Hiking the Cammino Materano in Puglia and Basilicata

Hiking in Puglia and Basilicata. The Cammino Materano runs through both regions. The ancient Via Peuceta is the new, spectacular route that leads from Bari to Matera. The route has its origins in the distant past.

As you walk past ravines and rocky outcrops, and follow the old wagon tracks and forest paths, the routes through the green fields and the steppes of Puglia, you can sense the excitement of travelers from a distant past: Pilgrims, merchants, shepherds, and bandits have left their marks and stories here and have now become legends.

You’ll follow a—sometimes tiring—but well-marked route that rewards you at the end of the day with the charming villages of the less touristy countryside. Discover this beautiful route and learn how you can plan it yourself or— with everything taken care of— book it as a 7-day hiking tour. Read more about this below.

Highlights of the Cammino Materano:

• The Basilica of St. Nicholas of Bari
• Slow Food Presidia and Farm-to-Table Cuisine
• The steppe of the Murgia Plateau
• Forests and maquis scrub: the “green” side of Puglia
• Rock caves and traces of ancient civilizations
• A land of legends about saints and bandits

The Camino Materano takes you through Puglia and Basilicata, two regions that seem very similar at first glance but each have their own distinct identity—as seen, for example, in their cuisine and wine, prepared with local passion and authentic ingredients. Read about our 7-day journey and join us on a walk through Puglia and Basilicata.

Day 1 Cammino Materano: Welcome to Bari

The beautiful city of Bari welcomes you with the glow of its white buildings and the scent of the Adriatic Sea. This multicultural and Mediterranean city, the capital of Puglia, has two sides: one ancient, reflected in the lively old town enclosed by the ancient city walls, and the other modern and elegant, built in the 19th century.

Overnight stay in Bari.

Day 2: Hike from Bari to Cassano

26 km, +320 m, -100 m

A short train ride from Bari will take you to Bitetto, the starting point of the first stage of the Camino along the Via Peuceta.

You are in the Bari region, and the landscape—on the way to the Murgia Plateau—is typically agricultural. You’ll walk through the olive groves for which the area is famous. You’ll also see many almond trees and centuries-old oaks, and among the many dry-stone walls, the Mediterranean scrub, and the cultivated fields, you’ll spot the small trulli and the remains of old farmhouses.

Just before you enter Cassano, you can take a short detour to the Sanctuary of Santa Maria degli Angeli, dedicated to the discovery of the fresco of the Madonna in a cave.

You’ll spend the night in Cassano, home to the smooth black chickpea, which has been eaten by Murgian farmers for centuries and is now a Slow Food Presidium.

Day 3: Hike in the Murgia and along Europe’s longest aqueduct

22 km, +370 m, -230 m

Today’s route is still slightly uphill, set amidst the beautiful Murgia region with its majestic natural scenery.

The vast expanses of wheat fields fill the landscape—depending on the season—with color and leave room for forests, dense thickets, and wild, fragrant medicinal plants. If you go for a walk in the spring, you’ll see all kinds of flowers, including small wild orchids: 30 of the 150 different species found in Puglia can be found in this area.

You’ll follow a section of the Puglia Aqueduct—the longest in Europe—and along the way you’ll come across natural caves and old farmhouses that you can reach via winding forest trails.

This land of ancient legends tells the story of the bandit Vituccio Servodio from the second half of the 19th century, who found refuge in the Mesola Forest before he was captured.

Overnight stay in Santeramo in Colle.

Day 4: Hike through the Murgia Plateau and experience Slow Food in Altamura

23 km, +250 m, -260 m

A route that winds through the stunning panoramas of the Murgia Plateau.


You’ll pass by the beautiful Grotta Sant’Angelo, where medieval frescoes and thousands of ancient graffiti have been preserved, with a small Romanesque church in front of it. You’ll reach the first hills, from where the view stretches far into the distance among the hills, and then you’ll finally catch a glimpse of Altamura.

The heart of the Alta Murgia is a steppe region with sparse, low-lying vegetation, such as the magical fairy-tale flax. Shepherds passed through here with their flocks and settled on what is now the Fornello rock, which is full of underground cavities and reservoirs for collecting rainwater.

Follow the old medieval carriage roads and you’ll arrive in Altamura, founded by the Peucetians, after whom this trail is named. Altamura is surrounded by imposing megalithic walls. Here, bread (focaccia) is a Slow Food Presidium. The story of the baker who forced the local McDonald’s to close was made into a movie in 2009, titled “Focaccia Blues.”

Overnight stay in Altamura.

Day 5: Altamura and Gravina in Puglia

20 km, +170 m, -300 m

When you’re in Altamura, be sure to stop by the bakery for some “il pane di Altamura”! You’ll leave behind the narrow alleys and the typical “claustri di Altamura,” the churches, and the noble palaces, to return to the countryside of Puglia.


Today’s stage is fairly easy, and you’ll pass through many expansive landscapes with wheat and legume fields. A small forest and an old paved road mark the entrance to Gravina in Puglia. From the cathedral, the view of the gorge (the “gravina”) is stunning, with the aqueduct bridge and the cliffside villages, and the sound of flowing water in the background.

Overnight stay in Gravina in Puglia.

Day 6: Hike from the San Giuliano Oasis to your final destination, Matera

18 km, +420 m, -140 m

A short transfer from Gravina takes you to the Oasi San Giuliano Nature Reserve, one of the most important wetlands in Lucania.

Lake San Giuliano welcomes you to Basilicata. The area is unspoiled, and among the eucalyptus and Aleppo pine trees, you might spot the reserve’s “resident animals.” Alternating between dirt trails and paved roads, you’ll leave the lake’s shores behind and walk parallel to the spectacular Bradano River gorge; among the numerous rock caverns, you can see the Crypt of Original Sin, painted in the early Middle Ages with depictions of saints and biblical scenes.


The last stretch is uphill, and the view of Matera is beautiful.

The town of Sassi is the final destination of the Cammino Materano along Via Peuceta.

Overnight stay in Matera.