LifeCycle Adventures expands cycling tours to Puglia, Italy

PORTLAND, Ore., July 27, 2016 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- LifeCycle Adventures (http://www.lifecycleadventures.com), a cycling vacation company known for its customized bike tours in California, Hawaii, Washington's San Juan Islands, Oregon, and Tuscany, Italy is now expanding its cycling tours to southern Italy's Puglia region. Historically, culturally, and architecturally diverse Puglia represents a "less discovered" alternative Italian destination. The company is now taking bookings for vacations beginning September 2016 onwards.

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"I have lived in Italy in the past and love everything about it, including the stunning countryside, fantastic food and history around every corner, "said Tony Blakey, LifeCycle Adventures founder. "It is where I first began leading bike tours and, since starting LifeCycle, it has been a dream of mine to expand our operations here. We started with Tuscany and our guests are asking for more. Puglia is a logical next Italian step!

PUGLIA, ITALY BIKE TOURS

Italy's Puglia region is a gorgeous travel destination and LifeCycle Adventures offers the opportunity to get off the beaten path and discover its authenticity. Guests cycle through the Puglian hills and next to the gleaming Adriatic while riding past a diversity of architecture as the Greeks, Romans Venetians, Turks and Spanish have all left their marks on the region over the course of history. Delicious Italian cuisine and wine awaits you at the end of the day. Sample rides include:

Bari to Alberobello – Your route starts out over rolling farmland with vibrant green fields in spring and golden wheat fields in the summer.  The network of tiny byways, bordered with drystone walls makes this ideal cycling territory. You reach Noci for lunch with its maze of winding cobbled streets and small courtyards. As you approach Alberobello you pass whitewashed cottages and small clusters of distinctive trulli – iconic round cottages with conical roofs. Nothing quite prepares you for the bizarre wonder of the Zona di Trulli – a UNESCO World Heritage Site at the heart of this pretty town. 

Alberobello to Ostuni – Head to the gleaming white city on a hill that is Ostuni.  Pass centuries old olive trees, reaching the slow-paced city of Cisternino – designated  as one of Italy's most beautiful towns and famous for its meat grilled by butchers that you eat at tables in their stores.  After lunch you enjoy a ride across craggy limestone terrain with expansive views down to the Adriatic. The arid, Mediterranean terrain and whitewashed villages are more reminiscent of Greece than Italy. You reach Ostuni, one of the most stunning cities in southern Italy.  At every other turn there are spectacular views across the surrounding countryside and down to the sparkling Adriatic. 

Ostuni to Monopoli - You head up the Adriatic coast to the ancient port-city of Monopoli, reaching the coast and an unspoiled stretch of sand dunes and beaches. Pass through small fishing villages and seaside towns.  In several places you are riding just yards from the emerald waters of the Adriatic.  Just before Monopoli you reach the archeological park of Egnazia (also Egnathia or Gnathia) – perhaps the most important archeological site with ruins of a Greco-Roman town that dates back to the 4^th century BCE.  Reach Monopoli, a charming 12^th century walled port city. 

LifeCycle Adventures launched in 2004 to provide personalized bike tours in Napa and Sonoma Counties, primarily for couples and small groups. In 2010, the company expanded to offer tours in Oregon's Willamette Valley and Columbia River Gorge followed by Hawaii's Big Island in 2012, in 2013 to Washington's San Juan Islands, and in 2015 to Tuscany, Italy.

Unlike most bicycle-vacation companies that require guests to join a large group on a pre-scheduled tour, LifeCycle Adventures creates custom itineraries for each individual party or private group, with an industry-leading focus on a high level of personalized service both before and during trips. The company's on-the-ground staff develops daily route maps, arranges lodging, provides on-demand van support, transports luggage and provides bikes – and helps find those "hidden gems" that only locals know about. The company provides private transfers from regional airports to maximize the time guests have for riding.

Pricing varies depending on accommodation choices and length of stay, but commonly ranges from $1,000-3,000 per person. Guests can book a tour by calling 1.888.NOW.BIKE in the U.S. (0800-587-8663 in the U.K.) or visiting LifeCycle Adventures on the Web at http://www.lifecycleadventures.com.

ABOUT LIFECYCLE ADVENTURES

LifeCycle Adventures is an owner-operated bicycle tour company based in Portland, OR that offers cyclists some of the most personalized and well-supported tours in the industry. The company is meeting a growing demand from travelers for tailor-made vacations; combining high-touch service previously only found on group tours with the flexibility of individual travel. Visit LifeCycle Adventures on the Web at http://www.lifecycleadventures.com, email info@lifecycleadventures.com or call 888-NOW-BIKE/888-669-2453 (from outside the U.S. call +1 415 366 3806).    

Media Contact: Bertrand Campana, LifeCycle Adventures, 415.366.3806, info@lifecycleadventures.com

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SOURCE LifeCycle Adventures