Best Time to Visit Puglia by Bike: Salento Month by Month

For the best time to visit Puglia by bike, look at three things: temperature, hours of daylight and when the sun sets. The good months run from March to June and from September to December; the ones I love most are May and October.

Puglia weather by month

The table shows the average temperature in Lecce and Santa Maria di Leuca (Leuca for short), the length of the day and the sunset on the 15th of each month.

The temperatures are day-and-night averages measured by the Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare) in Lecce and Leuca between 1961 and 1990 (ISPRA data), so midday is warmer. It's also a little warmer overall today: the annual average for Salento is now between 17.5 and 19 °C (63.5 and 66.2 °F).

Daylight and sunset times are calculated for the 15th of each month in 2026 (US Naval Observatory). They're clock times: the clocks show daylight saving time, which in 2026 runs from 29 March to 25 October.

Spring: April and May, with March still cool

March is still cool and the sun sets early. In April the days get longer, sunset passes 19:00 and temperatures rise every week until May. May is one of my two favourite months, when a long ride can be taken at an easy pace.

Early in the morning it's cooler. Bring a light layer that you can take off and put back on.

Routes for spring

• Otranto to Santa Maria di Leuca: the Coast Road: 52 km (32 miles) of ups and downs, mostly along the coast, one way. Ride it in the cool.
• Lecce, Le Cesine and the Adriatic coast: hard, over 100 km (62 miles) with the ride back. The track ends near Acaya, and getting back to Lecce adds about 12 km (7.5 miles). On the track that's about 7 hours in the saddle without stops, plus the ride back. In spring you have the light to get there.

Which bike. On the Coast Road the climbing is noticeable. If you don't ride much, take an e-bike. If you ride regularly, take the road bike or the gravel bike. For the long Le Cesine ride, choose a bike you're comfortable on for hours: the gravel bike is the most comfortable.

Summer: June, July, August

July and August are the warmest months, with averages around 25 °C (77 °F). Around midday it's much hotter. The days are long, though: sunset stays between 19:45 and 20:19.

In summer I set off at 6:00. Head out early too, rest in the middle of the day and ride again in the late afternoon. Carry water and plan your stops in the shade. For what to pack, see my cycling holiday packing list for Salento.

Routes for summer: short, flat rides

• Torre Specchia to Frigole via San Cataldo: 22.5 km (14 miles), almost flat along the Adriatic coast, about an hour and a half. The route is one way, so decide beforehand how you'll get back.
• Lecce to Salice Salentino: 20 km (12.4 miles), flat, just under an hour and a half. This one is also one way.

Which bike. Any bike will do: a non-electric one is enough. If you'd rather arrive less tired, take an electric one.

Autumn: September, October, November

September is still summer in temperature, but three degrees (5.4 °F) cooler than August and with plenty of light. October is the other month I love most: it's cooler and the sun sets close to 18:00. After 25 October the clocks go back and the sun sets about an hour earlier on your watch, so be back by about 17:00. In November the days are already short, as in winter.

In October, set off in the morning and keep an extra layer in your bag.

Routes and bikes for autumn. September and October suit the same long rides as spring: the Coast Road from Otranto to Leuca and the Le Cesine ride. For the ride of more than 100 km, start at first light. Take a gravel or road bike for the long ride, or an electric one if you want to keep some energy for the evening.

Winter: December, January, February

The coldest months are January and February, and Leuca is warmer than Lecce by a degree or a little more. The problem is daylight: in December and January the day lasts a little over nine hours and the sun sets before 17:00.

Plan every ride to finish in daylight, and keep your lights on even when it's still bright. My bikes come with front and rear lights.

Routes for winter. The short rides from summer work well: Lecce to Salice Salentino and Torre Specchia to Frigole. Both are one way and take about an hour and a half each, so even with the ride back you finish in daylight. The long Le Cesine ride leaves little margin in winter, with 9 to 10 hours of light.

Which bike. On flat roads a road bike or gravel bike is fine. If you want less effort, take the electric Rockrider.

In every season, watch the wind

I do a lot of different rides, often on the coast, and I choose them by the wind. It can get very strong here: on the coast there are days when it reaches 70 km/h (about 43.5 mph). Riding into a wind like that is impossible. With the wind behind you, though, even a non-electric bike goes like an e-bike.

The two winds to watch are the tramontana, from the north, and the scirocco, from the south-east. When the tramontana blows, the Adriatic is rough and the Ionian is calm; with the scirocco it's the other way round. Before you set out, check where the wind is coming from and pick your coast to match.

How to choose your bike

• Road bike, Trek Domane AL. For asphalt and fast rides. €50 for one day, and less per day for longer rentals.
• Gravel bike, Trek Checkpoint ALR. Tubeless tyres of 40 or 42 mm depending on the model. It suits routes with a few unpaved stretches. Same price list.
• Electric Rockrider. +€5 a day, removable battery, up to 70 km (43.5 miles) in Eco mode.
• Electric Trek. +€10 a day, about 17 kg, main battery not removable. A second, removable battery costs €10 a day.

There's no deposit. The sizes of each model are on the bikes page.

Book your bike

Once you've picked your month, choose your bike and dates on the bike rental in Lecce page. You can collect and return the bike free of charge at my three depots in Lecce, San Foca and Calimera. Anywhere else I can deliver, for a fee based on distance. More rides are on the Salento cycle paths page.