I am just looking for general impressions since the type of trip I am looking at isn't what most posters here would do or be interested in. I am looking at about a week-long, guided cycling tour in one of these areas, maybe in May. I am a veteran of cycling tours (self-guided when my husband was alive and small group since his death) and have done quite a lot of reading about both areas and have mixed feelings about both. Both areas are now "hot" destinations and well on the typical tourist trail.

I just had a conversation with someone who cycled in Puglia. She thought it was rather boring with so many olive groves. Alberobello sounds like a tacky, overly-touristed nightmare to me; I could be wrong. I have visited Italy many times, and the three weeks my husband and I spent on our own in Sicily with a rental car was a favorite trip. I don't know how Sicily compares to Puglia.

As I understand, many parts of Croatia like the Dalmatian coast are also super busy with tourists. Having visited Dubrovnik over 50 years ago (when it was part of Yugoslavia and ruled by Tito), I prefer to keep those memories of the place rather than make a visit to today's super crowded tourist trap. I could be wrong here and perhaps would be pleasantly surprised by another visit. I am wondering if Istria would be the better choice if I decide in favor of a Croatian tour.

Do you have any thoughts? When choosing an area for a cycling tour, I like scenic areas with some interesting places to stop. They don't have to be major tourist sites, and I am happy with slow down and "stop and smell the roses" types of areas. Places that look like standard resorts anywhere in the world don't interest me. And, obviously I am limited to the itinerary the cycling company has chosen. Thanks.

IMO, Croatia, hands down.

alberobello is a bit dull

I've cycled both and Puglia is better but I note that Croatia and Puglia are big places and you can end up in nice places or poor places in both. Puglia has the Murge north of Taranto and if cycling in that area then stay up on the Murge. South of Taranto it is all good

Croatia is way hillier and if your body can handle that then it will be fine, trouble is there is a lot of Croatia with basically nothing in it. If you just like to pound the peddles it is fine

My body could handle the Croatia hills only with an ebike!

Any particular parts of Croatia that are more appealing?

Okay assuming e-bike is on the table regardless, how about food? I adore Croatia’s natural beauty, but Puglia wins in the food department all day long. Also, the devil is in the details. There are parts of a Croatia I would return to, and parts I’d be fine skipping. Same for Puglia, so the actual itinerary would make all the difference in the world.
Croatia might have an edge with the bike-boat tours, the only type of cruise I would even consider. Not a ton of flat riding on the islands. Puglia has some flat areas—the Itria valley would be a blast, but some of the coastal roads would be too intense for this rider.

So, perhaps I will post a couple itineraries here to solicit opinions. Thanks.

yorkshire Can you please tell me which parts of each country you would return to and which parts you would be fine skipping? I didn't even think about the dining. And, if Croatia, would you suggest a bike/boat tour or a hotel based tour?

It’s easy for me to say, but since I’ve already seen Split, Dubrovnik, etc. I’d be less inclined to see the main sites in the cities, but I’d return to swim, hike, bike anywhere/anytime. Both places are really popular. The mountains would also make it less accessible to me without a tour, so that’s a point in Croatia’s favor. In Puglia, I’ve biked along the aqueduct and that’s more my speed biking wise.
feel free to share some itineraries with us for feedback

I think the people, the wine and the food make Puglia. On the other hand, if you only like suckling pig then Croatia is your man.

Croatia has an incredibly wide range of regional cuisines.

Here are a couple possibilities of cycling tours.

Croatia A--Hotel based. Dalmatia and the National Parks starts in Zagreb and visits Plitvice Lakes, Paklenica national park, Krka national park, Split, Brac island, Hvar island, Korcula, Pelješac peninsula, and ends in Dubrovnik. I would spend time in Zagreb prior to the trip but as mentioned earlier am not much interested in re-visiting Dubrovnik.

Croatia B--Boat based. Istria. Starts in Omišalj, Cres, Pula, Vrsar, Limski Canal to Kloštar to Poreč, Parenzana path to Groznjan, Novigrad, Rovinji, Fazana, Rabac, island of Krk.

Puglia C--Salento classic--loop around Salento. Hotel based. Starts in Lecce. Acaya, Le Cesine, Roca Vecchia, Otranto, ‘Palascìa’ lighthouse (the eastern most point in Italy) to Santa Maria di Leuca, Capo di Leuca” which is the southern part of Apulia, Punto Pizzo park, Gallipoli, area around Gallipoli where we do a cooking class, Nardo, Copertino and ends up back in Lecce.

Puglia D--Hotel based. Starts in Matera. Putignano, area SE of Bari--Monopoli, Polignano a Mare and Castellana, Valle D'Itria including Noci and Alberobello, Locorotondo to Avetrana, area around Avetrana, and ends in Lecce.

Thoughts if you have visited these areas?

And, I guess I hadn't really thought about the food and eating so that's another consideration. I suspect that Puglia (Italy) definitely has better food.

Thanks.

Given how crowded the Plitvice Lakes have become in recent years, I'm not sure Option A would be ideal.

Roasts, stews and black risotto are what I remember mainly, all delicious. Never keen to eat Octopus but that is true in any country, Octopus are too intelligent to eat.

Roasts and stews for sure in parts of the country, with seasonings that vary regionally. Wonderful seafood along the coast. Traces of centuries of Venetian influence in the flavors of the Dalmatian coast. Pag's extraordinary lamb. A heavy dominance of Italian cuisine in Istria (which was part of Italy until the end of WWII) with lots of truffles that grow in that peninsula. Incredibly decadent cream-based desserts and delicious veal dishes in the parts of the country once dominated by the Austro-Hungarian empire, with traditional uses of paprika ranging even further. Flavorful Ottoman influences in some inland areas. Spectacularly fresh trout near the lakes. Etc.

Hey Julies, if you loved Sicily, Puglia might feel a bit "flat" and repetitive with all those olive trees. It's pretty, but Sicily has that raw, dramatic energy that's hard to beat.Istria sounds like your best bet. It’s got a great mix of rolling hills, old hilltop towns, and coastal views that keep things interesting while you're on a bike. It feels more "organic" and less like a tourist checklist than Alberobello or Dubrovnik. May is a perfect time to go too, before the summer crowds really hit.

Hope you have an amazing trip!

Croatia A vs B: A is more “greatest hits” but possibly some major climbs on the islands. At my level of “cyclist”, I’d definitely be more comfortable with B. It might feel less over touristed to you. Like the boat option too.

Puglia C vs D: C will be stunning scenery, plus I love Lecce. The Itria valley is lovely too though, if you prefer more agricultural landscapes, rolling hills, it may be less intense than the coastal paths of the Salento. Tough choice!

Good afternoon,
We were in Croatia in May 2025 and Puglia in September 2025. A few observations:
We liked both regions but did not enjoy Dubrovnik - even in 'shoulder season', it was jammed with cruise boat passengers by 9:30am. Our wall walk had to start by 7:30am to avoid the chaos. That being said, we met a few cycling groups on ferries who were with Cycle Croatia and were travelling to various islands for a day cycle. Hvar was wonderful but its a huge tourist destination during the summer so be mindful of when you plan to travel. I did not see any bike lanes and the roads are quite narrow. We spent about 5 days inland and thought the Plitvice area was gorgeous but Zagreb was another big city and filled with graffiti. Add in an earthquake from 2020 and many of the landmarks are still covered in scaffolding and being repaired so visiting key sites was not possible. I think the Istrian peninsula would be a totally different experience. My in-laws went to Dubrovnik yearly in the early 1980's and raved about it so our trip was to honor them. I don't think they would've enjoyed it at all now.

Puglia was wonderful - very quaint, hospitable and we plan to go back. It is arid and flat but also has the hill towns like Ostuni which are wonderful. The coastline is lovely although we did not cycle there. Alberobello was interesting to us - we arrived before 9am and were able to walk easily around before the crowds descended. I did not see organized cycling tours but I am sure they exist. The food is excellent and a highlight for us. We've spent previous Italian trips north of Rome so this was totally different. We also stayed totally away from Bari and Lecce.

Bottom line- Consider when you want to travel to either region; climate and crowds will vary in both; each has its beauty.
Food is better in Puglia
People were friendly and welcoming in both
Both have beautiful coastlines
Neither had dedicated bike lanes

Thank you, thank you, thank you, all of you!

I have re-read all of the posts several times. Now I am going back to very carefully dig into the details of the various cycling tours. I do think I am probably down to deciding between Croatia B--the boat trip on Istria and Puglia C--the Salento. I am old, and even with an ebike I worry about all of those climbs in Croatia. And, as yorkshire mentioned Croatia A also seems to me to just be all the places in Croatia that people may have heard of and think are the absolute must-sees there. I know from past experiences that the "greatest hits" don't always live up to their hype.

As I said in my original posting, I was in Dubrovnik a half a century ago and don't care to re-visit it since I have read how over-touristed it is. That earlier era was so completely different (as was I). A friend and I had taken a boat as transportation from Venice. When the boat docked there were the old ladies completely attired in black holding signs up offering rooms in their homes. We just chose a woman and followed her to her house. Quite different from today I am sure. (That was also the era of Frommer's Europe on $5 a Day, which was my guidebook.)

The recent info about Zagreb was also especially helpful because I had thought it might be a place to spend several days to get over jet lag.

I am thinking about May for either place, and hope the crowds won't have hit yet.

People differ in their reactions to Zagreb. For another recent, and much more positive opinion see:
No Balking about the Balkans: 16 Fascinating Nights

Friends spent an organised week (with others) near Lecce where the program each day was: cycle in the morning; lunch; cook in the afternoon; eat and relax in the evening. At least that was my understanding of it. I could find out more if it’s of interest.

I have not been back to either place in years, but I can say that May has always been very kind to me in my travels in the Mediterranean. Warm and sunny with refreshing nights, near perfection!