Published on: 9 April 2013 | Last updated: 27 March 2017
The Gargano peninsula is the most dramatic section of the Puglia coastline and one of the most scenic sections of the Italian coast.
In addition to the natural attractions of the coastline look out for the trabucchi (or trabocchi) and ancient fishing technique said to have been brought to Italy be the Phoenicians. The net is submerged in the water ‚and when a shoal of fish pass over it it is quickly lifted out of the sea. You can see trabucchi all along the Adriatic coast from here to the Po delta.
Vieste is an atmospheric place to visit. It has had the misfortune to have been sacked by both the Venetians and the Turks - who had thousands of citizens decapitated.
Rodi Garganico and Peschici are two other atmospheric towns on the coast.
Trains
There’s a station at Rodi Garganico. When I first wrote this guide, the trains on the line were old and didn’t take bikes. The line now has a fleet of modern trains that take bikes (maximum three). So the best option at the end of the route is to get the train to Foggia, and on from there.
Trains on this line are operated by the Ferrovie del Gargano. The company now has a fleet of bike-friendly trains; for more information (in English) go to: ferroviedelgargano.com: Bike transport on the train.
You don’t have to pay to transport your bike, on the Ferrovie del Gargano trains, but note that if you are changing onto the trenitalia national network you may need a bike ticket, especially if you are travelling out of the Puglia region.
The next article describes the options if you want to continue by bike, so you can ignore it if you plan to get the train.
Map and altitude profile
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Distances | |
---|---|
Mattinata - Vieste | 48 kms |
Vieste - Peschici | 24 kms |
Peschici - Rodi Garganico - | 14 kms |
More information
Places to stay
Articles in this series
- Puglia Grand Tour – Overview
- Puglia Grand Tour – 1
- Puglia Grand Tour – 2
- Puglia Grand Tour – 3
- Puglia Grand Tour – 4
- Puglia Grand Tour – 5
- Puglia Grand Tour – 6
- Puglia Grand Tour – 7
- Puglia Grand Tour – 8
- Puglia Grand Tour – 9 – onward connections
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