Southern Italy Extreme 4SI1801

Southern Italy Extreme 4SI1801

19 May 2018
/Domenico Schiano Moriello
Day 7, Matera - Napoli Last riding day of this tour, today we went back to Naples but first we had to cross the Basilicata region, so we could also see Castelmezzano and the "Small Dolomites" before entering Campania through nice twisty roads. Near Salerno we also stopped for a last coffee break on the Amalfi Coast and then hit the highway in time for the "rush hour" around Naples! Thank you everybody for a great time together!!! Day 6, Matera rest day Today we decided to reach the Adriatic coast of Apulia... so now we can say that we completed the "coast to coast" of Italy! Before reaching the beautiful Polignano by the sea, where we had lunch, we could also see the enchanting trulli buildings in Alberobello, and feel like being in a fairytale. After lunch, we rode back to Matera and also had time for a "little" extra loop to Montescaglioso and Craco, in the inland of the region. Day 5, Melfi - Matera Leaving the hotel, we first stopped in the historic centre of Melfi for a few pictures and then rode around the extinct Vulture volcano and stopped to see the beautiful and peaceful Monticchio lakes. After a pleasant coffee break in Venosa, we entered Apulia to visit the imposing medieval Castel del Monte. But the highlight of the day was of course Matera, one of the oldest continuosly inhabitated settlements in the world, where we could take advantage of a guided walk through its incredible historic centre! Day 4, Pescasseroli - Melfi Today became the longest ride of the tour because of a road closed that forced us to do a big detour in the National Park... so not too bad! Some quite heavy rain on the Matese mountains, and then a good pizza for lunch in Telese to rest a bit. After that, we headed to Benevento and then used the highway for the last kilometres to reach Melfi. Not many pictures because of the rain today! :) Day 3, Rest day in the Abruzzo National Park Who wants to ride on the rest day? Everybody, of course! We hat a great ride through the Abruzzo National Park and its surrounding area: beautiful landscapes, tiny roads, tasty food and good weather! Enjoy the pictures! Day 2, Napoli - Pescasseroli Very good weather this morning in Napoli as we left the hotel! After leaving the big town we quickly rode nortward through the flat pianura campana, and soon reached Gaeta for our first break. After that, it was only a short ride to Sperlonga, the very pretty village by the coast where we had lunch. And then the (riding) fun could finally begin, we said goodbye to the sea and hit the Aurunci mountains. Sweepers and switchbacks (and almost no traffic!) until we reached our destination for today, the village of Pescasseroli in the heart of the Abruzzo National Park. Day 1, Arrival in Naples Welcome to Napoli, the largest seaside city of Italy, a fascinating place with over 2500 years of history that was for centuries the Capital of Southern Italy and was therefore chosen as the starting place for this beautiful tour! Stay tuned!