Between Ostuni and Brindisi, along the Adriatic coast of Puglia, ran the Via Appia Traiana, a road built by the emperor Trajan in the early second century as a faster alternative to the old Appian Way, carrying traffic to the port of Brundisium, the gateway to Greece and the East. In 2024, stretches of both roads were inscribed by UNESCO as Via Appia, Regina Viarum. Here the old route followed the coastal plain through olive groves, and traces of it, together with ancient settlements, can be found near the sea.
The best-known site along this stretch is Egnazia, a short ride north, where the ruins of an ancient town lie right beside the sea, with a section of the Roman road running through them, its paving stones still marked by wheel ruts. Near Carovigno, the Torre Guaceto nature reserve protects dunes, wetlands and a marine area, with a watchtower overlooking clear water.
This is a land of ancient olive trees, some of them hundreds of years old, with twisted, hollow trunks like sculptures. In recent years, a bacterial disease has killed vast numbers of olive trees in southern Puglia, and the dead groves are a heartbreaking sight, though efforts are under way to replant and protect the survivors. Ostuni, a few kilometres inland, is a white city on a hill, its houses whitewashed and stacked up around a cathedral, glowing in the sun. Further inland, the Itria valley is dotted with trulli, the round stone houses with conical roofs.
The riding is pleasant, with coastal roads offering sea views and inland roads winding through olive groves, stone walls and farms called masserie, many converted into guest houses. The main coastal highway is fast and busy, so use the smaller roads for enjoyment. Summer brings heat and heavy traffic, especially near the beaches, while spring and autumn are ideal. Watch for potholes, gravel and local drivers.
Carovigno, about six kilometres away, has fuel, shops and restaurants, and Ostuni offers more choice. Try orecchiette, the ear-shaped pasta of Puglia, with turnip tops, or friselle, hard rings of bread softened with water and topped with tomatoes and olive oil, and finish with a pasticciotto, a custard-filled pastry.