BLOG I DAY 21 I  ITALY'S FOUR SEAS: A cycle tour along the Italian peninsula

October 04, 2023  Gallipoli, Puglia - Frigole, Puglia  I  153 Km

This morning I hadn't had breakfast in the hotel simply because I wanted to leave earlier but I had to wait sitting on a chair at the front desk of the hotel waiting for the staff to arrive and give me the bicycle which was in a room for cyclists  This charming accommodation is used by bicycle tour companies on the Salento coast and last night I had a chat about it with a group of English tourists.

The first stretch - After leaving the accommodation and setting up the bicycle I pedaled towards Castello Angioino di Gallipoli which stands on the islet that houses the ancient village of Gallipoli. And at the mouth of the fortress there is a view of the incredible seventeenth-century bridge that unites the two areas: the ancient and the modern one of Gallipoli.

In the area which was pedestrian, I walked with my bicycle and then stopped to have breakfast leaning on an outside table with a cappuccione and a croussant and I was fascinated when I saw the castle walls, the bridge and small moored boats reflecting on the sea , it was one of the very suggestive places to see!

The sscond trech - After leaving Gallipoli pedaling towards the Galilei Galilei seafront which winds along the coast. Spectacular views everywhere I stopped at different corners of the route for photographic shots. Afterwards the road became SP 239, touching the southern curve of a small bay south of Gallipoli, passing through stretches characterized by semi-open bathing establishments with people who also bathed and took turns at the free beach. However for me both were all free, wild and I couldn't imagine what it was like in the high season where there would be mass tourism. After the town of Baia Verde you could see the rocky point that extends into the sea of Punta Pizzo in the distance.

The third stretch - After leaving the beautiful panoramic view of the Punta Pizzo Regional Natural Park, I start pedaling along the coast again, passing by many other seaside resorts, you can see the small white houses, some of which overlook the sea and some offer holiday homes, long stretches of sand fine and a turquoise sea. It is truly a coastal paradise with uncontaminated nature!

The fourth stretch - I passed by a place I don't know the name but on the sidelines of the road there were supermarkets which inside sold food and souvenirs while outside they displayed boxes of seasonal fruit and vegetables and hanging above the market stalls there were braids of red chilli pepper and of dried garlic. Attracted by the colors of the fruit and the beautiful presentation, I stopped where I had bought two bananas and an orange that I had eaten next to the market.

The fifth stretch - After eating the fruit I started pedaling again on the same road which wound along the mostly flat coast, always offering landscapes of the sea and land of dry vegetation with fig plants and the colors and scents typical of Mediterranean vegetation. The easy ride with a few ups and downs, a little windy on the breathtaking stretches of the Ionian Coast of South Salento I arrive at eeIanta Maria di Leuca ften spelled simply Leuca is a fraction of the comune of Castrignano dele Capo, in the provincie of Lecce and is located further south in Italy.

A brief info about Santa Maria di Leuca

Santa Maria di Leuca, a picturesque town lies on the southernmost tip of the Salento peninsula where the Ionian Sea and the Adriatic Sea meet in Puglia. Along the road is visible landmark of the town is the white 157ft tall an active lighthouse which overlooks the sea.


B16 - ADRIATIC CYCLE ROUTE


The Adriatica Cycle Route is a long itinerary that crosses 7 Italian regions connecting Trieste to Santa Maria di Leuca or vice versa It is a 1500km route extending along the eastern coast of Italy with the Adriatic Sea as the protagonist.


The sixth stretch - After leaving the town of Leuca I continued between the various ups and downs of the coastal road of the SP358 provincial road of the Salento lands which runs along the eastern coast offering landscapes overlooking the sea and very panoramic and challenging. Unlike the Ionian Sea side, the Adriatic coast from Leuca is more jagged with high and low rocky cliffs that enclose many caves towards the sea with splendid panoramic views, and the same road should have reached the city of Otranto.

But from a certain point on the Salento coast (SP358 road) due to a construction site, a stretch had been blocked with closed signs (due to work in progress for a new bridge), in both directions, both to vehicular traffic and also to transit of people.

The coast road to Otranto - SP358 I Deviation towards Litoranea Novaglie - Otranto

The seventh stretch - But unfortunately from a certain point on the Salento coast (road SP358) due to a construction site, a stretch had been blocked with closed signs (due to work in progress for a new bridge), in both directions, both to vehicular traffic and also to the transit of people.

So to reach Oltranto I had to take an internal road just before the Ciclo. The road had been recommended to me by a very kind gentleman who in the car had recommended me to the small town of Gagliano del Capo, telling me that the first stretch was very uphill (he wanted to load my bike on his car and take me to my destination but the his car is small and there wouldn't have been room) but anyway I wouldn't have done it despite his kindness.


Telling me that when I reached the village he would offer me a coffee at the bar in the village square as a reward for the climb. He was really sorry for the interruption of the road and for the inconvenience he had caused me.


After greeting the gentleman, I followed the nameless road with only a yellow sign reading (Litoranea Novaglie - Oltranto) which climbed up behind the Ciolo. The road was so steep that at one point it was impossible for me to pedal and I had to push the bicycle but in return there were balconies with panoramic views of the sea and after the great effort I reached the town of Gagliano del Capo. This location is perched (at an altitude of approximately 200 m above sea level) on the Serra de Cianti overlooking the Adriatic Sea in the Ciclo area.


The eighth stretch - I  had left that area without having found the square for the coffee that the gentleman wanted to offer me also because when I reached the village the signs were a bit confusing and I was also lost at a certain point.


Then, the long descent took me back to the road closure on the opposite side of the SP358 provincial road and then arrived at Lungomare Cristoforo Colombo, and finally at the coastal town of Otranto in the province of Lecce.


The ninth stretch - After the well-deserved visit to the historic center of Otranto and its Aragonese Castle which develops not far from the sea and the beautiful white stone houses and the many alleys.


Then I started pedaling again on the S.P. provincial road. 366 - "Otranto Laghi Alimini" the route wound through ups and downs where the cliffs still reign surrounded by splendid uncontaminated landscapes and views of wonderful beaches. agopodiche I had found a cycling route on a flat country road and, crossing the Alimini natural park with its lakes, a protected area and while on the right side enchanting sea beaches meeting the road sign indicating the directions to Sant'Andrea, Torre dell'Orso and before reaching the town of San Cataldo it had passed along tree-lined paths passing by the Le Cesine Nature Reserve and WWF Oasis, 348 the naturalistic aspect is very beautiful.There were paths that led to the beaches, the sea and the pine forests. It was a decidedly wild and very beautiful place.


The tenth stretch - Then, I pedaled along the coast, passing by the town of San Cataldo and finally the last stage which was located near the sea and nearby is the Acquatina basin, an area of water of artificial origin and a coastal area that is located in the seaside resort of Frigole and a fraction of the municipality of Lecce


The last leg  - Frigole I had asked a boy who had stopped to get petrol at a small petrol station if he knew of a B&B and he kindly made a phone call to anyone he knew. After thanking him I went to her owner in her shop at the Stefy Beauty Center in Prontera Stefania and after meeting her we went to the B & B. After exchanging a few words with Stefania and her husband, nice and kind people in their lovely apartment consisting of a double bedroom and a living/dining room and a bathroom with shower. Then they kindly asked me if I needed us to hesitate in calling them.


After having said goodbye to the owners who had told me to put the bicycle in the apartment, tidied up my luggage and after a shower I took a walk in the village of Frigole where there were some shops but closed and a food shop open where I had purchased dinner, a can of peas and two mozarellas with slices of bread and some salad that Stefania had given me and seasoned with oil and vinegar. In the apartment there was a small full kitchen - clean and comfortable area. I was a perfect place to spend a summer holiday since the beach was about 1,000 meters away, and can also be reached on foot. Once the evening routine was over, I fell asleep in a comfortable bed and tomorrow I will be further north of Puglia, leaving Salento peninsula.











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