Planned Route Notes
This stage leaves the vertical world of Matera’s ravines and drops toward the Ionian plain. The terrain softens quickly — dry plateaus give way to cultivated fields and long, open connectors toward the Gulf of Taranto.
The approach to Taranto marks a decisive shift: industrial port structures, naval presence, and wide urban arteries contrast sharply with the ancient stillness of Basilicata. After Taranto, the route follows the arc of the gulf westward and then south into Salento.
Here the landscape flattens. Olive groves dominate. The horizon widens. The riding becomes fluid rather than technical — long coastal stretches, salt air, open sky.
The final descent into Gallipoli feels maritime and exposed. The old town sits on its island, connected by a narrow bridge, facing directly into the Ionian Sea.
This section is transitional: from rock-hewn civilization to open Mediterranean light.