Hero Cyclovia of the Ionic Salento
SalentoFrom Lecce to Galatina the extraordinary adventure of pedaling in the lands of the Salento between coastal parks, boroughs and wilderness beaches

Cyclovia of the Ionic Salento

A0
  • Destination

    Salento

  • Length

    305 km

  • Duration

    30 h 35 min

Descrizione

The sweet countryside costing massage and pajare, the wild beaches along the coast, the pinks on the sea in the parks to the scent of the Mediterranean spot, the boroughs and the small navies that treasure ancient tales and masterpieces not just a glimpse : it is an extraordinary adventure pedaling in the lands of the Salento, starting from Lecce to touch Galatin, the homeland of tarantism, and then immersing itself in the parks of which it is rich in the Ionian sea.

Between one borgo and the other, alternates thus the Natural Park of Ugento, the Park of Punta Pizzo and the Isle of Sant' Andrea, the Park of Portoselvaggio, the protected Marine Area of Porto Cesareo, the Reserve of the Palude del Conte, the Reserve of the Tarantino littoral, up to the mouth of the Chidro River.

You then enter into the land of the Primitivo by touching Manduria and Avetrana to return then to Lecce.

The complete cyclovia and the 5 ring paths

The Cycllovia of the Ionian Salento is the complete path to explore this territory, it is a ring path at the reach of all that develops in just over 300 kilometres in six recommended stages (Lecce, Nardò, Ugento, Gallipoli, Tower Lapillo, Avetrana).
Overlapping for a good part of the main itinerary, are five ring paths that allow you to make excursions of a day or to arrange to measure your journey by bike:

  • Escursion E-01 : from Ugento to Racale
  • Escursion E-02 : from Gallipoli to Racale
  • Escursion E-03 : from Nardò to Gallipoli
  • Escursion E-04 : from Porto Cesareo to Nardò
  • Excursion E-05 : from Manduria to Torre Lapillo

The main path, long 305.8 km, and for 82% on asphalt and 18% on stills, with low intensity traffic on almost all the route, except in July / August on littoral traits.

Lecce

Lecce is the Pugliese city known as the "Florence of the South" for its extraordinary baroque beauty.

It is a city that enchants and deserves to be explored by bicycle to discover its rich artistic and architectural heritage.

Pedalando for its narrow and evocative streets, you can admire the magnificent baroque churches, the historical palaces and the enchanting squares that characterize the historical centre of Lecce. The bicycle will allow you to move agely between the most important monuments, such as the Basilica of Holy Cross, the Duomo and theRoman Anfiteatro.

Lecce is surrounded by a campaign that will amaze you in all seasons and rich in ancient olive groves and vineyards. Pedalling between the streets of the salentine countryside will offer you the chance to discover the true essence of the Puglia.

Finally, Lecce is a lively and welcoming city, rich in culinary and cultural traditions that you can discover along your bike journey. Stop in a local trattoria to taste the delicacies of the salentine cuisine and immerse yourself in the unique atmosphere of this city that can conquer the heart of anyone who visits it.

Pedalare through the streets of Lecce will be an unforgettable experience that will leave you with precious memories to take with you forever.

Exiting the city meets the first important point of interest of this cyclovia : the archaeological area of Rudiae.

 

Itinerary in stages

50.10 km5h 1m
From Lecce to Galatin and Nardò

Part from Lecce, the capital of the Baroque, the first leg of the Ciclovia of the Ionian Salento. And it is immediately a journey between history and nature : as soon as the city leaves the archaeological area of Rudiae with its amphitheatre, the fiabian road of the Cupa Valley and the rural chiesthole of the Madonna della Neve. Then you enter the Grecìa Salentina, touching on Sternatia and Soleto, to stop in Galatin to admire the magnificent frescoes of the Basilica of St. Catherine of Alexandria and the atavics suggestive of the tarantates.

You arrive in Nardò that comes with its ancient borgo rich in history.

Vai alla tappa

48.80 km4h 53m
From Nardò to Ugento

Between pajare and dry mulls, it is a ride in the interior of the Salento the second leg of the Cycloth of the Ionian Salento.

After Nardò, it touches Galatone, with its borgo dominated by the Sanctuary of the Crucifix, and then passes from Sannicle and Alezio.

The sweet salentine campaign alternates to the municipalities of Taviano, Racale and Alliste.

The small and evocative borgo of Felline opens the way to the approx in Ugento, the town of the tiny Zeus.

Vai alla tappa

57.00 km5h 42m
From Ugento to Gallipoli

Directorate of the sea, it is set aside from Ugento for the third stage of the Cyclovia of the Ionian Salento, but first it passes through the Gemini borgo, arriving on the coast between the Bacines of Ugento, in the heart of the Ugento Coastal Natural Park.

He pedals to the seashore on the delightful cyclopedontal trail along the low cliff of Capilungo, to arrive later in the heart of the Punta Pizzo Regional Park, touch the Church of St. Peter of the Samarians and return to pedal ashore on the seashore along the cyclopedonal of the Green Bay to Gallipoli.

Vai alla tappa

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Alternative path to stage 3 of the Ciclovia path of the Ionian Salento

Vai alla tappa

50.80 km5h 5m
From Gallipoli to Torre Lapillo

Takes the way from the borgo on the sea of Gallipoli the fourth stage of the Cyclovia of the Ionian Salento to peddle along the coast and enter the coast and enter the river, in Santa Maria to the Bagno, the cycling on the cliff to Santa Caterina.

Here we find ourselves in the great green pineta that mirrors in the crystal clear water of Porto Selvaggio.
He then pedals on the catwalk in front of the sea of the Strea to arrive in Porto Cesareo, between dunes and white beaches.

To mark the end of the stage is Torre Lapillo, the imposing fortress of the coastal defense system of the sixteenth century.

Vai alla tappa

49.30 km4h 56m
From Tower Lapillo to Avetrana

Part from Torre Lapillo, in the shadow of the historic tower, the fifth stage of the Cyclovia of the Ionian Salento.

After a fresco on a fantastic spunnulata (a resurgence), it pedal between the woods of Arneo and the coast with its naturalistic jewels : the paths in the perfumed stain of the Palude of the Count, the pink fenicacles in flight on the lake mirror of Salina dei Monaci, the freezing and crystalline water of the mouth of the Chidro River.
And then straight into the interior, beyond the woods there is first Manduria, with its millennial history, and finally the borgo of Avetrana.

Vai alla tappa

51.40 km5h 8m
From Avetrana to Lecce

Directorate of Lecce, you begin pedaling from the square of Avetrana for the 6th and final stage of the Cyclovia of the Ionian Salento.

After crossing the Mediterranean spot and pastures here is the imposing test track of Porsche.
So it touches Boncore Village and begins a journey in the countryside of the Salento interior, between orti, olive trees and vineyards all the way up to Arnesano.
The arrival in Lecce is an occasion to get to know the ancient borough, from Porta Rudiae to the Cathedral with the fading bell tower, all the way to St. Oronzo Square, welcomed to the finish line by the patron of the city.

Vai alla tappa

Galleria

Immagine descrittiva per percorso
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