A piedi lungo il Cammino Materano
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27.06.2022
Self guided 
Walking
The Via Ellenica in the Land of Olives
PugliaDifficulty path:Moderate
Self guided · WalkingDuration: 9 daysCode: ws045
from 860 €per person
Highlights
The Via Ellenica continues the Cammino Materano, which from Bari leads to Matera, leading the traveler to Brindisi, the Gateway to the East.
The first part explores the incredible Land of the Gravine, and the second, starting from the beautiful Martina Franca, leads to the lush Land of the Olives: a journey into the wonderful and colorful countryside of the Apulian hinterland, magically dotted with the incredible trulli, the ancient farmhouses and the well-kept vegetable gardens of the Itria Valley. Fairytale imagery will accompany the discovery of the ancient villages of Alberobello, Locorotondo and Cisternino, while the silence and calm of the countryside around Ostuni and Carovigno will bring you back to contact with nature and the pleasure of living every moment slowly.
The first part explores the incredible Land of the Gravine, and the second, starting from the beautiful Martina Franca, leads to the lush Land of the Olives: a journey into the wonderful and colorful countryside of the Apulian hinterland, magically dotted with the incredible trulli, the ancient farmhouses and the well-kept vegetable gardens of the Itria Valley. Fairytale imagery will accompany the discovery of the ancient villages of Alberobello, Locorotondo and Cisternino, while the silence and calm of the countryside around Ostuni and Carovigno will bring you back to contact with nature and the pleasure of living every moment slowly.
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The secrets of the baroque in Martina Franca
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The fairytale landscapes of Alberobello and Locorotondo
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Cisternino, Ostuni and Carovigno: in the heart of the Itria Valley
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The enchanting plain of centuries-old olive trees
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Brindisi fascinating Gateway to the East
Program
Day1
Martina Franca
Welcome to the capital of the “Martinese Baroque” in the heart of the green Valle d’Itria, in the center of Puglia.
A charming town on the border between the provinces of Taranto and Brindisi, in the hinterland of Puglia, which preserves a historic center and a heritage rich in cultural and food and wine traditions: from Martina Franca this exciting journey along the Via Ellenica starts, connecting the most beautiful villages in the land of olive trees.
Day2
From Martina Franca to Alberobello
18 km
First stage full of places and cultural heritage unique in the world, such as the trulli of Alberobello, which will obviously be the protagonists of this day.
Leaving the last houses of Martina Franca, you will immerse yourself in an enchanted world, a fairy-tale landscape that will accompany you to the gates of Alberobello after having skirted oak groves, nature reserves and expanses of cultivated fields.
Gentle ups and downs will lead you to the beautiful city of Trulli, a UNESCO heritage site since 1996, to be explored in search of the oldest trulli in the quieter and less touristy area of this very well-known town.
Day3
From Alberobello to Locorotondo
23 km
The second stage of the journey along the Via Ellenica unfolds in the enchantment of an itinerary that connects two fascinating villages shrouded in the mystery of their unique buildings in the world: Alberobello and Locorotondo.
The characteristic “cummerse” houses of Locorotondo in fact represent a unique example like the Trulli, and walking among them is an experience. These white houses with sloping roofs, reminiscent of Nordic villages, are an ancient example of popular houses in which the local stone has found its maximum expression, helping to give the village that charm that is difficult to replicate.
Day4
From Locorotondo to Cisternino
16 km
From the wonderful balconies of Locorotondo from which you can enjoy all the beauty of the entire Itria Valley, you will continue the journey along a beautiful path through the Apulian countryside.
You will thus arrive on the dirt path that follows the way of the Apulian Aqueduct and which will lead you to the gates of Cisternino, in the province of Brindisi, which still preserves its rural and ancient charm. The "kasbah of the Itria Valley" is a small masterpiece in which the whitewashed houses in the historic districts, the narrow streets, the blind courtyards and external stairways, the arches and flower-filled balconies are the result of formations generated over time that still fascinate the eyes of spectators today for their incredible perfection.
Day5
From Cisternino to Ostuni
20 km
Leave Cisternino and, walking along the characteristic dry stone walls that delimit private spaces, you will continue your journey through fascinating woods, cultivated fields and ancient olive groves of inestimable value. The typical landscape of the Itria Valley is embellished by the presence of suggestive sheep tracks marked by the passage of the transhumance of flocks.
Glimpses of great charm thin out until they gradually abandon themselves to the silvery forest of centuries-old olive trees that opens the doors to the Archaeological Park of Santa Maria di Agnano, at the entrance to the White City, the beautiful Ostuni.
Day6
From Ostuni to Carovigno
21 km
From Ostuni you will go down into the heart of the plain of centuries-old olive trees where some of the oldest specimens in the region coexist.
We advise you not to leave Ostuni without having visited the remains of the woman of Ostuni, a woman who lived in the Paleolithic and was found with her right hand resting on her belly as protection for the child she was carrying in her womb, and having listened to the interesting stories of Tonino Zurlo, a singer-songwriter who will capture you with his rich baggage of ancient knowledge: look for its shop "L'ulivo che canta".
After a beautiful nature trail, you will be able to glimpse the first houses of Carovigno and you will look for its rich historical center from which the imposing Norman Castle Dentice di Frasso stands out.
Day7
From Carovigno to Serranova
13 km
During this stage of the Via Ellenica you will begin to feel the company of the scented sea wind that from here onwards gets ever closer.
You will pass a path of eucalyptus trees and the low flowering Mediterranean scrub, to continue among the knotted trunks of centuries-old olive trees, prickly pears and some isolated villas. Taking a cycle path, you will arrive in the small village of Serranova, overlooking the wonderful Marine Protected Area of Torre Guaceto.
Day8
From Serranova to Brindisi
27 km
After a hearty breakfast in the rural village of Serranova, a small hamlet of Carovigno, we resume our journey to reach the town of Brindisi, the destination of this part of Via Ellenica that starts from Martina Franca.
Brindisi has a legendary port with a characteristic deer shape and which has always represented the point of arrival and departure for those who have reached the Holy Land over the centuries. In fact, you will walk a stretch of the Via Traiana – Francigena traveled by thousands of pilgrims in the past.
Before reaching Brindisi and the remains of the ancient column located at the foot of the Scalinata Virgilio that marked the end of the Appian Way, you will pass through legendary places that bear witness to historical events, such as the medieval Church of Santa Maria al Casale where a trial of the Knights Templar took place in 1310.
Day9
Goodbye Brindisi!
After breakfast, end of services.
Take some time to visit ancient Brundisium, a city that, thanks to its strategic position, has played a primary role in trade and military routes since the Romans. Furthermore, not many people will know that in the turbulent events that followed the signing of the armistice by the Italian government during the Second World War, the city hosted King Vittorio Emanuele II, becoming the capital of Italy between September 1943 and February 1944.
Tour programme variations
Due to organizational reasons, weather conditions or provisions issued by local authorities, the itinerary may be subject to some changes before and/or during the holiday.
Along the way you may find temporary deviations (for example road works) which cannot be foreseen; in this case each walker can decide autonomously how to deal with these stretches.
What's included
Our offer includes
- 8 nights with breakfast in double room
- Luggage transportation hotel to hotel
- Travel App (maps, tracks, route notes)
- Telephone assistance 8:00-20:00
Not included
- Transfer IN and Transfer OUT
- Other meals and drinks
- Extra luggage
- Entrance fees and tips
- Hotel tourist taxes
- Insurance and what's not listed as “Included”
Departures and prices
Low Season01/02/2025 => 28/03/2025
Standard860 € /p
Mid Season29/03/2025 => 13/06/2025
Standard900 € /p
High Season14/06/2025 => 31/08/2025
Standard940 € /p
Mid Season01/09/2025 => 26/10/2025
Standard900 € /p
Low Season27/10/2025 => 16/12/2025
Standard860 € /p
Supplements per person
Single Room | Low Season
Standard240 € /p
Single Room | Mid Season
Standard260 € /p
Single Room | High Season
Standard270 € /p
Transfer Brindisi-Brindisi Apt (min 2 pax)
Standard40 € /p
Transfer Matera-Bari Apt (min 2 pax)
Standard75 € /p
Solo Traveller
Standard320 € /p
Other Information
Grade
The itinerary along the Via Ellenica is suitable for anyone who has excellent training in walking long distances. The length of the stages ranges from a minimum of 16 to a maximum of 27 km, with differences in altitude and routes of medium difficulty and travel times between 3 and 6 hours.
The excursions mostly wind along dirt paths, including in wooded areas and country roads, with some rare but essential passages on busy roads.
We recommend that you bring comfortable shoes suitable for trekking, trekking poles (strongly recommended), hat, water, sunscreen, swimsuit and raincoat in case of rain.
Accommodation & meals
This tour offers accommodation in central B&B and selected 3* hotel.
All rooms are ensuite.
- 1 night in Martina Franca
- 1 night in Alberobello
- 1 night in Locorotondo
- 1 night in Cisternino
- 1 night in Ostuni
- 1 night in Carovigno
- 1 night in Serranova
- 1 night in Brindisi
8 breakfasts included.
Support
→ We will take care of the transport of your luggage.
For the entire duration of the tour you can contact our assistance numbers.
Travel documents
A few days before departure you will receive the Service List with instructions for using the Travel App.
Upon your arrival, ask at reception for the infopack with:
- Updated Services List;
- Luggage Labels.
Arrival and Departure
Getting there
Martina Franca is easily reachable by train, car and plane.
BY TRAIN. The reference railway stations are those of Bari and Taranto. Once you reach the stations of Bari or Taranto you need to continue with the Ferrovie del Sud Est. To find out about the cancellation or addition of stops, cancellations, delays, route diversions and much other useful information for those travelling by train with Trenitalia, consult viaggiatreno . NB : on public holidays there are no trains but only a few buses.
BY PLANE. The closest airports to Martina Franca are those of Bari and Brindisi.
Bari Palese airport is located approximately 90km away and is connected by shuttle services of various companies or, having reached Bari central station with the Ferrovie del Nord Barese , you can take the Ferrovie del Sud Est train or the bus.
Brindisi Casale airport is about 65km away, from here you can reach Martina Franca by bus. Visit the Airports of Puglia website for more detailed information.
BY BUS. Martina Franca can also be reached by bus. Below are the major companies that operate the service: Flixbus, Ferrovie del Sud Est and car services
BY CAR. For those travelling on the A14 Adriatica, take the exit for Taranto, continue on the SS 172 and then the junction for Martina Franca. From Bari or Brindisi-Lecce: SS 16 - exit at Fasano to join the SS172 towards Martina Franca (km.17). Google.maps.com can help.
→ If you prefer to travel in total comfort, you can book a private transfer on the days of arrival and departure.