Gallipoli to Santa Maria di Leuca

November 22, 2023

I beat the rain to Leuca

It was a nice start to the day, but heavy rain was forecast for the afternoon and evening, so today was a race against the clock. I had plotted out a coastal route and a slightly shorter inland route if the weather looked bad this morning. But it was a nice start to the day, so I chanced the coast for the better views. This is a route that’s been taken by taken by many cycle blazers, all better photographers than me, and mostly enjoying better weather.

Breakfast to start the day was purely Italian. I had a custard-filled cornetto Leccese (in the style of the nearby city of Lecce) and cappuccino at Martinucci, a local chain I’d been advised to watch for by a fellow from Tantrum bike shop in Revelstoke. He’s not only a great bike mechanic, but full of pastry advice too.

I had the roads to myself today, other than a few scattered road bikers and a couple of fully loaded tourers from France who had biked the whole length of Italy. They are wild camping, and will no doubt have gotten soaked this afternoon.

There were long stretches with no beaches, just a rocky shoreline. I’m curious about where and how people access the water. There’s a big marina in Santa Maria di Leuca, so I guess that’s one spot. And lots of billboards touting snorkeling and other tours starting from here.

Narrow streets and scooters. Guess the country. 😀

Despite the dire forecast, it was a nice morning.

There are defensive towers all along the coastline.

Unlike the nuraghe of Sardinia, you can’t just wander into the towers to explore.

A neglected seaside bike path. I just pedalled on the street since there were almost no cars.

What’s the story of this washed up boat, I wonder? No doubt it was a scary end to the trip for whoever was on board.

It was nice enough weather to stop for a quick snack break en route.

There was one road closure en route. No detour was suggested, so I improvised.

I ended up at a dead end, and a kind man explained that I could exit through someone’s yard. I had to walk through their veggie garden.

I beat the rain to Santa Maria di Leuca. I rode over one short stretch of wet pavement at about noon, so I guess the forecast wasn’t completely wrong. Then the rain started for real at about 2 pm.

I’m staying at the lovely Villa Pedaci B&B. I walked up the steep driveway, and was met by the adult son of the family who owns this very large villa and property. He lives and works near Milan and is here for a visit with his parents. He says it’s too windy today for him to go to the beach, but he was swimming just a couple of days ago.

The only flaw in today’s travel plan is that Villa Pelaci is up on top of the only hill around here, very near the famous lighthouse of Leuca, and it’s a longish drop to town. The lighthouse is 47 m tall, plus the hill is another 55 m above sea level. It’s the second highest lighthouse in Europe and has been operating since 1866. If it weren’t pouring rain, apparently from the base of the lighthouse I could have seen the Greek island of Corfu and the mountains on the border between Albania and Greece.

Since my host is fluent in English, he could answer some of my burning questions. Where do the summer employees come from - it must take thousands of them to operate all the bars and restaurants ? Lots of the workers are students, he says. He worked in restaurants here when he was in school. And he says that some of the professional service workers go to northern Italy for the winter ski season to support the tourist industry there. They sure don’t seem to stick around these parts.

He pointed out on a map where the coastal road is closed. And also Tiggiano, the town where Helen Mirren and her husband Taylor Hackford have a house. I’ll pass by there tomorrow. It sounds like she’s well-liked because she’s very vocal about supporting the local olive industry, which has been heavily damaged by a blight. The cause of the blight is Xylella fastidiosa, a bacteria that researchers believe arrived around 2010 from Latin America, possibly on an imported ornamental plant. Today, Xylella has infected at least one-third of the olive trees in Puglia, which formerly produced more than 10 percent of the world’s olive oil.

My host lent me a sturdy umbrella and I made a quick walking tour in the afternoon, but didn’t stay out long because of the rain.

The beautiful view approaching Santa Maria di Leuca. The lighthouse is visible in the distance.

There’s a large and well-protected harbour.

Most of the boats are out of the water for the season.

The famous lighthouse. No views of Corfu today. No other people to be seen either.

That’s a lot of wet stairs. No handrail either.

The start of the coastal road is closed for a bridge repair project, so I’ll need to take an alternate route.

It poured all afternoon and evening, with periodic thunder and lightning over a six or seven hour span. I hemmed and hawed about whether I’d bother going down the 250 steps to town. And then back up again. In the dark. And then I decided that cheese, crackers, and salami would make a fine dinner. Plus I had a couple of clementines in my bag. And there may have been a Nutella cookie or two eaten as well.

I’m sorry not to have seen more of this place. At this point in my journey, I don’t have any days to spare, so it’s off to Otranto tomorrow, rain or shine.

Today's ride: 53 km (33 miles)
Total: 1,001 km (622 miles)

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Janice BranhamYou did well for a rainy day. Good thing you're carrying some provisions. I would not have been so well prepared.
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