Experience the Cammino Materano, a remarkable pilgrim-style walking network through southern Italy that offers a wonderful alternative to more popular European routes, showcasing an underrated region rich in culture, history and varied landscapes. Stretching across the Puglia and Basilicata regions, the Cammino Materano encompasses three principal long-distance routes — the Via Peuceta from Bari, the Via Ellenica from Brindisi and the Via Lucana from Tricarico — all converging on the ancient cave city of Matera, with its dramatic ravines and UNESCO-recognised Sassi dwellings.

The three main routes of the Cammino Materano vary in distance and duration: the Via Peuceta stretches roughly 167 km (104 miles) from Bari to Matera and typically takes 7 - 10 days to complete; the Via Ellenica, running about 287 km (178 miles) from Brindisi to Matera, usually requires 14 days; and the Via Lucana, which begins in Tricarico and covers around 114 km (71 miles), can be walked in 6 days.

This Cicerone guidebook transforms planning the Cammino Materano into a straightforward process, drawing together the practical information, route detail and cultural insight you need to walk one or all three routes confidently. With clear stage breakdowns, mapping and planning tools tailored to walkers of most abilities, it’s a vital resource for anyone seeking a memorable long-distance walk that blends scenic beauty with Italian heritage.

• Each of the three routes — Via Peuceta, Via Ellenica and Via Lucana — is described in clear stages with detailed route notes, 1:100?000 mapping and elevation profiles, helping you understand terrain, distances, and daily walking challenges in advance
• A route summary table and stage facilities planners bring key information together in one place, including distances, likely walking times, accommodation options, and refreshment stops for every day’s stage
• Practical advice is provided on planning and preparation, from timing your walk (spring and autumn being the best seasons) to what to pack and how to manage logistics supporting safe and enjoyable long-distance walking in southern Italy
• Details on how to get your Cammino accreditation are also provided for the full pilgrim trail experience 
• GPX files are available to download for use with mobile devices and GPS apps, offering a flexible digital navigation option

With clear stage breakdowns, mapping, cultural insight and practical guidance, this guidebook ensures you can walk the Cammino Materano with confidence, experiencing quiet villages, rolling countryside and the historic streets of Matera along the way. It combines useful guidance with context and insight, making it an ideal companion for a rewarding and memorable walking journey.

Quick Facts

Trail name: Cammino Materano  
Location: Puglia and Basilicata, southern Italy  
Routes: 

• Via Peuceta: 167 km / 104 miles, 7–10 days, from Bari to Matera 
• Via Ellenica: 287 km / 178 miles, ~14 days, from Brindisi to Matera 
• Via Lucana: 114 km / 71 miles, ~6 days, from Tricarico to Matera 

Trail type: Pilgrim-style long-distance walking routes  
Difficulty: Moderate – suitable for walkers with some long-distance experience  
Terrain: Countryside lanes, olive groves, wheat fields, Mediterranean woodlands, historic towns, small villages  
Navigation: Waymarked trail with signposts for walking in both directions
Best season: Spring (March–June) and autumn (September–October)  
Accommodation: B&Bs, guesthouses, walker-friendly lodgings along the route

Author Highlight

“Running between the southern Adriatic coast of Italy and the Ionian Sea are extensive low-lying plains planted with kilometre after kilometre of olives and grapevines, edged with prickly pear cactus. Lush doesn’t come to mind at first. Arid and harsh at times, yes. And magnificent in its vastness, with lungfuls of space.” 

- Gillian Price, expert author of Walking the Cammino Materano 

Map key
Route summary tables
Stage facilities planners
Forewords
Introduction: the Cammino Materano
Via Peuceta
Via Ellenica
Via Lucana
Planning your walk
When to walk
Where to stay and booking
How much money should I budget?
Getting to the route start
Returning from Matera
How do I secure my credential and testimonium?
What to eat and drink
Making the most of your walk
Topography of the Cammino Materano
Understanding local cultures
Plants and flowers
Wildlife
Training for your walk
What and how to pack
Baggage transport
Health and well-being
How to use this guide
Route descriptions and waymarking
Maps, apps and GPX tracks
Via Peuceta
Stage 1 Bari to Bitetto
Stage 2 Bitetto to Cassano delle Murge
Stage 3 Cassano delle Murge to Santeramo in Colle
Stage 4 Santeramo in Colle to Altamura
Stage 5 Altamura to Gravina in Puglia
Stage 6 Gravina in Puglia to Santuario di Piccian
Stage 7 Santuario di Picciano to Matera 
Via Ellenica
Stage 1 Brindisi to San Vito dei Normanni
Stage 2 San Vito dei Normanni to Carovigno
Stage 3 Carovigno to Ostuni
Stage 4 Ostuni to Cisternino
Stage 5 Cisternino to Locorotondo
Stage 6 Locorotondo to Alberobello
Stage 7 Alberobello to Martina Franca
Stage 8 Martina Franca to Crispiano
Stage 9 Crispiano to Massafra
Stage 10 Massafra to Mottola
Stage 11 Mottola to Castellaneta
Stage 12 Castellaneta to Laterza
Stage 13 Laterza to Ginosa
Stage 14 Ginosa to Matera
Via Lucana
Stage 1 Tricarico to Grassano
Stage 2 Grassano to Grottole
Stage 3 Grottole to Miglionico
Stage 4 Miglionico to Pomarico
Stage 5 Pomarico to Montescaglioso
Stage 6 Montescaglioso to Matera
Appendix A: Accommodation
Appendix B: Italian–English glossary
Appendix C: Useful contacts 

Seasons

Spring (March to May) and autumn (September and October) are usually the best times of year. Summer is beautiful but tends to get too hot, and there’s little shade in this region. The winter months can be perfect despite shorter days and the chance of wet weather.

Centres

The routes set out from Bari, Brindisi and Tricarico and converge on Matera.

Difficulty

No specialist items on top of normal walking gear are needed. Difficulty ranges from Easy through Moderate to Moderately Hard. Walking is on a variety of countryside terrain – flat lanes and roads, narrow rocky paths and stony ways, with some steep, hilly ups and downs. Fit walkers used to 15–30km per day can confidently embark on the Cammino Materano routes.

Must See

Historic port cities of Bari and Brindisi; magical Matera set on a dramatic ravine; a host of minor villages, each a treasure trove of history, art and culture – Laterza for majolica pottery, Miglionico for its castle, Alberobello for traditional trulli houses, Ostuni and its whitewashed buildings, Altamura for its bread ovens and Gravina for its aqueduct bridge. Seas of olive trees, wheat fields bright with poppies, Mediterranean woodland, dramatic ravines.

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