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3 segments from The Long Circle South / 2026. Filter the full log with the same tag.
After a sleepless night of heavy wind at Camping Lungomare, the expedition started early and temporarily abandoned the planned route to visit Craco and Matera. Craco delivered abandoned ghost-town atmosphere and raw southern Italian isolation, while Matera proved to be one of the most extraordinary places of the entire journey — ancient cave districts carved into stone and layered with thousands of years of history. Sometimes cheating the route is the right decision.
Today’s loop pushed further south than planned: Lecce, Otranto and finally Santa Maria di Leuca — the southern edge of Puglia. A day of baroque cities, crusader symbols, fortress towns and Adriatic roads under clear skies.
The day began with a true northbound transition out of Carovigno, riding between the Adriatic and the salt pans after deliberately skipping the trulli villages already seen southbound. After lunch, Gargano delivered a beautiful second stage — until a giant boulder blocked the road and forced a return through the same spectacular coastal curves.
