Martano to Leuca via Otranto on the Via Traiana Calabra

This track is know by different names and several websites on this track don't agree on the starting point or the destination of the original track.

Possible names of this track include: "Via Traiana Calabra" and "Via Francigene del Sud", but there are some other names. Some claim these track only go to Otranto, while others say they used to go all the way to Leuca. It's hard to tell what is really true and it also depends on which time frame you look at.

Either way, if you're looking for a nice hiking or biking trail, to the southern tip of Italy, you'll hopefully enjoy this one. This track was created by combining tracks from several different sources and then taking the bike and actually drive it. This way, I found out a number of small errors or changes that I corrected in this track.

The starting point is Martano, which is about 25 km south of Lecce.

Just outside Martano, you can see the old, possibly original track of your way, but most of the time, you'll be walking or riding along small farm tracks, avoiding the larger roads as much as possible. The track will take you to Otranto in about 22 km.

Otranto is the most-eastern town of Italy and certainly worth a visit.

From Otranto, the track goes more or less parallel to the coast, but stays quite a bit away from the actual coast line. Along the way, you'll pass through a small town every 10 km or so. In most towns, you'll find a bar or shop to buy something to eat and drink. Several towns also have water fountains. Most of those have been marked as way points in this track.

Once you get to Leuca, the track passes by the Basilica of Santa Maria di Leuca. From there, you can take the steps down to the harbour if you're hiking, or the asphalted road. Although the Basilica is an impressive place, it's actually not the most southern-tip of Puglia, which lies at the end of this trail.

This track can be done all of the year, but in July and August, you'll need to bring lots of water as it will be very hot. If you're doing this track on foot, you'll probably want to do this part in 3 stages: Mantano to Otranto, Otranto to Andrano and Andrano to Leuca. In that case, each stage is approximately 25 km in length.

Enjoy the track. Comments are much appreciated.