Italy - Basilicata: the stones of matera and the murgia mate
From 902 €

Italy - Basilicata: the stones of matera and the murgia mate

holiday package
Created: Monday, June 30, 2025
Ref ID: 29509094
prezzo del pacchetto per persona From
902 €
Based on 2 adults
Itinerary
Tours
More pictures (3)

Day 1: Matera

MATERA (-/-/-)
For those wishing to enjoy beautiful horseback rides in Basilicata, we highly recommend the Murgia Park. Established in 1990 under the name Regional Archaeological, Historical and Natural Park of the Rock Churches of Matera, it was included, along with the Sassi of Matera, in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Today, among Italy’s spectacular rocky landscapes, it is the one that best reflects the ancient relationship between humans and nature in the south of the country.
The park covers an area of approximately 7,000 hectares, located between the towns of Matera and Montescaglioso in Basilicata, just a few kilometers from the border with Apulia. It is characterized by a soft rock known as tuff, which has played a key role in shaping the landscape, forming cliffs, ravines, and caves that have been used by humans since prehistoric times.
Within the park are Paleolithic caves and villages dating back to the Neolithic, Bronze, and Iron Ages – all prehistoric sites that tell the story of a human presence made up largely of shepherds and herders.
Also related to this pastoral world are farmhouses, sometimes fortified, the characteristic sheep pens known as jazzi, cisterns, watering troughs, and wells. The Murgia Park offers a varied and wild natural environment, crossed by the Bradano River and the Gravina and Jesce streams, hosting about 1,200 plant species – one sixth of the entire national flora – many of them rare.
Its extraordinary natural richness is further evidenced by the abundant wildlife, which includes foxes, hares, porcupines, wolves, wild boars, and wildcats, as well as important birds of prey such as the red kite, lanner falcon, buzzard, Egyptian vulture, and most notably the lesser kestrel, the small falcon that is the park's symbol.

Arrival on your own in the early afternoon (transfer from Bari airport or train station available on request for an extra fee). Check-in at the farmhouse accommodation. Dinner on your own and overnight stay.


Day 2:

MATERA (B/L/-)
After breakfast, meet at the stables and be assigned your horse. Departure by van and car for 15 km to the Bosco di Lucignano, within the Murgia Materana Park. After unloading the horses, begin a trekking route along trails and ancient transhumance paths, following in the footsteps of shepherds and bandits. Through ancient woodland and dense Mediterranean scrub, we will journey back in time, immersed in the unspoiled nature of the Murgia, with its breathtaking scents and colors. This is a journey through human history: Neolithic villages, jazzi, rock sites, and fortified farms where we will stop to rest and enjoy typical Murgian products.
The forest vegetation is rich and diverse, dominated by oaks, turkey oaks, and holm oaks, as well as evergreen shrubs and vines such as juniper, honeysuckle, mastic, and broom.
In the undergrowth, thickets, and beautiful clearings, rare plants and flowers flourish, including Dictamnus albus (gas plant), Paeonia mascula (wild peony), Cerinthe species, Ophrys materana (Matera orchid), Centaurea trionfettii, and a wide variety of orchids.
You may encounter grazing Podolic cows and various wild animals such as foxes, wild boars, wolves, porcupines, and many insects and birds of prey.
Return in the late afternoon. Dinner on your own and overnight stay.


Day 3:

MATERA (B/L/-)
Meet again at the stables for horse assignment, grooming, and saddling. Depart on horseback toward the Murgia Timone and Murgecchia areas of the park, both of great naturalistic and archaeological importance.
We will ride along Mediterranean scrub trails with sudden panoramic views over the Gravine canyons, with the stunning backdrop of the Sassi of Matera, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Lunch with typical local dishes will be served at an environmental education center located in a jazzo from the pastoral era.
We return on horseback via ancient trails, visiting the Rock Churches scattered throughout the area.
Return to accommodation in the late afternoon. Dinner on your own and overnight stay.


Day 4:

B/-/-)
After breakfast, departure with your own means (or private transfer to Bari available on request).

Note: The itinerary described above is indicative and may be subject to changes due to weather conditions or circumstances beyond our control. Riders with less experience may still participate with a modified route.

Key Information
(B/L/D): B = breakfast; L = lunch; D = dinner
Difficulty level: From ° to °°°°°

Duration: 4 DAYS / 3 NIGHTS
Difficulty: °°°° (INTERMEDIATE/EXPERT)
Accommodation: Agriturismo / vacation home
Equipment: English saddles
Horses: Murgese and crossbreeds
Pace: 6 to 8 hours per day in the saddle – riders must be able to control their horse at all gaits and be in good physical condition
What to bring: Riding clothes, helmet, water bottle, waist bag, sunscreen, insect repellent
Minimum age: 16 years
Maximum weight: 90 kg
Type: Equestrian holiday with overnight stays in agriturismo / vacation home

Accommodation
3 nights at Agriturismo Vento Barocco, Contrada Tre Ponti – Matera, adjacent to the riding center stables.
Rooms are modern and fully equipped with kitchen, coffee machine, flat-screen TV, air conditioning, free Wi-Fi, 24-hour reception, and pet-friendly policy.

Departure dates
Available year-round on request, with a minimum of 2 participants. (Start any day of the week).

Participants: Min 2 – Max 4

Transfer RT from Bari Euro 160,00 per vehicle (max 3 people)

prezzo del pacchetto per persona From
902 €
Based on 2 adults
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This idea includes
Destinations 1
Tours 1
Tour summary
Guide languages
English
Italiano
Included
All meals as per program (drinks not included)
3 nights accommodation in an apartment with breakfast
2 full days on horseback
Horses and equipment provided
Expert local guide speaking Italian and English
Basic insurance covering medical assistance, medical repatriation, and baggage damage
Excluded
Flights/trains and/or transport to reach the starting point of the trek
Meals not mentioned, airport taxes, drinks, tips, personal expenses
Alcoholic beverages
Anything not specifically mentioned under "The price includes"
Supplementary or cancellation insurance