When to Go Cycling in Puglia: Month-by-Month Guide

Puglia is one of the few regions of Italy where you can ride almost all year: flat-to-rolling terrain, a dry Mediterranean climate and more than three hundred days of sunshine. But "rideable all year" does not mean every month is equal, and the difference between May and August on the same itinerary is enormous.

We are local guides based in San Vito dei Normanni, in the province of Brindisi. This is the answer we give people who write to ask when they should come — including the months we tell them to avoid.

How the climate works here

Puglia is a long, narrow peninsula with sea on both sides, which softens the extremes: winters are mild and summers, though hot, are less oppressive than inland Italy. The water is not evenly matched, though. The Adriatic side is cooler and windier; the Ionian side is warmer and more sheltered.

Altitude matters too. Salento is barely above sea level, while the Murgia and Alta Murgia sit between 400 and 600 metres and run several degrees colder in winter. If you are coming in the cold season, that difference decides the itinerary.

The factor almost nobody mentions: wind

Puglia is windy. In spring the maestrale and tramontana can blow for days, and on open country with no shelter — the Murgia, southern Salento, the Adriatic coast roads — a flat stage into a headwind is harder work than a climb.

This is not a reason to stay away. It is a reason to plan the direction of your stages and not to be surprised. In summer the same wind is an ally, because it makes the middle of the day bearable. On an e-bike you barely notice it.

The best months: April, May, September and October

April and May are ideal: 18 to 26 degrees, green countryside, wildflowers between the olive trees and quiet roads. May is the most requested month for the Tour of Salento and The Apulian White Towns, and it books up months ahead.

September and October are just as good, and for many people better. The sea reaches its warmest — 24 to 25 degrees in September, warmer than June — the summer crowds are gone, and the low light is spectacular. October is when the olive presses start work, and it is the month in which Puglia explains itself best through its food.

Month by month

January and February — 8 to 16°C

The quietest and cheapest season. On the coast you can ride very well on dry days; on the Murgia you need proper winter kit. Many seaside hotels and restaurants are closed, so the itinerary has to be built around what stays open. In late February the almond trees blossom, one of the region's least known sights.

March — 12 to 18°C

Excellent for experienced riders. Days lengthening, countryside at its greenest, near-total quiet everywhere. Bring a windproof layer: this is the month when the wind is most noticeable. A few wet days are normal, but showers here are short.

April — 15 to 21°C

Excellent riding weather and one of the loveliest months in the countryside. One caveat: Easter week fills Alberobello, Ostuni and Matera, and prices rise. If Easter falls in April, shifting your dates by a week changes the experience completely.

May — 18 to 26°C

The sweet spot: warm, dry, everything open, and the sea already swimmable if you do not mind 20 degrees. It is also the most requested month, so book early — the best hotels in the Itria Valley sell out well in advance.

June — 24 to 30°C

Beautiful sea and very long days. Start early in the morning and keep the afternoon for swimming or for the riposo, which is a serious institution here. Until mid-month the coast is still calm.

July and August — 28 to 35°C

These are the months we advise against, and it is worth saying why rather than dancing around it. Heat alone is not the problem: it is the combination of heat, direct sun and the complete absence of shade on country roads. Add that August is the Italian holiday month — the coast fills, prices rise, and around Ferragosto, the public holiday on 15 August, much of the interior slows to a halt.

It can be done, and we organise it, on conditions: departure at first light, shorter stages, inland and shaded routes instead of the coast, and an e-bike if you have even a flicker of doubt. The Apulian Aqueduct cycle path and the Itria Valley work better than the Adriatic coast in this season.

September — 24 to 29°C

For many people the best month of all. The sea is at its warmest, the crowds vanish after the first week, the light is beautiful and prices fall. Days shorten but remain generous.

October — 18 to 24°C

Mild days, harvest atmosphere, very good value. This is the month of the olive presses and the first new oil. Towards the end of the month a few wet days become likely.

November and December — 10 to 17°C

Rideable on dry days, but daylight is short and stages need to be shorter with it. The olive harvest is in full swing. On unsurfaced roads — the Aqueduct route included — expect mud after sustained rain.

Which tour for which season

Season	What works best
March–April	Murgia, Itria Valley, inland routes: the countryside is at its peak and you do not need the sea yet
May–June	Everything: Salento, White Towns, Gargano, Matera to Salento, gravel
July–August	Inland and shaded routes, short stages, dawn starts, e-bikes
September–October	Everything, plus warm sea and the olive harvest — the best value of the year
November–February	Tailor-made coastal and Salento itineraries, short stages, year-round hotels

Spring and autumn suit every itinerary, from the Grand Tour of Puglia to the ride from the Sassi of Matera to Salento. If you are weighing up how demanding each route is, our guide to Puglia bike routes by difficulty gives the real distances and climbing. The full range is on our self-guided tours page.

Prices, crowds and booking

The pricing calendar follows beach tourism, not cycling. Which means the best months to ride — April, May, October — cost less than July and August, when riding is hardest. It is the most underrated advantage of seeing Puglia by bike.

The weeks to avoid if you want quiet are Easter week, the Italian public holidays of 25 April and 1 May, and the fortnight either side of Ferragosto. The best weeks for value are the first two of May and the last two of September.

On lead times: for May and September, book four to six months ahead — those are the months when the good hotels go first, particularly in the Itria Valley. For winter, a few weeks is enough.

Getting here

Bari and Brindisi both have airports with European connections, and the Bologna–Lecce railway runs the length of the region. Spring and autumn have the widest choice of flights; in winter the schedules thin out, which is worth checking before you fix dates.

Questions about dates or availability? Contact us — we answer within one working day.