Luxury Car Rental in Matera
Discover the Sassi, then set off to explore the landscapes of Basilicata and Puglia.
Matera is unlike anywhere else in Italy. Its ancient cave districts, the Sassi, are carved into the side of a ravine and have been inhabited for thousands of years, earning UNESCO World Heritage status in 1993. Today the old cave houses are home to boutique hotels such as Sextantio Le Grotte della Civita, and the city has become one of southern Italy’s most sought-after destinations. Bari Airport (BRI) is around 64 km away, roughly a 50-minute drive, which makes a car the most practical way to arrive and explore. With Veobooker’s luxury car rental in Matera, pick-up can be organized around your itinerary.
From Matera, two very different regions are within reach, and each suggests its own kind of car. Head east into Puglia and the roads lead to Alberobello, about an hour and ten minutes away, with its whitewashed trulli, and on to the clifftop town of Polignano a Mare on the Adriatic. This is the trip for the Porsche 911 Carrera GTS Cabriolet or the Audi R8 Spyder 5.2 V10, with long, open roads through olive groves and the sea at the end. Stay in Basilicata and the landscape turns wilder. The Land Rover Defender 110 suits the rural roads to Craco, an abandoned medieval village on a hilltop about 50 minutes away. To the south, the Ionian coast and the Greek temple ruins at Metaponto make an easy afternoon trip in the Maserati Grecale Modena, a fitting Italian choice for southern roads. For families or small groups touring both regions, the Bentley Bentayga offers space, comfort and plenty of room for luggage on longer days out.
The Sassi themselves are best explored on foot. The ancient districts are a maze of stone staircases and narrow lanes, and the access streets are covered by a ZTL that is active every day. It usually runs from 10 a.m. until the evening, and until midnight in summer. Entering without authorization leads to a fine, so leave the car in one of the public parking lots on the edge of the center, such as Via Saragat, and walk or take the Sassi bus down. If your hotel is inside the Sassi, ask in advance how it handles access and parking. Outside the old town, driving is relaxed, and traffic is light compared with Italy’s big cities. For the best view of all, drive to the Murgia plateau on the far side of the ravine at sunset and watch the lights of the Sassi come on across the gorge.