The Skedaddle team will meet you at Bari Karol Woytila Airport (BRI) and transfer to the seaside town of Monopoli (transfer time approx 1 hour). On arrival we will build and/or fit our bikes before settling in and heading out for dinner at one of the many local restaurants.

• Meals: Breakfast
• Ascent: 1,200 Metres Approx.

After breakfast, we’ll head out through the olive groves on the coastal plain, soon encountering our first climb of the holiday, which will lead us up into the Valle d’Itria. From there, the rest of the day will feature a series of rolling hills, providing a pleasant ride through the scenic countryside.

A meandering network of country lanes, lined with dry stone walls, takes us to the famous town of Alberobello, and its iconic trulli houses. A perfect place for a coffee stop, we can take our time to have a closer look at this UNESCO World Heritage site. After our visit we continue on small country roads through the Valle d’Itria until we reach the town of Noci where it’s time for some lunch.

In the afternoon, we arrive at the Murgia plateau cycling to Gioia del Colle, where we visit its Norman castle. From there, a newly surfaced cycleway takes us to the wonderful town of Matera in Basilicata, a UNESCO World Heritage site, where we will stay for the night.

After settling in, we can take a stroll through the Sassi area of the town, characterized by its many cave dwellings, many of which are still lived in, as well as its rock-cut and beautifully decorated churches. We will have dinner in one of the many local restaurants, several of which offer inside-cave seating, an experience not to be missed!

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 1,110 Metres Approx.

Leaving Matera we head further inland, crossing the Murgia plateau, heading west, on a secondary road running parallel to the San Giuliana Lake. The gently rolling terrain of the plateau will soon give way to the first longer climb of the day, which takes us through an open landscape of fields and pastures to the town of Grassano, where we stop in the main square for coffee.

After coffee we head down again into a side valley of the Bassento River before climbing up again to the hill top settlement of Tricarico. This town of Arab-Norman origin, boasts one of the best-preserved medieval centres of the whole of Basilicata, and is embellished by the Cathedral, the Norman tower and castle, the Duke’s Palace, the so-called Saracen Tower and several town gates.

On reaching the town we cycle to the panoramic view point near the Saracen Tower where we will have our picnic lunch, after which we reach our hotel in an ancient palace near the cathedral in the old town.

In the afternoon we have time to explore the narrow alleys of the old town, and have an aperitivo in a local bar, before sitting down for a well-deserved dinner, preparing ourselves for a more testing day tomorrow.

• Meals: Breakfast
• Ascent: 1,830 Metres Approx.

The queen stage of our journey starts with the long and steady climb from Tricarico to the Tre Cancelli and Cupolicchio passes. Here we cycle through the pastures and forests of the Basilicata heartland where human presence is little and far between.

After reaching Monte Cupolicchio, we descend into the village of Albano di Lucania, where we stop for coffee before swooping down to the Basento River. The next seven km to Castelmezzano will test our legs with some steep sections, but the effort is well worth it for the panoramic descent into this little mountain town nestled beneath several towering rock faces of the “Dolomiti Lucane“, dolomites of the south. We will stop here for a short walk through the village and to grab something delicious to eat.

After lunch, we continue climbing gradually on a little mountain road with wonderful views of the surrounding mountains. A swift descent on nearly perfect tarmac brings us to Laurenzana and into the Camastra River Valley, which we follow to the village of Calvello, where we will rest for the night with the hardest day now behind us.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 1,230 Metres Approx.

This morning, from Calvello, we head uphill into the mountains to reach the highest point of our journey, at around 1300 metres above sea level. Here we pass underneath Monte Volturino, which dominates the valleys of the Camastra and Agri Rivers. Our descent into the Valle d’Agri takes us down past the hamlet of Marsico Vetere on a beautiful panoramic road counting no less than 13 switchbacks. Once we reach the valley floor, we deviate onto quiet country lanes until we reach the village of Paterno where we stop for coffee.

The top of our next climb marks the border between the regions of Basilicata and Campania. We now cycle down to the little town of Padula in the Vallo Di Diano, where we stay in a beautiful hotel situated next to the Certosa of San Lorenzo. This 14th century abbey ranks among the largest in Italy and contains no less than five porticoed inner courtyards. After a leisurely picnic in the hotel garden, a visit to the abbey is a must. This evening we’ll enjoy a nice dinner at the hotel.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 1,340 Metres Approx.

After a final look at the Certosa, we set off through the countryside, travelling along small country lanes to reach the opposite side of the Valle Di Diano. From there, we begin a gradual ascent along the lower slopes of the Cilento Mountains, passing through the villages of Buonabitacolo and Sanza. We then descend to Caselle in Pittari for a coffee break before continuing on to the Bussento River.

The climb kicks up a notch as we near the villages of Torre Orsaia and Roccagloriosa. Taking a well-deserved break in Roccagloriosa for lunch, we then hop back on our bikes to continue the ride. Keeping the vast rock face of Monte Bulgheria to our right, we pass through the hamlets of Acquavena and Bosco before climbing back up again to San Giovanni a Piro nestling on a panoramic ridge above the Gulf of Policastro.

After San Giovanni we can rest our legs along the descent to Lentiscosa and the panoramic hairpins leading down to Marina di Camerota and the Tyrrhenian Coast. What better way to celebrate our arrival than with a well-deserved ice cream? The last part of today’s ride is along the coastal road to the fishermen’s village of Palinuro, where after freshening up in our hotel we head out for dinner in one of the local restaurants.

• Meals: Breakfast
• Ascent: 1,245 Metres Approx.

The last day of our journey takes us north from Palinuro to the Monte Stella promontory and the coastal plain of Paestum. Several short sharp climbs and descents take us up and down along the Cilento Coast, enjoying the most marvellous views of the Med.

From Palinuro we head to the hill-top village of Pisciotta, where we can take a moment to soak up the atmosphere and enjoy the views of the coast. After rolling through Pisciotta, we plunge down a steep descent and climb back up to Ascea, before enjoying a sweeping descent into the coastal plain dominated by the remains of the Greek and Roman town of Velia. A short ride along country lanes take us to the Monte Stella promontory and the panoramic coastal road leading through the fishermen’s villages of Pioppi – the centre of the Mediterranean diet, and Acciaroli – where Ernest Hemmingway is claimed to have been inspired for his Old Man And The Sea. After passing through the old centre of Santa Maria di Castellabate we climb up, and then down again on little country roads to the town of Agropoli and its perfectly-preserved old town centre, perched on a rocky promontory around the castle.

The last 10 kms of our journey take us through the coastal plain to the archaeological site of Paestum (UNESCO World Heritage), the location of one of the best-preserved Greek temples outside of Greece itself. We’ll take some time to relax at the hotel before heading out to admire the temples and enjoy our final dinner together.

• Meals: Breakfast

Alas, it is time to say our farewells and transfer to Naples (Capodichino) Airport (NAP) for return or onward flights. Alternatively or public transfer connections to the city are an option for anyone choosing to extend their time in Italy.