Nordic Walking in Puglia
We know how much our Flavours community enjoys our wellness-focused holidays, after years of experience and great feedback while running our Pilates breaks. For 2025, we’re launching Nordic Walking holidays, ideal for groups and solo travellers who want to reconnect to mind and body, enjoy some low-impact but highly effective exercise and, of course, see some of Italy’s most beautiful scenery.
For our first Italian location, we’ve chosen the heel of Italy’s boot, Puglia. Why? Well, because it has it all. Think rustic, medieval hilltop towns, characterised by sun-blasted buildings, and ancient architecture and surrounded by undulating landscapes, as well as rugged coastlines with the clearest, bluest waters. It’s a region of contrasts, from forest-covered hills to bustling fishing ports where we know from experience you can get the freshest oysters of your life – accompanied by a crisp glass of Prosecco!
We can’t wait to explore this varied landscape with you during our Nordic Walking sessions, as well as stretch out under the Italian sun with daily Pilates classes. Throughout the trip, you’ll have the chance to visit towns like Lecce, known for its golden-toned buildings, baroque churches, and ancient ruins, as well as stop for authentic meals at local trattorias and even try a cooking lesson.
For the week, your Puglian home will be the restored hunting lodge Casino Pisanelli, chosen because it offers the best of both worlds. From the huge outdoor pool, set into the manicured gardens, you can see acres of woodland stretching outwards, and yet the coast is close by, too. It’s the perfect place to pick up your Nordic Walking poles and get exploring, and our Pilates groups have even been known to enjoy an impromptu session on the beach!
You’ll be joined by your Pilates tutor who will guide you through your daily classes, as well as our friendly host and an Italian private chef, who is on hand to whip up authentic meals using fresh, local ingredients – the Italian way. If you’re looking to kick start spring, welcome in the warmer months, and get your wellness journey back on track, this is the holiday for you.
Your Accommodation
Casino Pisanelli is our Nordic walking venue which is indeed a stunning venue, situated in the heart of rural Salento. It’s a real hidden gem. Originally a hunting lodge built in the 17th century for a local Count, the estate is now used exclusively by Flavours for just a few months of the year. The style of Casino Pisanelli is a stunning mix of traditional and modern, with wonderful formal gardens and a glorious swimming pool – the perfect spot to relax after a busy morning in the kitchen.
Your holiday price of £1899 includes:
- Daily Pilates and Nordic walking lessons
- Private, en-suite accommodation in our beautiful Puglian villa.
- Explore local towns like Lecce & Specchia
- All meals and wine, including 2 meals at a local restaurant.
- Optional Cooking lesson
Holiday Itinerary
Day 1 -
Once you land at Bari international airport, you won’t have to worry about anything! We’ll take it from here. First, our friendly host will pick you up and introduce the group, before you jump in the pre-arranged transfer back to your beautiful Italian home, Villa Casino Pisanelli. Let’s start with welcome drinks and get to know each other, before sitting down for a light lunch cooked by your private chef. Take the afternoon to unpack, walk around the grounds, jump in the pool, and relax after your journey. Then, it’s time to meet up again for an aperitivo and dinner at the villa.
Day 2 -
Let’s start as we mean to go on, with an early morning Pilates session. After breakfast, your teacher will have your Nordic Walking poles sized, talk you through how it’s done, and explain today’s route. After lunch at the villa, it’s time for our first walk as a group, up to the hilltop medieval town of Specchia – a stunning sight and a fantastic way to spend our first proper day. Here, we’ll enjoy a coffee Italiano style or a refreshing gelato, before walking back to the villa. Get ready for dinner and it’s time for a glass of Prosecco, followed by a sit-down meal.
Day 3 -
Enjoy a Pilates session by the pool this morning, followed by breakfast in the villa. Today our Nordic Walking session will be along the coast, showing off the diversity of Puglia’s landscape. We’ll start at the fishing village of Marina de Novaglie and walk to Il Ciolo, known for its turquoise waters, coves, and cliff diving – but don’t worry, we won’t be doing that! After lunch at an authentic trattoria, we’ll retrace our steps to the villa and will be ready for a sit down before drinks and dinner.
Day 4 -
Buongiorno! We’re up bright and early for our Pilates session with your Pilates instructor, and then it’s time for coffee and breakfast, before setting off for another day of Nordic Walking. Today, we’ll explore inland by walking along country paths, past wild fig trees, and through olive groves, while visiting quaint villages such as Vignicastri, Spongano, and Castiglione. A day like this shows why Nordic Walking holidays are such a fantastic way to see the real Italy. Once we’re back at the villa, it’s time for some lunch, and then we’ll get ready for another outing to Lecce, a historic city filled with baroque architecture. We’ll stop for dinner at our favourite restaurant before heading home.
Day 5 -
After morning Pilates and breakfast, grab your Nordic Walking poles because we’re setting off on a coastal walk to the Punta Palascia lighthouse, the most easterly point of Italy. We’ll have time to enjoy this beautiful spot with lunch at a traditional country house and a trip to the beach, so bring your swimming costume! That evening, we’ll take things slow with drinks and dinner at the villa.
Day 6 -
Your Pilates instructor will lead a Pilates session before we enjoy breakfast as a group. Then, there’s the option to get in the kitchen with our private chef and enjoy a cookery lesson, where you can learn an Italian dish to reproduce at home and impress friends and family. We’ll eat lunch at the villa and in the afternoon, take a trip out to a local town and look at some artisan shops – although we won’t make you walk there, this time! That evening, enjoy aperitivo and dinner at the villa.
Day 7 -
For our penultimate day, we’ll start, of course, with a morning session of Pilates and a well-earned breakfast. Our final walk will be along part of the Via Francigena del Salento, an ancient pilgrim route, known for its origins in Roman history. We’ll take lunch with us, before returning to the villa for a spruce up and one last dinner.
Day 8 -
Say arrivederci over breakfast, before loading up the transfer for the journey back to Bari International airport. Here, we’ll go our separate ways and board flights back home. We hope you had the best time!
Travel Information 2025
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