Welcome to the city of “Trulli”, the ancient peasant dwellings on which much has been said. The last plausible hypothesis led to think of a link between Alberobello and Harran: in this ancient Turkish city at the border with Syria, typical alveolar houses are strikingly similar to the trulli of Alberobello.To find out more about the history and legends related to the trulli, we recommend a visit to the Museum “Casa Pezzolla”.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Mid-Range Accommodation: 3* Hotel

Alberobello – Martina Franca (about 18 km – 4hr 30min walking – elevation up 140, down 120) Today’s walk will head to the South, on country roads and stretches of gently sloping trails. Enjoy the view and the nature of Bosco Selva, a rare example of the vast oak grove that once covered the whole surrounding area. Following direction Martina Franca, among high dry stone walls, typical of this area, and along with pasture fields that still preserve ancient Trulli, you will go up to Monte San Martino to reach the elegant old town center, a vivid example of Puglia Baroque art.

Meals: Breakfast

Martina Franca – Locorotondo – Cisternino (about 15 km – 4hr walking – elevation up 90, down 70)

Meals: Breakfast

Cisternino – Natural Park Dune Costiere (about 16 km – 4hr 30min walking – elevation up 30, down 200) Before you leave Cisternino, take the time to stroll through its narrow streets, to appreciate the details of the buildings, examples of baroque style and oriental “Renaissance”. The village is the result of a spontaneous settlement, “a great masterpiece of architecture without architects.”Back on the road, climb down the eastern slopes of Valle d’Itria until you get to the Regional Natural Park of the coastal dunes, among the most interesting protected areas of South Italy thanks to its many natural habitats and sites of historical importance. Crossing the agricultural village of Montalbano you will reach its dolmen, a megalithic monument hidden amongst ancient olive trees and once used for esoteric rituals that were quite common between the ancient inhabitants of this land.A few kilometers on the Via Traiana, a stretch of the ancient roman road connecting Benevento to Brindisi, and you will get to the farm where you will spend the next two nights.

Meals: Breakfast

Natural Park Dune Costiere (about 12 km – 3hr walking – elevation up 30, down 30) You will need a full day to discover this Park and its many beauties. A loop trail brings you amongst thousand-year-old olive trees, to have a close look to fossil dunes, witnesses of the sea-level shift that occurred over the millennia. Cross endless pastures framed by the famous “lame”, canyons hiding ancient caves; between the fossil dunes and the new ones, you will find the wetland of the River Morelli, characterized by the presence of some freshwater where eel fishing was practiced since the nineteenth century. The way back to the farm will be on the same gravel roads, leaving the sea behind and continuing towards the imposing massif of the Murgia.

Meals: Breakfast

Natural Park Dune Costiere – Ostuni (about 14 km – 4hr walking – elevation up 180, down 40) Leaving the farm, you will at first walk in the countryside where tasty products that end up on the dinner tables of typical restaurants you might want to sit at are grown. Then you shall come up the “mountains” by carefully choosing your path: through the forest, climb slowly towards the ancient village “La Terra (The Earth)“, the highest and most characteristic hill of Ostuni. If you like, you can also try a detour to the Sanctuary of San Biagio, the most complete rocky settlement of Ostuni. When, among the olive trees, you will get to see the white inverted cone of Ostuni, then you will be near the “Archaeological Park of Santa Maria di Agnano”, a site of exceptional historical value where a young woman of the Paleolithic era was found.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Mid-Range Accommodation: 3* Hotel

Ancient Masseria – Ostuni (about 12 km – 3hr walking – elevation up 130, down 130) After breakfast, a short trail, mainly on gravel roads downhill towards the sea will take you back to the Natural Park Coastal Dunes. This protected area between Ostuni and Fasano, with its numerous natural habitats, the ancient olive groves, the historic Masseria farms, and underground oil-mills, develops an important role in environmental protection and relevant sustainable economic development. Reaching an ancient farmhouse you can taste real extra virgin olive oil, visit the underground oil mill supposedly dating back to Roman times, the private museum, the small church from the 18th century with its altar made of local stone of Lecce, the olive trees now waiting for international recognition through a possible future inscription in the Unesco World Heritage list. The way back to Ostuni follows the same short trail.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast, end of services. If you still have time, we recommend strolling randomly through the maze of winding streets in the old town, looking for a souvenir of your stay, maybe a tool made out of olive wood, crafted by the strong hands of patient artisans.

Meals: Breakfast