A beautiful cycling journey along the route of the famous movie "Basilicata Coast to Coast" directed by Rocco Papaleo. Basilicata, a discreet and wild land, is traversed by bike, starting from the Tyrrhenian coast of Maratea to the Ionian coast of Policoro, reaching Matera. A long bike ride immerses you in the diverse Lucanian territories, nestled between the sea and mountains: from the wild Pollino. Additionally, there are rivers, lakes, and numerous characteristic villages, with Maratea and its rocks, an invaluable heritage of good taste, hospitality, and traditions. The story of the film that inspires this cycling vacation tells the tale of a musical band that decides to cross Basilicata on foot from the Tyrrhenian to the Ionian, from Maratea to Scanzano Jonico, to participate in a music festival.
1st Day: Arrival in Maratea Arrive at the residence in Maratea using your own means. Meet the guide. Bike fitting. City tour. Dinner and overnight stay.
2nd Day: From Maratea to Lake Sirino Depart from Maratea, following the route of the famous movie Basilicata Coast To Coast, towards Trecchina. After passing through the town, famous for its excellent bread, continue towards Lauria (where some scenes of the film were shot), heading to Nemoli and Lake Sirino, at the foot of the homonymous massif. Dinner and overnight stay. (about 45 km)
3rd Day: From Lake Sirino to San Severino Lucano The route begins in Lagonegro, where the cycle path, taking you through breathtaking landscapes. Along the way, your eyes will be delighted by views that embrace majestic mountains, lush forests, and picturesque countryside. The tranquil atmosphere and the absence of vehicular traffic make this experience even more relaxing and rewarding. Pedaling towards Rotonda, your path will wind through historic bridges, railway tunnels, and abandoned stations, offering a fascinating perspective on the history of the railway and its adaptation to a cycle path. Every kilometer covered will bring you closer to new discoveries and adventures, ensuring a variety of sensations along the entire route. Dinner and overnight stay. (about 55 km)
4th Day: From San Severino Lucano to Tursi Leaving behind the silence of the Murgia of Sant'Oronzo, continue on isolated roads that run along the ridges of the hills and into the Val D'Agri, ascending the river through a dirt road that runs alongside orchards and the aqueduct that quenches Puglia. A few kilometers on a slightly uphill gradient and the ascent to Aliano begins, the town where Carlo Levi was confined by Fascism. After crossing the town, pedal on a magnificent road in the Calanchi di Aliano Park. From here, the ascent to Tursi begins, the ancient village surrounded by cliffs, the Rabatana is a beautiful tangle of houses built with stones and bricks, and the surrounding landscape is dominated by blocks of clayey origin, known as Calanchi, with bizarre and suggestive shapes. Dinner and overnight stay. (about 55 km)
5th Day: From Tursi to Pisticci Today, we reach the Ionian Sea through Policoro and Scansano Jonico, where the route designed by the Basilicata Coast to Coast movie ends. We cycle in the valley of the D'Agri River with a sea view before crossing the Regional Reserve of the Calanchi di Montalbano Jonico to pedal in a lunar landscape with the silhouette of Craco Vecchia in the background approaching. Craco is an abandoned village since the 1970s due to a landslide and has become famous as a film set for many directors, including Mel Gibson for his famous The Passion in the scene of the death of Judas. Leaving behind the surreal silence of the uninhabited houses of Craco, we head towards Pisticci. Dinner and overnight stay. (about 70 km)
6th Day: From Pisticci to Matera We reach the center of Pisticci and descend on the traffic-closed provincial road that leads to the Basento Valley. From there, we head towards the ascent of Pomarico, where the small hillside village, the birthplace of composer Antonio Vivaldi, is located. We exit Pomarico to reach the San Giuliano Lake Nature Reserve up to the Crypt of the Original Sin (nicknamed "the Sistine Chapel of rock art"). Matera unfolds before our eyes; we reach Piazza Vittorio Veneto for the customary photo from the viewpoint overlooking the Sassi di Matera. Dinner and overnight stay. (about 56 km)
7th Day: Tour of the Murgia Materana Park - Matera Movie Tour From the Sassi to the Murgia, crossing a dry and fascinating land, in a cinematic journey among rock churches and remnants of Magna Graecia. The Murgia Materana Park, certainly one of the most spectacular rock landscapes in Italy that testifies to the ancient relationship between nature and man, is located in Basilicata, in Matera, a few kilometers from the border with Puglia. The "tragic beauty" of Matera, from the "capital of peasants," according to Carlo Levi's famous definition, to UNESCO World Heritage in 1993, to European Capital of Culture in 2019. The city carved over time, and remained still for centuries, which in a handful of years has been reborn, maintaining its rough beauty unchanged, is the heart of a journey that embraces an equally beautiful and tragic, dry, ancestral land. Our tour, a real movie tour by bike, will take us to discover ancient Matera and the places where some of the most important films were shot: Christ Stopped at Eboli (1945 Carlo Levi); Pier Paolo Pasolini, who decided to set some scenes of the film The Gospel According to Matthew (1964) here; Mel Gibson, Matera turns out to be a simply perfect natural set for his work The Passion of the Christ (2004). Dinner and overnight stay. (about 48 km)
8th Day: Departure from Matera After breakfast at the hotel, return to your respective destinations.
Details
The rate includes
Overnight stay in 3-star or similar facilities
Breakfast Dinner (no drinks)
Guide
Luggage transport
Travel document
Helpline
Mandatory insurance
The rate does not include
Local tax, meals not indicated, personal extra, tips, transports and trasfers, everything not listed in the item "The rate includes".
Cancellation insurance (optional), price on request.