Lecce to Cesine Protected Natural Reserve Full-Day Bike Tour

The zone that separate Lecce from the sea proves the beauty of Salento’s landscape and still preserves the traces of the important role that this area played in the history.

Riding out from Lecce towards the southeast through secondary roads, we will reach the fortified village of Acaya, a Messapic site where you will admire the majestic castle, the walls of the village and his ancient city plan, still preserved.

Then we will move towards the WWF natural park “Le Cesine”, which hides many beautiful plants and water birds. So we will refresh with a nice swim in Torre Specchia and we will cycle back to Lecce crossing a landscape full of olive trees and small villages

Starting from Lecce, the first part of your track is on the way out to the city. After a few kms we will be in the countryside on secondary roads. The first stop is the fortified city of Acaya, famous for its castle built by Gian Giacomo dell’Acaya, military engineer of Carlo V. The castle was recently restored and events and exhibitions are now organized there. Going to piazza Gian Giacomo we'll stop at cafè/salumeria where we can eat a sandwich or drink a coffee -  turning right and then left, after the old door of the castle.

From Acaya we'll move on to the Adriatic coast road north of Torre Specchia for a refreshing swim (there are some beaches club open, among which Punta Renas).

In the afternoon we'll enjoy a visit at the Nature Reserve Le Cesine, a humid environment among the best preserved and most important ones in southern Italy. Back on track through some small villages such as Vanze and Strudà, where we can take a break. Riding through some country lanes we'll see olive trees, recognizable for their size and for the logs, true works of art made by nature. We'll go back to Lecce through side streets between the campaigns.