SalentoBike rental
Bike rental in the Valle d'Itria
The Valle d'Itria is not a valley but a wide bowl of vineyards and trulli between three hill towns at about 400 m: Locorotondo (410 m), Cisternino (395 m) and Martina Franca (431 m), with Alberobello on its western rim. Every road between them rolls; the cycle route along the old aqueduct is the one gentle exception. We are SalentoBike, a bike rental in Lecce, about 100 km south. We deliver Trek e-bikes, road and gravel bikes anywhere in the valley, or you collect for free in Lecce and arrive by FSE train. The tracks come with the rental.
How to get a bike in the Valle d'Itria
Delivery. We bring the bikes to your masseria, trullo or hotel in Locorotondo, Cisternino, Martina Franca, Ceglie Messapica or the countryside between them. Distance from Lecce: Cisternino 98 km, Locorotondo and Martina Franca 108 km. The fee is charged per leg, based on distance, and written in your quote before you book.
Free pickup in Lecce and the FSE train. The valley has its own railway. Locorotondo and Martina Franca are on the FSE line from Bari; Cisternino Città, just below the old town, and Martina Franca are on the FSE line from Lecce via Francavilla Fontana. So you can collect at Via Ribezzo 2D in Lecce and ride the train to the valley with the bike; Puglia has a regional agreement that makes bikes free on regional trains where the timetable allows, and we check the connection for your dates. One trap: the Trenitalia station called "Cisternino" on the Bari–Lecce line is in the plain, far from town. Use Cisternino Città (FSE) or Ostuni, then the climb.
Our loop: Locorotondo, Alberobello, Martina Franca
30.4 km, 302 m of climbing, highest point 431 m, steepest pitch 10 %, about two and a half hours of riding. We ride it ourselves and it is the loop we give first to anyone staying here: start in Locorotondo, the round town of the cummerse and the white Verdeca wine, cross the trulli country to Alberobello, climb to Martina Franca and its Palazzo Ducale, and roll back along the rim. On an e-bike in mid assist a regular walker does it with time for three towns; on a road bike it is a good morning. Stretch it to 61.3 km and 650 m by adding Cisternino, or ride the 39 km villages loop from Martina Franca station if you arrive by train.
The Ciclovia dell'Acquedotto Pugliese
The aqueduct that brought water to Puglia a century ago has a service road on top of it, and about 22 km of it are now a cycle route through the valley: from Cisternino towards Ceglie Messapica, plus a stretch in the Martina Franca countryside between Pineta Ulmo and Monte Fellone. You enter at Contrada Figazzano, reachable from Locorotondo or Cisternino on the Strada Comunale 35 parallel to the SP134. The surface is pressed gravel, two to three metres wide; the aqueduct section is a string of small ups and downs, then the route drops from about 400 m at Cisternino to about 300 m near Ceglie. A loop from Locorotondo to the Figazzano bridge and along the ciclovia is 27.5 km with 240 m of climbing: the ride for the gravel bike or the Rockrider e-bike, and the one to do with children who ride.
Rides in the Valle d'Itria
| Ride | km | Climbing | Bike | Character |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valle d'Itria loop: Locorotondo – Alberobello – Martina Franca | 30.4 | 302 m | e-bike, gravel, road | rolling, three towns, max 431 m; ridden by us |
| Figazzano bridge and Ciclovia dell'Acquedotto loop from Locorotondo | 27.5 | 240 m | gravel, e-bike | pressed gravel on the aqueduct; a ride we suggest |
| Itria Valley villages loop from Martina Franca station | 39.0 | 360 m | e-bike, road | Martina Franca, Alberobello, Locorotondo; 3.4 km of cycleway |
| Four white towns: Alberobello – Locorotondo – Martina Franca – Cisternino | 61.3 | 650 m | e-bike, road | the full day; a ride we suggest |
| Martina Franca → Crispiano, towards Taranto | 27.8 | 328 m (490 m down) | gravel, e-bike | hilly for Puglia, max 504 m, pitches to 16 % |
| Locorotondo → Ostuni loop | 57.8 | 650 m | road, e-bike | valley to the White City and back |
| Locorotondo → Torre Canne lighthouse loop | 50.0 | 570 m | road, e-bike | the sea and 400 m back up |
The Alberobello to Martina Franca stage and the trulli loops are on bike rental in Alberobello; the coast side, Torre Canne and Torre Guaceto, on bike rental in Ostuni.
Towns, markets, food stops
Locorotondo is the one to ride around: the ring road on the rim looks over the whole valley. Cisternino has an eleventh-century Norman tower and the fornelli pronti, butcher's shops that grill what you pick at the counter from about six in the evening. Martina Franca is the biggest and the baroque one, with the opera festival in July and August since 1975 and capocollo, a Slow Food Presidium made only here, in Cisternino and Locorotondo, from September to May. Markets: Cisternino Monday, Martina Franca Wednesday, Alberobello Thursday, Locorotondo Friday, Ostuni Saturday. In summer the valley is hot by noon and the lanes have little shade: ride from eight to one, towns in the evening. April to June and September to October are the months for the long loops.
Which bike for the Valle d'Itria
E-bike, for most people: 300 to 650 m of climbing a day is the norm here, and the Rockrider E-ACTV with removable battery suits the aqueduct's gravel. Road bike if the climbing is the point: the town-to-town roads are tarmac, short and steep rather than long. Gravel bike for the ciclovia and the white lanes. Sizes XS to 61, riders from about 150 to 197 cm.
Prices in short
Road and gravel bikes from 50 € for one day down to 35 €/day from 8 days; e-bikes from 55 € (Rockrider) or 60 € (Trek) for one day. Helmet, lights, lock, bag, pump and repair kit always included. No deposit, payment at delivery or pickup, free cancellation: see all prices or ask for a quote. Other towns: bike rental in Puglia; start in the valley and finish in Ostuni or Lecce: one-way rental.
Free pickup is available at our three points in Lecce, San Foca and Calimera. Delivery elsewhere is quoted by distance.
Frequently asked questions
- Where do you deliver in the Valle d'Itria?
- Locorotondo, Cisternino, Martina Franca, Ceglie Messapica and the masserie between them. The fee is charged per leg, based on distance, and written in your quote.
- Can I get to the valley by train with the bike?
- Yes. Locorotondo and Martina Franca have FSE stations on the line from Bari; Cisternino Città and Martina Franca are on the FSE line from Lecce. Collect free in Lecce and ask us about the connection.
- Is the Valle d'Itria hilly?
- Yes. The three towns are at 395 to 431 m and every road between them rolls: our 30.4 km loop climbs 302 m, the four-town day 650 m. The Ciclovia dell'Acquedotto is the gentlest option.
- Can I cycle on the Ciclovia dell'Acquedotto?
- Yes. About 22 km are open between Cisternino, Ceglie Messapica and the Martina Franca countryside, on pressed gravel two to three metres wide. Enter at Contrada Figazzano from Locorotondo or Cisternino.
- Which bike do I need for the Valle d'Itria?
- An e-bike for most riders, a road bike if you want the climbs, a gravel bike for the aqueduct route. All our e-bikes and gravel bikes handle the ciclovia's gravel.
- Can I ride from the valley to the sea?
- Yes: Locorotondo to Torre Canne and back is 50 km with 570 m of climbing, and Cisternino to Villanova near Ostuni is a 48.3 km loop. Or finish at the coast with a one-way rental.
Request your bike
Send your dates, rider heights and pickup or delivery point. We reply with availability and the complete quote.