Precious Puglia – a Southern Italian Adventure

SUMMARY

Dates:Friday October 25th to Friday November 1st 2024 –  7 nights/8 days

We walk in the heel of Italy between Lecce and Matera. The walking is 2 Goats and we walk a distance of approx 70 km going from south to north. The terrain is mostly gentle and there are minimal ascents and descents. The pace is relaxed and there will be lots of stops and visits along the way as you discover Puglia and this unique area rich with history and culture.

Guide: Local English speaking Italian female guide

Walking Grade: 2 Goats – prepare for full days out and this is one of those trips where the cultural experiences will form part of your daily walks. We will have plenty of comfort breaks.

Highlights:

• The rich cultural experiences of the UNESCO heritage sites
• Staying in a Trulli in Alberobello and a Sassi (cave Hotel) in Matera
• Varied walking  – along the coast, through olive groves, ravines and forests

Base: We stay in four very special traditional hotels of the area as we walk to different locations to give you the best experience of this region. All our hotels are 3 or 4 stars.

• Lecce: Palazzo Bignami
• Matera: Sassi Hotel
• Alberobello: Trullidea Resort
• Ostuni: Hotel La Terra

Arrival: Bari Airport for the group transfer between 18.00 and 19.00. The pick up is a private transfer and takes approx 2 hours to Lecce.

You can fly to the closer airport of Brindisi( 20 minutes to Lecce by taxi) but there are fewer international flights. We can arrange a taxi at your own cost which would be 90 euros for the journey ( 1-3 people)

There is a RyanAir flight departing London Stansted 14.05 arriving Bari at 17.50.

Departure: Group Transfer to Bari Airport leaving after breakfast . We recommend flights after 12 noon.

There is a Ryan Air flight returning at 12.30 to Stansted.

Price: £1,999 per person per holiday for this unique trip (this price is for solo occupancy )

If you bring a friend and share a room there is a discount of £250 per person. Total price £1,749 per person.

This is a small group holidays and this is limited to 12 women.

What’s included:

• 7 nights in ensuite solo occupancy room
• All breakfasts
• 2 dinners day 1 and 7 (drinks not included)
• Light Lunch day 2 (drinks not included)
• Packed lunches day 3 and 4 (drinks not included)
• Bread making workshop and tasting in Matera
• Tasting of farm products day 7
• Group Transfer IN and Transfer OUT from Bari Airport
• All local travel required for our walks
• Luggage transportation hotel to hotel so you only need day packs
• Local experienced email guide
• WalkingWomen support person
• Hotel Taxes

What’s not included:

• Lunches on the days in Matera and Alberobelle where there are plenty of cafes and restaurants as you look around.
• Dinners on 5 nights – there are reasonably priced restaurants and shops around and your guide will advise you and sometimes book the restaurants for you. There is a WalkingWomen support with you who will join you for meals.
• Drinks
• Entrance fees and tips and any Hotel tourist taxes

Not included is travel to Italy where the main airport is Bari. You can fly to Bríndisi where pick ups can be arranged at an additional cost. It is possible to travel from the UK by train going via Paris to Rome and on to Naples and onwards to Bari. If you have time.  We can advise.

This is the holiday for those wishing for an adventure discovering the most southern region of Italy. Experiencing the area with a local guide is not to be missed!

DETAILS

Our local partner Claudia tells us that walking is the best way to experience this region. You will meander along local paths,in olive groves,along an ancient aqueduct, and beside the Adriatic Sea. You see beautiful views, marvel at hidden places and experience the authentic Puglia.

We stay in Unesco towns, sleep in Trulli houses and cave hotels, taste local produce and learn about the history of this wonderful area.

ITINERARY

IMPORTANT: Due to organisational reasons, weather conditions or local conditions  the itinerary may change. Our guide will brief you each day on the following days activities and inform if anything has to change. An adventurous, flexible spirit is helpful on this very special trek.

Day 1 Lecce
You will be collected from Bari airport and taken to Lecce with a private transfer (about 2hrs). Welcome to Lecce, a city that will surprise with its stunning Baroque style and the whiteness of its stones.

Welcome briefing and dinner in Lecce.

Day 2 Lecce – Otranto – Lecce (9km, +100m -100m)

After breakfast, the group will take a private transfer (about 40min) to Otranto from where you will start your walk. You spend the first day in and around the most eastern city of Italy, which has always been a link between East and West.

You walk along the stunning coastline enjoying unspoiled landscapes until you see the most eastern tip of Italy: the fascinating Cape of Otranto. Here the currents of the two seas, Adriatic and Ionian, meet in an incredible scenery. You will see the now famous, abandoned bauxite quarry or Blue Lake for a breathtaking picture full of colours and strong feelings. Light lunch is included at a beach bar and there is an opportunity to swim for those interested.

Time permitting you can also explore Otranto and its stunning architecture or stay and relax on the beach.

Return to Lecce with private transfer (about 40min) for dinner and your overnight stay.

Day 3 The Park of Rock Churches (11km, +320m -320m)
After breakfast a private transfer (about 2hrs) will take you to the surroundings of Matera.

We hike down and up the ravine to Murgia Timone, the Natural Park Chiese Rupestri (Rock Churches) of Matera. Today’s route will take us along an enchanting panoramic trail, rich in nature and dotted with churches carved into the rocks of the hillside. As we get close to Matera we will have stunning views over the town and its Sassi (caves).

Overnight in a ‘cave hotel’ in the beautiful Matera.

Day 4 Matera
In the morning we will go to a  bread workshop to learn more about this product that has always been a symbol of Matera. We will of course enjoy ‘a tasting’ of the homemade products. In the afternoon a private guided walking tour to learn more about this unique city and UNESCO heritage site (2hrs) that was considered to be the embarrassment of Italy just 40 years ago.
Second overnight in the beautiful Matera.

Day 5 Locorotondo – Alberobello (13km, +110m -140m)
After breakfast we take a private transfer (about 1hr) to the Itria Valley, an area known for its architectural and craft specialities.
Today we walk along the Greenway of Puglia Aqueduct, the longest aqueduct in Europe to Locorotondo. From Locorotondo a short train ride (15min) to Alberobello for overnight in a typical ‘Trullo’ house. You will think you are in a film set.

Day 6 Alberobello and its wook (6km, +100m -100m)
In the morning a circular walk in beautiful forest to explore the Bosco Selva, the “green heart” of the area and a rare example of the vast oak forest that once covered the entire surrounding area.
Free afternoon and second overnight in the fairytale Alberobello.

Day 7 Ostuni and the Natural Park Dune Costiere (12km, +230m -110m)
After breakfast we take a private transfer (about 1hr) to an old farmhouse in the Natural Park Dune Costiere, the starting point of today’s walk.
You will hike through fields and alongside olive groves:here the soil is rich and fertile, and each season is able to give an incredible variety of crops. After a short tasting menu (lunch)in a small family-run farm you will continue up the hills, through the forest, climbing slowly towards  Ostuni and its hilltop white old town.

Farewell dinner and overnight in Ostuni, the “White City”.

Day 8 Ostuni
After breakfast free time. Transfer to the airport.