Puglia & Basilicata Walk |
|
|
Take a stroll through the trulli!
|
Explore the alleyways
of Monopoli
|
Come in the spring
when
the poppies bloom
|
Look both ways before
you
cross the street!
|
Good-luck symbol on
trullo roof
|
They love their cheese
|
Puglia & Basilicata Walk Itinerary
TOUR AT A GLANCE -
Duration: 8 Days/7 Nights
Departures: Private departures only, contact us for details.
Trip Departs: Bari, 9:00 a.m. on Sunday, Day 2
Trip finishes: Bari train station, Saturday morning Day 8
Trip cost: price depends on number of participants. Please contact us for details!
Come and explore one of Italy’s most beautiful (and undiscovered!) regions. The “heel of the boot,” Puglia (often called Apulia in English) has a rich and complex history, from the prehistoric traces of 25,000 years ago, to the Illyrians, Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Normans, Swabians, and Spanish. Basilicata borders Puglia to the northeast and offers real beauty off the beaten track. We’ll see the amazing city of Matera, built into the rock along a dramatic gorge, and then spend two nights high in the mountains of the Dolomiti Lucane.
Your local guide will lead you along quiet trails amongst olive groves and vineyards to discover the beauty of this diverse area. We will visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Alberobello, famous for its 1,500 trulli houses. A trullo is an unusual stone house, found only in this region and of a unique shape: its round with a conical roof, and completely without mortar! You will also visit the beautiful seaside towns of Polignano a Mare and Monopoli, once home to the Greeks and Romans who colonized the coast more than 2,000 years ago, now stunning white-washed towns with medieval walls, Renaissance fortifications, and Baroque churches. You may also make time for a dip in the Adriatic Sea! Our next two days are in the fantastic city of Matera (another World Heritage site), whose inhabitants until recently lived in caves carved out of a limestone promontory cut in two by a spectacular ravine. Our last two day take us up into the mountains for scenery unexpected in southern Italy. Hike through verdant forests and then relax at night in your mountain retreat.
And of course it wouldn't be Italy without good food and wine. Puglia is home to some of Italy’s most interesting cuisine, from fresh seafood on the coast to the opulent array of antipasti they bring before dinner using the finest local produce: roasted artichokes, fresh figs and almonds, savory vegetable pies, and the deliciously creamy burrata cheese. What’s more, the wines of Puglia are among the best in Italy, blending the southern grapes with new international wine-making techniques.
Join us for this excursion to Puglia and Basilicata, combining the fresh air and open skies of the countryside with the history, elegance, fabulous food, and delicious wine of southern Italy!
Day 1 - Saturday: Independent arrival in Bari and check-in at our pre-booked hotel. Formerly the domain of smugglers and brigands, Bari's quaint and atmospheric historic center has been revitalized during the past ten years. Cafés, wine bars, and trattorias line the labyrinthine medieval streets, all of which eventually lead to the remarkable Romanesque architecture of the 12th-century Basilica di San Nicola. Depending on your arrival time, the afternoon and evening are open for sightseeing or just relaxing after your journey. Dine independently tonight in one of the many local restaurants. All meals and transfer to Bari on your own. Hotel included. Dinner not included.
Day 2 - Sunday: Meet your guide at 9:00 this morning in the hotel lobby and then transfer by van to the countryside and the start of our first walk. We explore both history and nature today as we wind our way through immense olive groves and almond groves down to the sea. Get your first look at the typical conical-roofed buildings called trulli, as well as some 11th century rock-hewn churches. We end in the beautiful seaside village of Monopoli. A short ride takes us to Conversano, our home for the next two nights. Our hotel is in a converted medieval convent in the center of town, in the shadow of an immense Norman castle. Breakfast, dinner and hotel included.
Day 3 - Monday: A 30-minute shuttle takes us to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Alberobello, famous for its 1,500 trulli houses. We begin with a walk in the countryside, winding through farmland and forests, past Neolithic sites and peacefully grazing cows. We’ll stop for lunch at a masseria – the imposing fortified manor houses that are the legacy of dangerous medieval times when corsairs raided the Pugliese coast. You’ll have free time this afternoon to wander through the cobbled streets of Alberobello before returning to Conversano for an introductory wine tasting of some of Puglia’s finest wines. Dinner tonight at Café Pasha, one of the region's top restaurants. Overnight in Conversano. Breakfast, dinner and hotel included.
Day 4 - Tuesday: After breakfast, we have an hour’s drive out of Puglia and into Basilicata and the amazing town of Matera. This is another UNESCO World Heritage site and you’ll see why: until the late 1950's many of Matera’s inhabitants lived in stone dwellings partially excavated from the rock face of the two steep ravines that slice through town. The city is honeycombed with caves, rock-hewn churches, and shops dug out of the stone. We’ll have a guided visit of Matera and then have an afternoon walk with gorgeous views of town. Our hotel for the next two nights is the four-star Hotel Sant'Angelo, whose unique rooms were once a tannery carved out of the rock. We dine tonight in a colorful local trattoria. Breakfast, dinner and hotel included.
Day 5 - Wednesday: This morning we have a short transfer to the start of our walk along the ravine. We pass by the remains of dwellings and churches all along this rugged wilderness, then stop for a picnic overlooking the gorge. You’ll have some free time to explore the surprises of Matera before heading next door for a fabulous and fancy dinner. Breakfast, dinner and hotel included.
Day 6 - Thursday: Today we transfer out of the lowlands and head into the surprising heights of the Dolomiti Lucane. We’ll enjoy an Alpine hike with gorgeous views in the Parco Gallipoli-Cognato before settling into our hotel in Castelmezzano. Dinner tonight of local specialties and a bottle of fine Basilicata wine. Hotel, breakfast and dinner included.
Day 7 - Friday: Today we have a full-day hike through the peaks and meadows of these spectacular mountains. The area is rich in history, with Neolithic remains, evidence of a Bronze Age civilization, and settlements from the Lycians (Turkey), Greeks, Romans, up through Byzantine defending their territory against Saracen invaders. We stop for a picnic at Monte Croccia, where we can visit the ruins of the 4th century BC Lycian settlement. Final dinner at the hotel restaurant, one of the best in the area for regional cuisine. Hotel, breakfast and dinner included.
Day 8 - Saturday: We transfer this morning to Bari for train or flight departures, arriving at the station around 10:30. Breakfast included.
See all of our tours by DESTINATION & ACTIVITY
See all of our tours by date: TOUR CALENDAR 2009
The walks in Puglia
contain moderate hills over some uneven terrain. We usually walk
between 3-5 hours a day, divided between morning and afternoon. We have
designed the trip so that
there is always some free
time in the late afternoon so you can relax, read, or explore the towns
we stay in.
Breakfast is included every day, and dinners reflect the excellent
traditional food of the region. Daily distance between 8 and 14 kms.
General Information
Qualifications: This trip is rated moderate to easy. Some
prior hiking experience is beneficial but anyone in good physical
condition will have no problems with the walks. We usually walk between
10-16 kms a day (6-10 miles), or about 3-4 hours of
walking a day, more or less equally divided between morning and
afternoon.
Trip Cost Includes: 7 nights total (1 night 3-star in Bari, 2 nights each in 4-star in Conversano & Matera, 2 nights in Castelmezzano in 3-star hotel); 7 breakfasts and 6 dinners; bilingual guide or guides; all van transfers and luggage transfers from pick-up in Bari on Day 2 to Saturday morning Day 8.
Booking: e-mail us to receive a booking contract (or use the "Reservation" page).
Insurance: We highly recommend the purchase of Trip
Insurance. We recommend "Travel Guard" to our American clients, just click on the logo below, while Canadian residents can click here. Australian, New Zealander, and British travelers, please consult your insurance brokers.
We look forward to having you join us for the trip of a lifetime! |
|