Tarragona, Španjolska

From the port in Taranto, you'll head to Matera, a city that you don't simply visit: you've got to experience it. Wander among the Sassi, houses and churches carved into the rock, and inhabited for thousands of years, which are now a UNESCO World Heritage site. With a local guide, discover a truly timeless place, where history is everywhere and a surprise hides around every corner. And between one surprise and the next, don't forget to look up: you may spot a Lesser Kestrel, the true “master of the house” in Matera.

• Matera's alleys and houses dug out of the limestone
• ”Stones" and rock churches with frescoes

• From the port of Taranto, you'll travel to Matera by bus. The city is truly astonishing. It is centuries old, with roots in the Bronze Age, enriched by a globally unique artistic and cultural heritage.
• Our local guide will accompany you on a tour through the narrow streets and past the houses dug out of the limestone rock. You'll visit the “Stones”, the two districts dug out of the Murgia stone which, together with over 100 rock churches, are considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Inhabited since prehistory up until the 1950s, this urban ecosystem has, over time, made expert use of natural resources like water, soil and energy. Mel Gibson found the right inspiration here to create the film set for the epic movie ”The Passion of the Christ”.
• Don't be surprised if you find many wooden nests among the Stones. They are used to help with the reproduction of the Lesser Kestrel, a symbol of Matera that is in danger of extinction.

• The tour of the City of Stones includes a walk across rough ground.
• Slight changes may be made to itineraries and the length of excursions in order to safeguard your health and comply with regulations and the safety protocol.

Alberobello, the village that looks like a fairytale...but it's all real. With a local guide, wander among the trulli - white houses with a unique shape that now have UNESCO World Heritage status. Stroll through the lively, colorful Rione Monti neighborhood and through Aia Piccola: it's still inhabited, but here time seems to have stood still. Every symbol on the roofs tells a story, every trullo is different to the next. And to end on a high? A typical tasting with a delicious glass of wine. You don't visit Alberobello: you savor it.

• Trulli of Alberobello
• Rione Monti and Rione Aia Piccola
• Local food tasting

• You'll travel to Alberobello on our bus. Accompanied by a local guide, you'll visit the two urban areas with the greatest number of trulli: Rione Monti to the south, where there are roughly a thousand trulli used as craft workshops, and Rione Aia Piccola, with around 400 units that are actual homes belonging to local inhabitants.
• These buildings, which are typically white, cylindrical and topped with a dome, date from the mid-14th century and have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. An edict of the Kingdom of Naples levied a tax on every new building. This is how the idea of the trulli was conceived; as they were built without mortar, they were considered to be temporary constructions and therefore not taxable.
• The whiteness of the walls indicates purity and the whitewashed symbols on the dome indicate the family's religion, while the shape of the overlapping stone pinnacles was the final touch that made your home unique and recognizable.
• We can't leave Alberobello without tasting some local products, accompanied by a glass of wine.

• Slight changes may be made to itineraries and the length of excursions in order to safeguard your health and comply with regulations and the safety protocol.

Old Taranto is best discovered on foot. With your local guide, explore the Aragonese Castle, with its towers, spine-chilling cells and sea views, where in 1887 the people of Taranto saw... a whale! Get lost in the alleyways and squares of the old town, wander amongst the oldest Doric columns in Magna Graecia, until you reach the Cathedral of San Cataldo, a Baroque masterpiece housing relics of the saint. At the end, you'll have time to explore on your own... and perhaps uncover another mystery hiding around the corner.

• Walking tour of the old city: internal visit to Castello Aragonese and the Duomo di San Cataldo
• Free time

• Don’t lose sight of your local guide. Your journey into history is about to begin. The first destination is the Castello Aragonese, a fortification from 1482 that is now the headquarters of the Italian Navy.
• The torture chamber is chilling: the cries of the victims passed through the hole in the ceiling to scare the prisoners. The sea view from the walls, on the other hand, is breathtaking and a photo is a must.
• It may be from here that the people of Taranto saw the whale that ended up in the gulf in 1887. Never having seen one before, they thought it was a sea monster.
• Outside the castle, two Doric columns mark Magna Graecia’s most ancient place of worship. It’s commonly thought to be dedicated to Poseidon, but your guide will reveal how that isn’t really the case…
• From here you’ll keep walking, among the squares and alleys of the old city, as far as the Duomo di San Cataldo. Puglia’s oldest cathedral is a baroque triumph, and the relics of the saint can be found in the side chapel.
• Now you can decide what to do with your time for yourself : you can explore the old city at your pace, or relax for a while before heading back to the ship.

• Wear comfortable shoes and clothing suitable for the experience.

Why is Ostuni all white? Get ready to discover it on foot, as you wander narrow streets that reflect the sun and dazzle visitors with their beauty. With a local guide, step into the heart of the historic center: from the panoramic walls to Piazza della Libertà, the town hall and the column of Sant'Oronzo, as well as the Ostuni Cathedral with its large Gothic rose window. Lime, stone and light will do the rest. And when your eyes can't take in any more beauty, it's time to get a little bit more lost. Here, wandering around aimlessly is all part of the experience.

• Walk through Ostuni’s old town: ancient walls; Piazza della Libertà; city hall; Sant’Oronzo column; cathedral of the Assunta
• Free time

• Walking through the labyrinth of streets in the town of Ostuni is perfect for fixing the memory of this dazzlingly white pearl of Salento in the mind.
• So why all this white? Your local guide has two answers: the legendary one is about dazzling defense against enemies, and the historical one is about the disinfecting properties of whitewash, extremely useful against the plague.
  
• Whatever the real reason, you’ll understand that here colors and atmospheres can charm anyone. But before heading into the old town, you certainly won’t want to miss the panoramic view from its walls. Click!
• Amid paved alleys that suddenly expand into terraces over the Adriatic, you’ll find yourself in Piazza della Libertà, with its city hall and the Sant’Oronzo column, dedicated to the city’s patron saint.
• Following the medieval streets, you reach the point of light that dominates the entire city: the cathedral of the Assunta, with its characteristic Gothic rose window, among the biggest in Europe.
• At the end, you’ll still have free time to feast your eyes on the whiteness of this truly unique town.

• Wear comfortable shoes and suitable clothing for the places of worship you will be visiting.

A city to discover from the sea, a castle that seems to have come from the pages of a storybook, a bridge that opens like a stage set and two stops for swimming..
This experience is proof that sometimes the best way to discover a place… is to take a step back.

• Sailing around Taranto Old Town
• Exclusive visit to the Aragonese Castle and Swing Bridge
• Sailing towards the seafront and Capo San Vito
• Stop for a swim in crystal-clear waters and enjoy an aperitif
• Sailing towards the Cheradi islands
• A second stop for a swim and some relaxation

The excursion starts from the Sant’Eligio Jetty, a place where you already know the day is going to be great.
You'll set sail and in a few minutes the mighty Aragonese Castle will come into view - a spectacular, even theatrical, sight.
Then you'll see the Swing Bridge, linking the Mar Grande (Big Sea) to the Mar Piccolo (Little Sea): seeing the Bridge from the sea is a show in itself, with Taranto opening up slowly, in no hurry at all.

You'll sail around the seafront, the city alongside while you then head towards Capo San Vito.
Here you'll enjoy a first stop: clear waters, a liberating dip and an aperitif that tastes of a real holiday (even if perhaps it's only Tuesday).

Then it's back on board and on towards the Cheradi Islands, San Paolo and San Pietro: here the sea changes color quickly, a stunning scene.
A second stop, a second dip in the sea, a second opportunity to say "I don't want to leave anymore”.
But every adventure has its finale. You'll leave the islands behind, and as you slowly return to the jetty, you'll only have one thought on your mind: can I go again tomorrow? Or even this evening?.

• The tour may be canceled in bad weather.
• Only bring what you need: A swimsuit, a backpack with beach towel, a hat and sunscreen.
• During the tour, a local guide will provide you with assistance and information.

In Lecce, stone doesn't know how to keep things low key: it always exaggerates. With a local guide, you'll cross the historic center from Piazza Sant'Oronzo to the Cathedral, passing through Sant'Irene, Santa Croce and the Palazzo dei Celestini. Volutes, saints, details everywhere: You'll look at one facade and discover ten. Just when you think you're done, you still have a little time left to explore. Here, stone is daring. And you can't pretend you haven't noticed.

• Walking tour of Lecce: Piazza Sant’Oronzo; Piazza del Duomo; Santa Croce Basilica; Palazzo dei Celestini
• Church of Sant’Irene: internal visit
• Free time

• Lecce is an open-air museum and with your local guide you’ll discover the finest works obtained from Lecce stone.
• You start from Piazza Sant’Oronzo, dedicated to the city’s patron saint. His statue is right in the middle, and around it you’ll see the church of Santa Maria della Grazia, the Roman amphitheater and the Palazzo del Seggio.
• Close by is the church of Sant’Irene dei Teatini. While the exterior may seem simple, it doesn’t hold anything back inside, featuring an altar decorated with Solomonic columns.
• The wonders don’t cease in Piazza del Duomo, where you’re surprised by an inlaid entrance, actually the side entrance. Here you also see the Palazzi del Vescovado and Seminario: you’ve got just enough time to take a photo, then head straight for two of the most extraordinary buildings of today.
• You could pass days in front of the facades of Santa Croce and the Palazzo dei Celestini and always be spotting new details. It’s no coincidence that they’re among those that receive the most admiration in the city.
• Now you can decide yourself whether to go back over what you’ve seen or explore new streets. Of course, when you’re surrounded by such beauty that’s a truly difficult decision.

• Wear comfortable shoes and clothing suitable for the experience.

First you descend, then you resurface. In the caves of Castellana, you'll feel so small among the stalactites, stalagmites and rocks, in shapes that look like something from a movie. Then in Polignano a Mare, the white cliffs and sea as far as the eye can see will dazzle you. Dark and light, all with a local guide, and at a relaxed pace. Walk, look, breathe…here, Puglia dares to play on two different levels. And you can't pretend you haven't noticed.

• Castellana Caves: internal visit
• Walk to Polignano a Mare
• Free time

• A local guide will be with you for the longest land experience ever among the depths of the Castellana caves and the sunny, vibrant beauty of Polignano a Mare.
• After a panoramic bus journey in the Puglian hinterland, it’s time to stretch your legs: the belly of the earth awaits.
• The opening to the Grave, the great chasm that marks the entrance to the caves, catapults you into a parallel universe made up of canyons, deep abysses, fossils, stalactites, stalagmites and crystalline concretions with names that fire the imagination: the she-wolf, the owl, the dome… There are also Milan Cathedral and the Tower of Pisa. Can you pick them out?
• The return to the surface is an explosion of the senses, which grows as you arrive at Polignano a Mare, famous for its white cliffs, carved out by the sea over time like embroidery.
• The old town is irresistible: you have some free time to walk among its narrow streets from bygone times, adorned with flowers standing out against the pure white facades.
• In the air is the aroma of the “ricetta speciale” for coffee in Polignano, that extra little detail that you don’t forget.

• Wear sneakers and a windbreaker: the route may have some slippery sections and temperatures range from 10° to 18°.
• Minimum age: 4 years.