The Gargano is the spur of the Italian boot, a limestone mass pushing out into the Adriatic, and if you ask a rider to name Italy's best coast road, someone will name the one here. Vico, with seven thousand people, is a white town of narrow lanes on a ridge, surrounded by orange and lemon groves, with an old quarter that has a famous narrow alley, the Strada del Bacio. Peschici, three and a half thousand strong, clings to a cliff above the sea, with white houses and a castle.
The coast has its own character. Fishing platforms called trabucchi, large wooden structures with long arms and nets, stand on rocky points, and some are now restaurants where you can eat very fresh fish. The sea is clear and green, and the cliffs fall straight into it. Inland the Foresta Umbra, a huge forest of beech, oak and pine, covers the high ground, with deer, wild cats and a number of rare orchids.
The riding is superb. The coast road between Peschici and Vieste has a long series of bends above the sea, with views that change round every corner. The surface is mostly good, but the road is narrow, and in summer it is busy with cars and campers. Early morning is best, and October offers warm days without the crowds. Inland, the road across the forest is cooler, shaded and quieter. Watch for gravel, and for tractors on the minor roads.
Vico del Gargano is the place to expect fuel and a proper meal, and Peschici should have a pump too. The local pasta, orecchiette with turnip tops, and a plate of grilled sardines are excellent.
The ride goes on to Castel del Monte, the strange octagonal castle that the emperor Frederick II built on a hill in Apulia in the thirteenth century, with eight towers and a mystery of purpose that has never been settled.