Bike Across Southern Italy

Duration
9 days
Guided Status
Guided
Difficulty
Intermediate
D-Score™
D3 - Advanced

Overview

Building on the success of Ciclismo Classico’s signature Bike Across Italy, director Lauren Hefferon created its ideal counterpart: Bike Across Southern Italy, a 9-day, coast-to-coast journey from the Adriatic to the Mediterranean through Puglia, Basilicata, and Campania. This tour reveals an Italy few travelers ever see. We ride from seaside Polignano into the Trulli region, famed for its fairytale stone dwellings, then cross Basilicata to unforgettable Matera, the ancient Città dei Sassi, an archaeological and cinematic marvel carved into the rock. From there, we pedal through the dramatic Dolomiti Lucane to the hidden village of Castelmezzano and continue across the Southern Apennines, passing nature reserves, historic monuments, and timeless hill towns. The journey ends along the unspoiled Cilento coast in Campania—every bit as beautiful as the Amalfi Coast, yet blissfully untouched—before concluding in Maratea, the “Pearl of the Tyrrhenian Sea,” where forested hills meet brilliant blue water.

Daily Ride Schedule

Day 1: Polignano a Mare

15 km 600 m

D1

Polignano a Mare

Day 2: Polignano a Mare to Alberobello

35 km 2300 m

D1

Polignano a Mare to Alberobello

Day 3: Alberobello to Matera

45 km 2000 m

D1

Alberobello to Matera

Day 4: Rest Day or Loop Ride to Montescaglioso

30 km 2600 m

D1

Rest Day or Loop Ride to Montescaglioso

Day 5: Matera to Castelmezzano

60 km 6500 m

D3

Matera to Castelmezzano

Day 6: Castelmezzano to Padula

45 km 5500 m

D2

Castelmezzano to Padula

Day 7: Padula to Palinuro

55 km 5200 m

D2

Padula to Palinuro

Day 8: Palinuro to Maratea

45 km 5300 m

D2

Palinuro to Maratea

Day 9: Arrivederci!

Arrivederci!

Accommodation & Services

Accommodation

Hotel

What's Included

Catering services
Accommodation arrangements
Bike rental
Mechanical support
Support vehicle following all rides

About the Apulia

Read full regional guide