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Ciolo Bridge – Minervino Tower loop from Poggiardo

Ciolo Bridge – Minervino Tower loop from Poggiardo

Moderate

4.3

(3)

128

riders

Ciolo Bridge – Minervino Tower loop from Poggiardo

03:31

75.6km

860m

Road cycling

Moderate road ride. Good fitness required. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: April 16, 2026

Tips

Includes a segment in which cycling is not permitted

After 9.60 km for 127 m

Waypoints

Start point

Train Station

Get Directions

9.66 km

Acquaviva Beach

Highlight • Beach

Magnificent coastal road

Translated by Google •

Tip by

10.3 km

Bosco Parco Acquaviva

Forest

24.2 km

The tower is part of an extensive defensive system spread along the Apulian and overall Salento coasts, referring to the XV and XVI centuries, in fact was built in 1565, during the Spanish domination. Has a truncated cone base, whose base diameter is 11 meters, from the curb upwards it assumes a cylindrical shape. It's made with non-square stones and regular ashlars. It rises on a high rocky spur 129 meters above sea level and its position is strategic because it allows to guard the sea as far as Capo d'Otranto, the most eastern point of Italy. The location of the watch-towers, called the "sentinels of the sea", allowed that the signals could be spread both laterally along the coast line and parallel to the internal fortified villages, thanks to the use of fire signals during the night and smoke during the day.

Tip by

31.3 km

Ciolo Bridge

Highlight • Bridge

The name Ciolo derives from the Salento word "Giolo" or thieving magpie, this is because the area is rich in nests of this species. The beautiful cove is cut by the homonymous bridge which stands 40 meters high. Over the years the bridge has been a destination for intrepid divers but, given the danger, this practice has recently been banned. You can still enjoy the sea by accessing it from the cove below and, for those who do not want to give up a bit of adventure, dive from the surrounding rocks.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

43.1 km

Tricase Porto Harbor

Highlight • Settlement

A hamlet of the municipality of Tricase, in the Lecce area, Tricase Porto is located in Lower Salento and has about 250 inhabitants. Here the coast, low and rocky, is dotted with caves: in one of these there is a port dating back to the 15th century, very suggestive.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

55.3 km

View from Castro

Highlight • Viewpoint

60.3 km

Villa Sticchi, Santa Cesarea Terme

Highlight • Monument

Santa Cesarea Terme is a spa town overlooking the Canale d'Otranto. The properties of its sulphurous thermal waters have been known since ancient times but, given the difficult position to reach, the inhabited center developed only in modern times in conjunction with the construction of the coastal road at the turn of the 14th century and the beginning of the 20th century. Among the architecture of the city, Villa Sticchi stands out, an admirable example of the Moorish style very popular in this area of Puglia in the early 1900s.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

61.1 km

View of the Santa Cesarea Terme Coast

Highlight • Viewpoint

On the road from Otranto to Santa Cesarea, this panoramic point allows you to observe the Salento coast in all its beauty. You are in one of the most touristic and wild areas of Puglia: the Santa Cesarea spa is a real must for those visiting these areas for the first time.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

64.7 km

Minervino Tower

Highlight • Historical Site

The Minervino Tower is part of a complex of lookout points built by Charles V in the 16th century to prevent attacks by the Saracens. The system guaranteed the possibility of communicating between one tower and another through visual signals, fires at night and smoke during the day, so that the whole coast was alerted as soon as enemy ships were sighted from one of the towers. In this context, the Torre Minervino is fundamental as it manages to cover the sea area around Punta Palascia, the easternmost point of Puglia and Italy. Given the limited space inside the structure, it is believed that the sentries did not stay inside the tower but that they took over for guard duty. The tower was restored around 2010.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

75.6 km

End point

Train Station

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

44.1 km

29.4 km

1.92 km

215 m

< 100 m

Surfaces

69.6 km

5.25 km

617 m

206 m

< 100 m

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Highest point (130 m)

Lowest point (0 m)

Weather

Wednesday 24 June

33°C

21°C

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Ciolo Bridge – Minervino Tower loop from Poggiardo

03:31h

75.6km

860m

Ciolo Bridge – Minervino Tower loop from Poggiardo

Acquaviva Beach

Torre Nasparo

Ciolo Bridge

Tricase Porto Harbor

View from Castro

Villa Sticchi, Santa Cesarea Terme

View of the Santa Cesarea Terme Coast

Minervino Tower

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