Biking in Southern Italy

Puglia is a province in Southeast Italy. The Adriatic Sea separates it from Croatia. Known for wonderful fresh produce and the finest of olive oils, Puglia is largely rural and agricultural. Until recently, it hasn’t been a place frequented by many tourists. In September 2006 my wife, Vicki, and I flew to Rome and then took the train to Bari, where we met our group from Vermont Bike Tours, the organization that would take us through the most scenic parts of Puglia for the next six days.

Bike tours work like this. In the morning after breakfast the group sits down with two guides and goes over the route. Everyone receives detailed route descriptions of the day’s ride. People start out from the hotel usually in small groups and meet several hours later at a designated lunch spot selected by the guides. Around three or four in the afternoon most riders pull into the hotel. Rest and swimming is next on the agenda followed by cocktails and wonderful Italian food in the evening.

Throughout the centuries Puglia because of its location was invaded by many different groups. Local farmers built walls around their properties, and many of these mazzerias, as they were called, were later turned into luxury hotels. We stayed at two of them. The first was very luxurious with beautiful rooms and grounds. The rooms had a North African influence. Large and airy they were tastefully decorated. Rather than the usual plastic containers of soap and shampoo in the bathroom, we found pitchers of those products in the slate shower.

 

Each day we would ride at a relaxed pace through miles of olive groves, occasionally venturing out onto busier highways to reach our destination. The leisurely pace of the trip allowed the nineteen riders an opportunity to get to know each other. Most people were semi-retired or retired professional people from the Midwest. Most had been on multiple international bike trips, were physically fit, and were congenial.

Biking is a great way to vacation. What’s better than great food, exercise, and friendly companions? There are many good companies who run these kinds of trips. We went with Vermont Bike Tours, but I have traveled with Eurobike and Ciclismo Classico in the past. I would recommend all three companies. All the companies rate their trips, so you will have a good idea of degree of difficulty before you sign up.