Long 450 km, the aqueduct uses the principle of gravity along its entire path (from the Cervialto Massif to Santa Maria di Leuca), presenting itself as a large, sloping river that runs through galleries, bridges, canals and trenches.
Being a path away from traffic, easy to follow and with a very soft gap, it would be the ideal foundation on which to build an “Aqueduct’s bike path“. The project has been discussed and studied for years and is still in the center of attention of the Apulia Region. The idea is to make a completely safe bike path which, running along the way of the aqueduct, attract cyclotourists from all over Europe in Apulia.
Large European rivers such as the Danube and the Loire have long been used as cycling routes with enormous benefits for the local economy, with 71.8 million and 37 thousand euros each year. The aqueduct route, along with natural beauties, local gastronomy and the mild climate of Apulia, can be an extraordinary opportunity for the whole region. It would, in fact, lead to the deseasonalisation of tourism, economic redistribution from the coast to the more internal areas and the increase in micro-entrepreneurship.
A short stretch of the Aqueduct’s bike path has already been realized: it’s about 10 km, from Figazzaro to Ceglie Messapica in the province of Bari. The route winds on panoramic grassy roads, between cultivated fields and wild Mediterranean scrub, a territory where the hand of man is perfectly in harmony with nature. Once this stretch has been completed, it will be possible to pedal safely between the cities of Locorotondo and Grottaglie.