Monday, May 22, 2023

Acquedotto Alberobello

Cisternino, Puglia. Friday 19-May-2023.

We have often walked the nearest section of the Acquedotto Ciclovia from Locorotondo to Ceglie Messapica (map) where it has been upgraded to a good trail for walkers, joggers & cyclists. Now we have discovered a new walkable section from near Locorotondo to near Alberobello. 

In April whilst perusing a book of walks for ideas Mary noticed another walkable section to the north of Locorotondo, just 10km from Cisternino! We immediately went to explore with a picnic lunch and what we found was a delightful path through wooded landscape awash with wild flowers and butterflies plus pigs, horses and raptors. 

The first time we walked it we stopped for lunch after eight kilometres and then turned back. Later we did the remainder of this section and discovered that we had been only one and a half kilometre from the end. On a fine day recently we went back and did the complete walk (9km each way) in one go!

Edit [Wednesday 24-May-2023]:

Q. Is it smooth enough for cycling?
A. Easily good enough for cycling. As smooth as the main ciclovia but not as wide so definitely single file. We saw several cyclists. A couple of caveats. 

  1. There are a couple of locked gates where you’ll have to lift your bike over, one at the Alberobello entrance and another a couple of km in from that end. 
  2. The straight section in the middle is where the acquedotto goes through the hill and the path goes up and over to rejoin the other side - partly rocky. Watch for that corner if coming from the Locorotondo end and don’t go straight ahead into a dead end.

View Google map version online:

Alberobello end: 

Locorotondo end: 

Download the GPX file for your device.

Gallery:

Aqueduct.

Bee Orchid.

Rose chafer beetle.

Common blue butterflies (male and female).

Common blue butterfly (female).

Countryside.

Ponte di San Marco.

Navigation in case you were confused.

Dennis the Menace beetle.

Foal - a new addition to the horses since our first foray.

Honeywort.

Green lizard.

Owlfly.

Painted lady butterfly.

Entrance (Alberobello end) [Google map].

Bridge.

Near entrance (Alberobello end).

Rootling pig in field opposite entrance (Alberobello end).

Purple emperors (male and female).

Tree blossom.

Red flowers on verge. 

Near entrance (Locorotondo end).

Triffid (aka wild fennel) with me for comparison.

White flowers.

Giant dandelion.

Horses on path.

More wild flowers.

More wild flowers.

Purple emperor butterfly.

In each section of the path different flora prevailed.

An amazing profusion of nature in action - lots of flowers and pollinators all working together.

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