GuardTrailsItaly · May
Off the beaten track
Secret Stones & Wild Shores of Apulia and Basilicata
Less-visited places, with one or two classics all the same.
Discover the hidden, mystical side of the Italian South, from the silent rock churches of Matera to the quietest paths of the Itria Valley.
- days11
- bases6
- stages7
- nights10
- transfer days4
- stage to stage497 km
- at the wheel, day by day6 h 43
Who this itinerary is for
This itinerary suits a traveller looking for: a trip in May, getting around by car, sleeping in hotels, a village stroll, a town walk (2 h), a day hike, strolling, with no sporting programme, kayak or canoe, easy cycling, via ferrata, wildlife watching, a museum or cultural visit and a park or garden.
The area
the rugged cave dwellings of Matera, the trulli of Itria Valley, the Baroque streets of Lecce, and the wild shores of Salento
The map
Loading the map…
The days at a glance
One line per day: where you sleep, what the day is, the road, and how its time is split.
| Day | Evening base | The day | Road | Time of the day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day1 | Evening base : Bari | ArrivalBari, arrival | Road 14 min | |
| Day2 | Evening base : Matera | TransferMatera Caves & Murgia Park | Road 1 h 05 | |
| Day3 | Evening base : Matera | Day on siteMatera Caves & Murgia Park | — | |
| Day4 | Evening base : Locorotondo | TransferItria Valley & Alberobello Trulli | Road 1 h 24 | |
| Day5 | Evening base : Locorotondo | Day on siteItria Valley & Alberobello Trulli | — | |
| Day6 | Evening base : Polignano a Mare | TransferPolignano Cliffs | Road 33 min | |
| Day7 | Evening base : Polignano a Mare | Day on sitePolignano Cliffs | — | |
| Day8 | Evening base : Lecce | TransferLecce Baroque | Road 1 h 26 | |
| Day9 | Evening base : Lecce | Day excursionSalento Coast | Road 1 h 15 | |
| Day10 | Evening base : Brindisi | TransferBrindisi, departure | Road 34 min | |
| Day11 | — | DepartureBrindisi, departure | Road 12 min |
- programme
- road
- free time
12.0 h usable every day
Good to know
What it leaves aside
This off-the-beaten-path route prioritizes lesser-known natural reserves and quiet local encounters.
Places it did not keep
Gargano Peninsula · Pollino National Park · Gulf of Taranto
Getting there
Fly to Bari Karol Wojtyła International Airport (BRI), 14 min by road from the start.
Train to Bari Centrale, 4 min by road from the start.
Fly home from Brindisi Casale Airport (BDS), 12 min by road from the end.
Train home from Brindisi Centrale, 2 min by road from the end.
The rental car is returned at Brindisi Casale Airport, not where you pick it up: allow for a one-way drop-off fee.
Where you sleep
The region offers a variety of accommodations including boutique hotels, traditional masserie farmhouses, and guesthouses, with advance booking highly recommended during the peak summer season.
Safety
Italy: no warning from the UK authorities (FCDO). Advice of 2026-11-03 · Official advice
Check before booking and before taking out insurance: the advice may have changed since.
Why this version, the cost in detail and the sources are on the method page. Read the method →
When, and for how long
How long?
- You ask for
- 10days
- The area needs, at least
- 11days
- Days kept
- 11days
Travelling in May.
The climate — May
- Daily high, 1 day in 4 is hotter
- 23 °C
- Daily high, 1 day in 20 is hotter
- 26 °C
- Unfavourable day
- 7%
- Windy day
- 7%
Rain, wind and temperature are measured over the 8 h in the middle of the day, on a historical baseline of 55 observations (Open-Meteo). It is a measuring window, not the length of your day: each day of the programme counts 12 h of usable time.
The itinerary, day by day
7 stages over 11 days, in the order of the days. A stage appears on the day you first reach it: you sleep several nights at some, and a day trip leaves from your base and brings you back to it. Each day has its own page.
Every day of this trip has 12 h of usable time. Room to breathe — we have not padded these days to fill them: the free time left is part of the trip.
- Day 1ARRIVALBari, arrival · night in Bari3 h planned · 14 min on the roadSee the day →
- Day 2Matera Caves & Murgia Park · night in Matera5 h 30 planned · 1 h 05 on the roadSee the day →
- Day 3AT BASEMatera Caves & Murgia Park · night in Matera5 h plannedSee the day →
Stage 3 · Locorotondo
Itria Valley & Alberobello Trulli
2 nights · climate favourable
- Day 4Itria Valley & Alberobello Trulli · night in Locorotondo4 h planned · 1 h 24 on the roadSee the day →
- Day 5AT BASEItria Valley & Alberobello Trulli · night in Locorotondo10 h plannedSee the day →
- Day 6Polignano Cliffs · night in Polignano a Mare4 h 30 planned · 33 min on the roadSee the day →
- Day 7AT BASEPolignano Cliffs · night in Polignano a Mare6 h 30 plannedSee the day →
- Day 8Lecce Baroque · night in Lecce5 h planned · 1 h 26 on the roadSee the day →
Stage 6 · Otranto
Salento Coast
Day trip from Lecce · no night here · climate favourable
- Day 9EXCURSIONfrom Lecce → Salento Coast4 h planned · 1 h 15 on the roadSee the day →
- Day 10TRANSFERBrindisi, departure · night in Brindisi2 h planned · 34 min on the roadSee the day →
- Day 11DEPARTUREBrindisi, departure · end of the trip2 h planned · 12 min on the roadSee the day →
What it costs, roughly
€1,351 to €2,124 per person
€123 to €193 per day
Based on: 2 people.
The cost estimate and the availability of accommodation, transport and activities are as of 1 November 2026: prices and availability change over time.
Where the money goes, and how this figure is obtained →To check
1 point to look at before booking.
D2Quota-limited access: book in advance — Matera Caves & Murgia Park
quota to apply for ~3 days ahead — to arrange before you leave
The method
Why this version, what sets it apart from the others, the cost in detail, the interest of the places, the automatic review and the sources.
Read the method →