We did an 8 day self-guided e-bike tour of Puglia. It was all expertly arranged with Michele and worked extremely well. The bikes were excellent and well-equipped. Our luggage was always waiting for us when we arrived at the next town. We chose 4 and 5 star accommodations which were very welcome at the end of 60-80 kms of cycling in weather that was hotter than we had expected for September. The staff at each hotel/resort were welcoming and engaging. The breakfasts were large and delicious.
We rode 500 kms in total and many of the routes along secondary roads and even bike paths were ideal. The app ( Ride with GPS) that Michele had programmed for us worked very well although it took us to some “scenic” sites that were very rocky and bumpy paths which were completely unnecessary. These should be eliminated from the routes. It was also challenging to get in and out of the towns ( due to small winding streets) so having exact directions to each hotel would be better. We also were not always confident the app would re-route us if we went off track- more explicit information about the program would be helpful and eliminate worry and/or back tracking.
We started our time in Matera with a guided tour of the Sassi with Sandra, cooking class in a beautiful palazzo, hiking with an excellent geologist in the small Dolomites and a short cycle to a resort outside of town for lunch and pool time. We did these for several days before the cycling days began. This was all suggested by and arranged by Michele and his team- and each experience was excellent.
In summary, we had a very positive cycling trip through beautiful Puglia-coast to coast-and give top marks to Michele and his team.