocean before joining the Traian road back to the hotel. The regular afternoon ride avoids the hill and takes you through the countryside on the quiet, historical Traian road to the hotel.

After breakfast, you’ll cycle along the coast on quiet roads, completely surrounded by ancient olive trees. Puglia ranks first in Italy in the production of olive oil, wine, and hay, and second for almonds. You’ll stop on the way to explore the archeological site of Egnatia, an ancient Messapican (and later Roman) coastal town of great economic and military importance in the 10th century. The museum on the grounds includes precious finds such as sculptures, jewels, funeral equipment, and gnathia which is the distinctive local pottery which usually features figurative painting on the upper half and ornamental designs on the lower portion. Later, continue to Monopoli, where you’ll have the chance to visit the beautiful cathedral and old harbor. You’ll have free time to stroll and eat lunch on your own. Walk the maze of pedestrian streets in Monopoli’s old city center and see how they make the city so intimate.

Shuttle or ride back along the sea to your masseria and enjoy the amenities. Dinner is included at the Masseria restaurant.

Accommodation: Masseria Torre Coccaro, Savelletri
Alternate Hotels: Masseria Calderisi or Masseria Torre del Diamante
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Today’s Ride Choices:
Cumulative Distance Range: 16 – 66 km (11 – 40 miles)
Morning
Hotel to Monopoli: 27 km (16 miles)
Afternoon
Monopoli to Hotel: 18 km (11 miles)
Monopoli to Hotel Plus (moderate): 23 km (14 miles)

What to Expect: The coastal terrain is flat and there is an optional stop at the end of the ride at our masseria’s private beach, with a short shuttle back to hotel. An additional ride option provides a moderate trek inland from Monopoli on a beautiful, long and gradual uphill, followed by a rolling, hilly road and a very scenic downhill to our masseria.

Leave Savelletri and take a morning shuttle further south to embark on another day of your stunning Puglia bike ride towards Salento. You’ll begin at the walled city of Acaya and ride through the ancient city’s archway on country roads which are free from traffic and marked as bike paths. You’ll finish your morning ride at the rugged coast where you will enjoy the spectacular view of Torre dell’Orso village, rising steeply from the sea and sandy bay. The village is a good spot to buy some lunch before either hitting the road again or taking a shuttle to the hotel. The afternoon offers more fun cycling on quiet country roads and along the small Alimini Lakes as you head to your next masseria.

After settling into your cozy accommodations, enjoy the hotel amenities or simply relax with a good book. Dinner is at a nearby masseria tonight.

Accommodation: Masseria Montelauro, Otranto
Alternate Hotels: Masseria Muntibianchi

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Today’s Ride Choices:

Cumulative Distance Range: 18 – 44 km (11 – 27 miles)
Morning
Acaya to Torre dell’Orso: 18 km (11 miles)
Afternoon
Torre dell’Orso to Hotel: 26 km (16 miles)

What to Expect: A beautiful bike ride in the countryside mostly on marked bike roads to Torre dell’Orso on the sea where we’ll break for lunch. In the afternoon you’ll have a choice of a shuttle to the hotel or cycling more lovely country roads with some easy rolling hills by the Alimini Lakes, followed by a final flat stretch to our masseria.

Bike from your hotel on country roads through sleepy villages, where a stop in a colorful local bar for an Italian coffee can be a wonderful diversion. Your route is shaded by big olive trees and towering oaks as you head toward the coast. By lunch, you’ll reach an organic farm near the sea, where the friendly owners, Antonio and Marina, will open their private garden to host a picnic lunch prepared by your trip leaders.

After lunch, discover Otranto, a picturesque town on the Italian coast. Founded by the Greeks, Otranto is surrounded by great ramparts and walls. Starting in late spring, its atmosphere is enlivened by local craft studios selling clay whistles, baskets, hand-dyed fabric, and ceramics. The city’s highlight is Otranto Cathedral’s enormous, 8,611-square-foot floor mosaic representing the Tree of Life which was created by a monk in 1163. A visit to Otranto is also your opportunity to switch sports and take a dip in the sea.

Today’s ride ends on flat country roads, where you’ll catch sight of menhirs and dolmens—ancient monoliths and tombs—before returning to your hotel. This evening, you can dine on your own at the hotel or shuttle to Otranto for dinner at one of the many outdoor cafés or restaurants.

Accommodation: Masseria Montelauro, Otranto
Alternate Hotels: Masseria Muntibianchi
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Today’s Ride Choices:

Cumulative Distance Range: 7 – 49 km (4 – 30.5 miles)
Morning
Hotel to Agriturismo Fontanelle: 33 km (20.5 miles)
Afternoon
Agriturismo Fontanelle to Otranto: 7 km (4 miles)
Otranto to Hotel: 9 km (6 miles)

What to Expect: Most of today’s riding is the morning to give you time in the afternoon to explore the historical capital of Salento, the city of Otranto and possibly go for a swim. The ride takes us inland from our masseria on paved country roads free from car traffic. The afternoon ride is a short and flat route through olive groves to our your next masseria. An optional additional ride is an easy to moderate loop with undulating terrain starting from Otranto.

After breakfast, you’ll set out on one of the best rides in all of Italy. Starting in the interior of Salento, you’ll follow gentle, rural pathways through little villages to the coastal town of Castro Marina. From there, you’ll continue to Santa Cesarea, a quiet town set on the edge of the Adriatic Sea, where you can enjoy lunch on your own in one of the many cozy cafes. Fortified, you’ll follow the cliffs to the town of Porto Badisco, famous for its azure waters and prehistoric Cervi Grottoes, before continuing to Cape Otranto, the easternmost tip of Italy. You’ll cycle back to the hotel in time to freshen up before an extraordinary farewell dinner with Puglia wines and specialties at your masseria restaurant.

Accommodation: Masseria Montelauro, Otranto
Alternate Hotels: Masseria Muntibianchi
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Today’s Ride Choices:
Cumulative Distance Range: 14 – 57 km (9 – 35 miles)
Morning
Hotel to Santa Cesarea Terme: 25 km (15 miles)
Afternoon
Hotel to Santa Cesarea Terme: 14 km (9 miles)
Santa Cesarea Terme to Hotel Plus (moderate): 18 km (11 miles)

What to Expect: This mostly coastal ride is probably the most panoramic bike ride of the week. There is one major uphill after lunch, which can be skipped with a short support vehicle shuttle. The longer afternoon ride has more costal riding along a road with a bit more traffic and is rated as moderate.

Transfer to the Hotel Patria Palace in Lecce, an elegant and centrally located 5-star hotel, arriving at about 10:30 a.m. Lecce is a beautiful Baroque city, called “the Florence of the South” thanks to the skill with which local builders and stonemasons worked the soft, pink-tinged local stone called pietra dorata.

Explore Piazza Sant’Oronzo, the city’s main square and the heart of local activities for centuries. The square’s centerpiece is the Roman amphitheater. From here, narrow streets fan out into the city’s charming quarters.

The focal point of Lecce is Piazza Duomo, enclosed on three sides by the cathedral and two palaces belonging to the church. Though this is one of the largest squares in Europe, it has an intimate feel that practically invites people-watching from a local café or bakery. Your VBT City Information provides useful recommendations for exploring on your own for the rest of the day including options for independent dining.

Accommodation: Patria Palace Hotel, Lecce
Included Meals: Breakfast

Fly home or continue your journey with an optional post-trip extension in Rome.

Find detailed itineraries at vbt.com.

After breakfast, transfer to the Brindisi airport for your flight to Rome or back home. VBT recommends that you check the transfer time in your “Transfer Reminder” the night before your flight. The transfer is prearranged with the reception desk and is prepaid by VBT.

Please note: If you extend your stay beyond the scheduled program dates, return transportation to the airport will be at your own expense.

Included Meals: Breakfast

All you have to do is get to the airport. On our Air Packages, we’ll take care of the rest, handling all the logistics, so you can travel with peace of mind. Spend your first night aloft and arrive refreshed for an unforgettable trip.

A VBT representative will greet you at the Bari airport to start your adventure off right. A complimentary car service will whisk you to your centrally located hotel in Alberobello. From here, you are perfectly positioned to explore this charming city at your leisure.

Accommodation: Trulli & Puglia

After an included breakfast, you will meet our local expert guide at your trullo reception at 8:30 a.m., and stretch your legs on a guided walk through this unique city. Learn about trulli design and why this local style of architecture has helped this setting be recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Transportation is provided at 10:00 a.m. to take you to your first masseria, where you will stay for the next three days. Explore the peaceful surroundings on a self-guided walk (our representative will give you the VBT route directions), enjoy the amenities of this country resort, or maybe join in an optional cooking class organized by the masseria.

Please be in the main lobby at 3:00 p.m., dressed and ready for biking for introductions and a safety meeting. Readily identifiable VBT trip leaders will be in the main lobby beginning at 2:00 p.m. to answer any questions, provide assistance, and collect pedals you may have brought from home.

Masseria is the local name for large farms, which were fortified around the 16th century to ward off attacks by pirates and brigands. Masserie feature high boundary walls, angular towers, drawbridges, and watchtowers. Families worked and lived inside these walls with their own church, oil mill, and oven for baking bread. These farms also housed cisterns for water, storage rooms for tools and hay, stables, and everything else needed for day-to-day life. These days they are elegant country resorts, most of which grow produce and bottle their own olive oil.

This afternoon take a short warm-up ride along quiet country roads, past 800-year-old olive groves to the fishing village of Savelletri.

Later, enjoy a welcome cocktail reception on the elegant hotel patio. Dinner is at the hotel restaurant and is prepared with local products and herbs produced on the farm.

Today’s Ride Choice:

Afternoon: Savelletri Warm-up — 14.5 km (9 miles)

What to Expect: A loop in the countryside on totally flat and paved terrain through the fishing village of Savelletri.

Cumulative Distance Range: 14.5 km (9 miles)
Accommodation: Masseria Torre Coccaro
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

This morning, you will ride inland to Masseria Il Frantoio, another award-winning country hotel famous for the quality of their food. The estate extends over 150 acres and includes a “secret garden” planted with orange and lemon trees, as well as a well-preserved underground olive oil mill. Your hosts, Armando and Rosalba, have collected many interesting odds and ends over the years, from ancient dresses and hats to precious books and a gramophone. Each piece has its own story.

Your lunch at Il Frantoio is prepared using produce grown on the farm and is truly an experience for all of your senses. You’ll also have the opportunity to try a sampling of five different extra-virgin oils that Rosalba uses to flavor her focaccia, pickles, preserves, and delicious laganari pasta.

Later, you can opt to relax or continue cycling to the hotel along the ancient Traian road. An additional moderate ride option takes you up to the whitewashed city of Ostuni. End your day with a shuttle to the nearby small city of Savelletri on the sea. You are free to traverse the cozy pedestrian area to choose a restaurant for your dinner.

Today’s Ride Choices

Morning: Hotel to Il Frantoio – 28 km (17 miles)
Afternoon: Il Frantoio to Hotel – 20 km (12 miles) | Il Frantoio to Hotel Plus (moderate) – 19 km (12 miles)

What to Expect: An inland bike ride in a rural setting passing through charming, small villages. An optional moderate ride will take you up to the hill of Ostuni and down toward the ocean before joining the Traian road back to the hotel. The regular afternoon ride avoids the hill and takes you through the countryside on the quiet, historical Traian road to the hotel.

Accommodation: Masseria Torre Coccaro
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast, you’ll cycle along the coast on quiet roads, completely surrounded by ancient olive trees. Puglia ranks first in Italy in the production of olive oil, wine, and hay, and second for almonds. You’ll stop on the way to explore the archeological site of Egnatia, an ancient Messapican (and later Roman) coastal town of great economic and military importance in the 10th century. The museum on the grounds includes precious finds such as sculptures, jewels, funeral equipment, and gnathia which is the distinctive local pottery which usually features figurative painting on the upper half and ornamental designs on the lower portion. Later, continue to Monopoli, where you’ll have the chance to visit the beautiful cathedral and old harbor. You’ll have free time to stroll and eat lunch on your own. Walk the maze of pedestrian streets in Monopoli’s old city center and see how they make the city so intimate.

Shuttle or ride back along the sea to your masseria and enjoy the amenities. Dinner is included at the Masseria restaurant.

Today’s Ride Choices:

Morning: Hotel to Monopoli — 27 km (17 miles)
Afternoon: Monopoli to Hotel — 18 km (11 miles) | Monopoli to Hotel Plus (moderate) — 23 km (14 miles)

What to Expect:The coastal terrain is flat and there is an optional stop at the end of the ride at our masseria’s private beach, with a short shuttle back to hotel. An additional ride option provides a moderate trek inland from Monopoli on a beautiful, long and gradual uphill, followed by a rolling, hilly road and a very scenic downhill to our masseria.

Cumulative Distance Range: 18 – 68 km (11 – 42 miles)
Accommodation: Masseria Torre Coccaro
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Leave Savelletri and take a morning shuttle further south to embark on another day of your stunning Puglia bike ride towards Salento. You’ll begin at the walled city of Acaya and ride through the ancient city’s archway on country roads which are free from traffic and marked as bike paths. You’ll finish your morning ride at the rugged coast where you will enjoy the spectacular view of Torre dell’Orso village, rising steeply from the sea and sandy bay. The village is a good spot to buy some lunch before either hitting the road again or taking a shuttle to the hotel. The afternoon offers more fun cycling on quiet country roads and along the small Alimini Lakes as you head to your next masseria.

After settling into your cozy accommodations, enjoy the hotel amenities or simply relax with a good book. Dinner is at a nearby masseria tonight.

Today’s Ride Choices

Morning: Acaya to Torre dell’Orso — 18 km (11 miles)
Afternoon: Il Frantoio to Hotel — 26 km (16 miles)

What to Expect: A beautiful bike ride in the countryside mostly on marked bike roads to Torre dell’Orso on the sea where we’ll break for lunch. In the afternoon you’ll have a choice of a shuttle to the hotel or cycling more lovely country roads with some easy rolling hills by the Alimini Lakes, followed by a final flat stretch to our masseria.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Bike from your hotel on country roads through sleepy villages, where a stop in a colorful local bar for an Italian coffee can be a wonderful diversion. Your route is shaded by big olive trees and towering oaks as you head toward the coast. By lunch, you’ll reach an organic farm near the sea, where the friendly owners, Antonio and Marina, will open their private garden to host a picnic lunch prepared by your trip leaders.

After lunch, discover Otranto, a picturesque town on the Italian coast. Founded by the Greeks, Otranto is surrounded by great ramparts and walls. Starting in late spring, its atmosphere is enlivened by local craft studios selling clay whistles, baskets, hand-dyed fabric, and ceramics. The city’s highlight is Otranto Cathedral’s enormous, 8,611-square-foot floor mosaic representing the Tree of Life which was created by a monk in 1163. A visit to Otranto is also your opportunity to switch sports and take a dip in the sea.

Today’s ride ends on flat country roads, where you’ll catch sight of menhirs and dolmens—ancient monoliths and tombs—before returning to your hotel. This evening, you can dine on your own at the hotel or shuttle to Otranto for dinner at one of the many outdoor cafés or restaurants.

Today’s Ride Choices:

Morning: Hotel to Agriturismo Fontanelle — 33 km (20.5 miles)
Afternoon: Agriturismo Fontanelle to Otranto — 7 km (4 miles) | Otranto to Hotel — 9 km (6 miles)

What to Expect: Most of today’s riding is the morning to give you time in the afternoon to explore the historical capital of Salento, the city of Otranto and possibly go for a swim. The ride takes us inland from our masseria on paved country roads free from car traffic. The afternoon ride is a short and flat route through olive groves to our your next masseria. An optional additional ride is an easy to moderate loop with undulating terrain starting from Otranto.

Cumulative Distance Range: 7 – 49 km (4 – 30.5 miles)
Accommodation: Masseria Montelauro
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast, you’ll set out on one of the best rides in all of Italy. Starting in the interior of Salento, you’ll follow gentle, rural pathways through little villages to the coastal town of Castro Marina. From there, you’ll continue to Santa Cesarea, a quiet town set on the edge of the Adriatic Sea, where you can enjoy lunch on your own in one of the many cozy cafes. Fortified, you’ll follow the cliffs to the town of Porto Badisco, famous for its azure waters and prehistoric Cervi Grottoes, before continuing to Cape Otranto, the easternmost tip of Italy. You’ll cycle back to the hotel in time to freshen up before an extraordinary farewell dinner with Puglia wines and specialties at your masseria restaurant.

Today’s Ride Choices:

Morning: Hotel to Santa Cesarea Terme —25 km (15 miles)
Afternoon Santa Cesarea Terme to Hotel – 14 km (9 miles) | Santa Cesarea Terme to Hotel Plus (moderate) — 18 km (11 miles)

What to Expect: This mostly coastal ride is probably the most panoramic bike ride of the week. There is one major uphill after lunch, which can be skipped with a short support vehicle shuttle. The longer afternoon ride has more costal riding along a road with a bit more traffic and is rated as moderate.

Cumulative Distance Range: 14 – 57 km (9 – 35 miles)
Accommodation: Masseria Montelauro
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

After an included breakfast, complimentary transportation is provided by private motorcoach to the Hotel Patria Palace an elegant and centrally located 5-star hotel, arriving at about 10:30 a.m. Lecce is a beautiful Baroque city, called “the Florence of the South” thanks to the skill with which local builders and stonemasons worked the soft, pink-tinged local stone called pietra dorata.

Explore Piazza Sant’Oronzo, the city’s main square and the heart of local activities for centuries. The square’s centerpiece is the Roman amphitheater. From here, narrow streets fan out into the city’s charming quarters.

The focal point of Lecce is Piazza Duomo, enclosed on three sides by the cathedral and two palaces belonging to the church. Though this is one of the largest squares in Europe, it has an intimate feel that practically invites people-watching from a local café or bakery. Your VBT city information provides useful recommendations for exploring on your own for the rest of the day including options for independent dining.

Accommodation: Patria Palace Hotel
Included Meals: Breakfast

After an included breakfast this morning, complimentary transportation to the Brindisi airport will be provided (an approximately 35 to 45 minute drive, depending on traffic) for your departing flight.

Included Meals: Breakfast

Meet your VBT trip leaders at 2:00 p.m. in the lobby of the first masseria in Fasano. To get to the masseria, you can take a taxi from the Bari railway station (the cost is approx. 130 Euros) or the Bari airport (approx. 140 Euros). You can also contact our transfer company in advance (TAXI SERVICE, Anthony, [email protected], phone +39 330 964 927) and book directly with them. They provide transfers from the Bari airport at a special rate of 120 Euros. You can also travel to the masseria by train from Bari (the closest airport) or Rome. The closest railway station to the masseria is Fasano. If you take a train from Rome to Fasano, you may need to connect in Bari. Once in Fasano, call the masseria to arrange for a taxi or shuttle pickup (approximately a 10-minute drive). If your arrival at the masseria is scheduled later than 2:00 p.m. or if you are delayed, please contact the hotel, and the staff will pass your message along to your VBT trip leaders. Leaders will start the safety talk at 3:00 p.m., so in case of delay, make sure you come dressed and ready for biking at 3:00 p.m. in the main lobby.

VBT highly recommends flying to Italy at least one day before the tour begins. This will allow you to rest and recover from jet lag before you begin sightseeing and cycling.

For guests staying at Masseria Torre Coccaro you have the option of partaking in VBT Cooking School, which is a big highlight for many Puglia travelers. This class will teach you how to prepare typical Apulian dishes before dining on the fruits of your labor. You will have to reserve your spot by contacting the masseria directly before 7:00 p.m. the day before the 10:30 a.m. session. The price is €50 per person and includes lunch and drinks.

For guests staying at Masseria Calderisi, an optional cooking class of approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes with the masseria’s chef can be reserved by contacting the masseria directly before 7:00 p.m. the day before the 10:30 a.m. session. You will have fun while learning how to prepare typical Apulian dishes. The workshop will extend through lunch and include your meal – a typical informal Apulian lunch that will feature the fruits of your labor as well as refreshments. The price is €50 per person and includes lunch and drinks.

For guests staying at Masseria Torre del Diamante, a cooking class of approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes with the masseria’s chef can be reserved by 7:00 p.m. the day before, by contacting the masseria directly. You will have fun while learning how to prepare typical Apulian dishes like taralli and focaccia. The workshop will extend through lunch and include your meal – a typical informal Apulian lunch that will feature the fruits of your labor as well as refreshments. The price is €50 per person.

Please be in the main lobby at 3:00 p.m., dressed and ready for biking for introductions and a safety meeting. Readily identifiable VBT trip leaders will be in the main lobby beginning at 2:00 p.m. to answer any questions, provide assistance and collect pedals you may have brought from home.

Masseria is the local name for large farms, which were fortified around the 16th century to ward off attacks by pirates and brigands. Masserie feature high boundary walls, angular towers, drawbridges, and watchtowers. Families worked and lived inside these walls with their own church, oil mill, and oven for baking bread. These farms also housed cisterns for water, storage rooms for tools and hay, stables, and everything else needed for day-to-day life. These days they are elegant country resorts, most of which grow produce and bottle their own olive oil.

Meet your VBT trip leaders early this afternoon for a safety and bike-fitting session. Then take a short warm-up ride along quiet country roads, past 800-year-old olive groves to the fishing village of Savelletri.

Later, enjoy a welcome cocktail reception on the elegant hotel patio. Dinner is at the hotel restaurant and is prepared with local products and herbs produced on the farm.

Accommodation: Masseria Torre Coccaro, Savelletri
Alternate Hotels: Masseria Calderisi or Masseria Torre del Diamante
Included Meals: Dinner

Today’s Ride Choice:
Cumulative Distance Range: 14.5 km (9 miles)
Afternoon
Savelletri Warm-up: 14.5 km (9 miles)

What to Expect: A loop in the countryside on a totally flat and paved terrain through the fishing village of Savelletri.

This morning, you will ride inland to Masseria Il Frantoio, another award-winning country hotel famous for the quality of their food. The estate extends over 150 acres and includes a “secret garden” planted with orange and lemon trees, as well as a well-preserved underground olive oil mill. Your hosts, Armando and Rosalba, have collected many interesting odds and ends over the years, from ancient dresses and hats to precious books and a gramophone. Each piece has its own story.

Your lunch at Il Frantoio is prepared using produce grown on the farm and is truly an experience for all of your senses. You’ll also have the opportunity to try a sampling of five different extra-virgin oils that Rosalba uses to flavor her focaccia, pickles, preserves, and delicious laganari pasta.

Later, you can opt to relax or continue cycling to the hotel along the ancient Traian road. An additional moderate ride option takes you up to the whitewashed city of Ostuni. End your day with a shuttle to the nearby small city of Savelletri on the sea. You are free to traverse the cozy pedestrian area to choose a restaurant for your dinner.

Accommodation: Masseria Torre Coccaro, Savelletri
Alternate Hotels: Masseria Calderisi or Masseria Torre del Diamante
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Today’s Ride Choices:
Cumulative Distance Range: 20 – 67 km (12 – 41 miles)
Morning
Hotel to Il Frantoio: 28 km (17 miles)
Afternoon
Il Frantoio to Hotel: 20 km (12 miles)
Il Frantoio to Hotel Plus (moderate): 19 km (12 miles)

What to Expect: An inland bike ride in a rural setting passing through charming, small villages. An optional moderate ride will take you up to the hill of Ostuni and down toward the ocean before joining the Traian road back to the hotel. The regular afternoon ride avoids the hill and takes you through the countryside on the quiet, historical Traian road to the hotel.

After breakfast, you’ll cycle along the coast on quiet roads, completely surrounded by ancient olive trees. Puglia ranks first in Italy in the production of olive oil, wine, and hay, and second for almonds. You’ll stop on the way to explore the archeological site of Egnatia, an ancient Messapican (and later Roman) coastal town of great economic and military importance in the 10th century. The museum on the grounds includes precious finds such as sculptures, jewels, funeral equipment, and gnathia which is the distinctive local pottery which usually features figurative painting on the upper half and ornamental designs on the lower portion. Later, continue to Monopoli, where you’ll have the chance to visit the beautiful cathedral and old harbor. You’ll have free time to stroll and eat lunch on your own. Walk the maze of pedestrian streets in Monopoli’s old city center and see how they make the city so intimate.

Shuttle or ride back along the sea to your masseria and enjoy the amenities. Dinner is included at the Masseria restaurant.

Accommodation: Masseria Torre Coccaro, Savelletri
Alternate Hotels: Masseria Calderisi or Masseria Torre del Diamante
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Today’s Ride Choices:
Cumulative Distance Range: 16 – 66 km (11 – 40 miles)
Morning
Hotel to Monopoli: 27 km (16 miles)
Afternoon
Monopoli to Hotel: 18 km (11 miles)
Monopoli to Hotel Plus (moderate): 23 km (14 miles)

What to Expect: The coastal terrain is flat and there is an optional stop at the end of the ride at our masseria’s private beach, with a short shuttle back to hotel. An additional ride option provides a moderate trek inland from Monopoli on a beautiful, long and gradual uphill, followed by a rolling, hilly road and a very scenic downhill to our masseria.

Leave Savelletri and take a morning shuttle further south to embark on another day of your stunning Puglia bike ride towards Salento. You’ll begin at the walled city of Acaya and ride through the ancient city’s archway on country roads which are free from traffic and marked as bike paths. You’ll finish your morning ride at the rugged coast where you will enjoy the spectacular view of Torre dell’Orso village, rising steeply from the sea and sandy bay. The village is a good spot to buy some lunch before either hitting the road again or taking a shuttle to the hotel. The afternoon offers more fun cycling on quiet country roads and along the small Alimini Lakes as you head to your next masseria.

After settling into your cozy accommodations, enjoy the hotel amenities or simply relax with a good book. Dinner is at a nearby masseria tonight.

Accommodation: Masseria Montelauro, Otranto
Alternate Hotels: Masseria Muntibianchi

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Today’s Ride Choices:

Cumulative Distance Range: 18 – 44 km (11 – 27 miles)
Morning
Acaya to Torre dell’Orso: 18 km (11 miles)
Afternoon
Torre dell’Orso to Hotel: 26 km (16 miles)

What to Expect: A beautiful bike ride in the countryside mostly on marked bike roads to Torre dell’Orso on the sea where we’ll break for lunch. In the afternoon you’ll have a choice of a shuttle to the hotel or cycling more lovely country roads with some easy rolling hills by the Alimini Lakes, followed by a final flat stretch to our masseria.

Bike from your hotel on country roads through sleepy villages, where a stop in a colorful local bar for an Italian coffee can be a wonderful diversion. Your route is shaded by big olive trees and towering oaks as you head toward the coast. By lunch, you’ll reach an organic farm near the sea, where the friendly owners, Antonio and Marina, will open their private garden to host a picnic lunch prepared by your trip leaders.

After lunch, discover Otranto, a picturesque town on the Italian coast. Founded by the Greeks, Otranto is surrounded by great ramparts and walls. Starting in late spring, its atmosphere is enlivened by local craft studios selling clay whistles, baskets, hand-dyed fabric, and ceramics. The city’s highlight is Otranto Cathedral’s enormous, 8,611-square-foot floor mosaic representing the Tree of Life which was created by a monk in 1163. A visit to Otranto is also your opportunity to switch sports and take a dip in the sea.

Today’s ride ends on flat country roads, where you’ll catch sight of menhirs and dolmens—ancient monoliths and tombs—before returning to your hotel. This evening, you can dine on your own at the hotel or shuttle to Otranto for dinner at one of the many outdoor cafés or restaurants.

Accommodation: Masseria Montelauro, Otranto
Alternate Hotels: Masseria Muntibianchi
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Today’s Ride Choices:

Cumulative Distance Range: 7 – 49 km (4 – 30.5 miles)
Morning
Hotel to Agriturismo Fontanelle: 33 km (20.5 miles)
Afternoon
Agriturismo Fontanelle to Otranto: 7 km (4 miles)
Otranto to Hotel: 9 km (6 miles)

What to Expect: Most of today’s riding is the morning to give you time in the afternoon to explore the historical capital of Salento, the city of Otranto and possibly go for a swim. The ride takes us inland from our masseria on paved country roads free from car traffic. The afternoon ride is a short and flat route through olive groves to our your next masseria. An optional additional ride is an easy to moderate loop with undulating terrain starting from Otranto.

After breakfast, you’ll set out on one of the best rides in all of Italy. Starting in the interior of Salento, you’ll follow gentle, rural pathways through little villages to the coastal town of Castro Marina. From there, you’ll continue to Santa Cesarea, a quiet town set on the edge of the Adriatic Sea, where you can enjoy lunch on your own in one of the many cozy cafes. Fortified, you’ll follow the cliffs to the town of Porto Badisco, famous for its azure waters and prehistoric Cervi Grottoes, before continuing to Cape Otranto, the easternmost tip of Italy. You’ll cycle back to the hotel in time to freshen up before an extraordinary farewell dinner with Puglia wines and specialties at your masseria restaurant.

Accommodation: Masseria Montelauro, Otranto
Alternate Hotels: Masseria Muntibianchi
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Today’s Ride Choices:
Cumulative Distance Range: 14 – 57 km (9 – 35 miles)
Morning
Hotel to Santa Cesarea Terme: 25 km (15 miles)
Afternoon
Hotel to Santa Cesarea Terme: 14 km (9 miles)
Santa Cesarea Terme to Hotel Plus (moderate): 18 km (11 miles)

What to Expect: This mostly coastal ride is probably the most panoramic bike ride of the week. There is one major uphill after lunch, which can be skipped with a short support vehicle shuttle. The longer afternoon ride has more costal riding along a road with a bit more traffic and is rated as moderate.

After breakfast, transfer to the Brindisi airport, arriving at approximately 11:30 a.m.

Important: Flight departures from Brindisi prior to 1:30 p.m. are not recommended; those departing earlier must make transfer arrangements at their own expense from the last hotel in Otranto to Brindisi (approximately 1 hour). The cost of a taxi to the Brindisi airport is approximately 80 euros ($87 USD). The motorcoach will first stop in Lecce to drop VBT Air Package guests and then continue to the Brindisi airport. You are welcome to get off in Lecce if you prefer.

Accommodation: Patria Palace Hotel, Lecce
Included Meals: Breakfast

Fly home or continue your journey with an optional post-trip extension in Rome.

Find detailed itineraries at vbt.com.

After breakfast, transfer to the Brindisi airport for your flight to Rome or back home. VBT recommends that you check the transfer time in your “Transfer Reminder” the night before your flight. The transfer is prearranged with the reception desk and is prepaid by VBT.

Please note: If you extend your stay beyond the scheduled program dates, return transportation to the airport will be at your own expense.

Included Meals: Breakfast

VBT highly recommends flying to Italy at least one day before the tour begins. This will allow you to rest and recover from jet lag before you begin sightseeing and cycling.

Meet your VBT trip leaders by 3:00 p.m. in the lobby of the first masseria. Readily identifiable VBT trip leaders will be in the main lobby beginning at 2:00 p.m. to answer any questions, provide assistance, and collect pedals you may have brought from home. The leaders will start the safety talk at 3:00 p.m., so in case of delay, make sure you come dressed and ready for biking.

Masseria is the local name for large farms, which were fortified around the 16th century to ward off attacks by pirates and brigands. Masserie feature high boundary walls, angular towers, drawbridges, and watchtowers. Families worked and lived inside these walls with their own church, oil mill, and oven for baking bread. These farms also housed cisterns for water, storage rooms for tools and hay, stables, and everything else needed for day-to-day life. These days they are elegant country resorts, most of which grow produce and bottle their own olive oil.

This afternoon take a short warm-up ride along quiet country roads, past 800-year-old olive groves to the fishing village of Savelletri.

Later, enjoy a welcome cocktail reception on the elegant hotel patio. Dinner is at the hotel restaurant and is prepared with local products and herbs produced on the farm.

Today’s Ride Choice:

Afternoon: Savelletri Warm-up 14.5 km (9 miles)

What to Expect: A loop in the countryside on totally flat and paved terrain through the fishing village of Savelletri.

Cumulative Distance Range: 14.5 km (9 miles)
Accommodation: Masseria Torre Coccaro
Included Meals: Dinner

This morning, you will ride inland to Masseria Il Frantoio, another award-winning country hotel famous for the quality of their food. The estate extends over 150 acres and includes a “secret garden” planted with orange and lemon trees, as well as a well-preserved underground olive oil mill. Your hosts, Armando and Rosalba, have collected many interesting odds and ends over the years, from ancient dresses and hats to precious books and a gramophone. Each piece has its own story.

Your lunch at Il Frantoio is prepared using produce grown on the farm and is truly an experience for all of your senses. You’ll also have the opportunity to try a sampling of five different extra-virgin oils that Rosalba uses to flavor her focaccia, pickles, preserves, and delicious laganari pasta.

Later, you can opt to relax or continue cycling to the hotel along the ancient Traian road. An additional moderate ride option takes you up to the whitewashed city of Ostuni. End your day with a shuttle to the nearby small city of Savelletri on the sea. You are free to traverse the cozy pedestrian area to choose a restaurant for your dinner.

Today’s Ride Choices

Morning: Hotel to Il Frantoio – 28 km (17 miles)
Afternoon: Il Frantoio to Hotel – 20 km (12 miles) | Il Frantoio to Hotel Plus (moderate) – 19 km (12 miles)

What to Expect: An inland bike ride in a rural setting passing through charming, small villages. An optional moderate ride will take you up to the hill of Ostuni and down toward the ocean before joining the Traian road back to the hotel. The regular afternoon ride avoids the hill and takes you through the countryside on the quiet, historical Traian road to the hotel.

Accommodation: Masseria Torre Coccaro
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast, you’ll cycle along the coast on quiet roads, completely surrounded by ancient olive trees. Puglia ranks first in Italy in the production of olive oil, wine, and hay, and second for almonds. You’ll stop on the way to explore the archeological site of Egnatia, an ancient Messapican (and later Roman) coastal town of great economic and military importance in the 10th century. The museum on the grounds includes precious finds such as sculptures, jewels, funeral equipment, and gnathia which is the distinctive local pottery which usually features figurative painting on the upper half and ornamental designs on the lower portion. Later, continue to Monopoli, where you’ll have the chance to visit the beautiful cathedral and old harbor. You’ll have free time to stroll and eat lunch on your own. Walk the maze of pedestrian streets in Monopoli’s old city center and see how they make the city so intimate.

Shuttle or ride back along the sea to your masseria and enjoy the amenities. Dinner is included at the Masseria restaurant.

Today’s Ride Choices:

Morning: Hotel to Monopoli – 27 km (17 miles)
Afternoon: Monopoli to Hotel — 18 km (11 miles) | Monopoli to Hotel Plus (moderate) — 23 km (14 miles)

What to Expect:The coastal terrain is flat and there is an optional stop at the end of the ride at our masseria’s private beach, with a short shuttle back to hotel. An additional ride option provides a moderate trek inland from Monopoli on a beautiful, long and gradual uphill, followed by a rolling, hilly road and a very scenic downhill to our masseria.

Cumulative Distance Range: 18 – 68 km (11 – 42 miles)
Accommodation: Masseria Torre Coccaro
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Leave Savelletri and take a morning shuttle further south to embark on another day of your stunning Puglia bike ride towards Salento. You’ll begin at the walled city of Acaya and ride through the ancient city’s archway on country roads which are free from traffic and marked as bike paths. You’ll finish your morning ride at the rugged coast where you will enjoy the spectacular view of Torre dell’Orso village, rising steeply from the sea and sandy bay. The village is a good spot to buy some lunch before either hitting the road again or taking a shuttle to the hotel. The afternoon offers more fun cycling on quiet country roads and along the small Alimini Lakes as you head to your next masseria.

After settling into your cozy accommodations, enjoy the hotel amenities or simply relax with a good book. Dinner is at a nearby masseria tonight.

Today’s Ride Choices

Morning: Acaya to Torre dell’Orso — 18 km (11 miles)
Afternoon: Il Frantoio to Hotel — 26 km (16 miles)

What to Expect: A beautiful bike ride in the countryside mostly on marked bike roads to Torre dell’Orso on the sea where we’ll break for lunch. In the afternoon you’ll have a choice of a shuttle to the hotel or cycling more lovely country roads with some easy rolling hills by the Alimini Lakes, followed by a final flat stretch to our masseria.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Bike from your hotel on country roads through sleepy villages, where a stop in a colorful local bar for an Italian coffee can be a wonderful diversion. Your route is shaded by big olive trees and towering oaks as you head toward the coast. By lunch, you’ll reach an organic farm near the sea, where the friendly owners, Antonio and Marina, will open their private garden to host a picnic lunch prepared by your trip leaders.

After lunch, discover Otranto, a picturesque town on the Italian coast. Founded by the Greeks, Otranto is surrounded by great ramparts and walls. Starting in late spring, its atmosphere is enlivened by local craft studios selling clay whistles, baskets, hand-dyed fabric, and ceramics. The city’s highlight is Otranto Cathedral’s enormous, 8,611-square-foot floor mosaic representing the Tree of Life which was created by a monk in 1163. A visit to Otranto is also your opportunity to switch sports and take a dip in the sea.

Today’s ride ends on flat country roads, where you’ll catch sight of menhirs and dolmens—ancient monoliths and tombs—before returning to your hotel. This evening, you can dine on your own at the hotel or shuttle to Otranto for dinner at one of the many outdoor cafés or restaurants.

Today’s Ride Choices:

Morning: Hotel to Agriturismo Fontanelle — 33 km (20.5 miles)
Afternoon: Agriturismo Fontanelle to Otranto — 7 km (4 miles) | Otranto to Hotel — 9 km (6 miles)

What to Expect: Most of today’s riding is the morning to give you time in the afternoon to explore the historical capital of Salento, the city of Otranto and possibly go for a swim. The ride takes us inland from our masseria on paved country roads free from car traffic. The afternoon ride is a short and flat route through olive groves to our your next masseria. An optional additional ride is an easy to moderate loop with undulating terrain starting from Otranto.

Cumulative Distance Range: 7 – 49 km (4 – 30.5 miles)
Accommodation: Masseria Montelauro
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast, you’ll set out on one of the best rides in all of Italy. Starting in the interior of Salento, you’ll follow gentle, rural pathways through little villages to the coastal town of Castro Marina. From there, you’ll continue to Santa Cesarea, a quiet town set on the edge of the Adriatic Sea, where you can enjoy lunch on your own in one of the many cozy cafes. Fortified, you’ll follow the cliffs to the town of Porto Badisco, famous for its azure waters and prehistoric Cervi Grottoes, before continuing to Cape Otranto, the easternmost tip of Italy. You’ll cycle back to the hotel in time to freshen up before an extraordinary farewell dinner with Puglia wines and specialties at your masseria restaurant.

Today’s Ride Choices:

Morning: Hotel to Santa Cesarea Terme —25 km (15 miles)
Afternoon Santa Cesarea Terme to Hotel – 14 km (9 miles) | Santa Cesarea Terme to Hotel Plus (moderate) — 18 km (11 miles)

What to Expect: This mostly coastal ride is probably the most panoramic bike ride of the week. There is one major uphill after lunch, which can be skipped with a short support vehicle shuttle. The longer afternoon ride has more costal riding along a road with a bit more traffic and is rated as moderate.

Cumulative Distance Range: 14 – 57 km (9 – 35 miles)
Accommodation: Masseria Montelauro
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

After an included breakfast, travel to the Brindisi airport, arriving at approximately 11:30 a.m. If you prefer, you may be dropped in Lecce at Hotel Patria Palace.

Important: Flight departures from Brindisi prior to 1:30 p.m. are not recommended; those departing earlier must make transportation arrangements at their own expense from the last hotel in Otranto to Brindisi (approximately 1 hour). The cost of a taxi to the Brindisi airport is approximately €80 ($87 USD). The motorcoach will first stop in Lecce to drop VBT Air Package guests and then continue to the Brindisi airport. You are welcome to get off in Lecce if you prefer.

Accommodation: Patria Palace Hotel
Included Meals: Breakfast