This stage is also easy and quite short (about 17 km) and has a couple of peculiarities: the first is that when leaving Castellaneta, after having skirted for a couple of km the edge of the Gravina Grande, this first time we don’t go down to the bottom but cross it at height thanks to a large pedestrian bridge that allows you to admire it for a long time.

The ups and downs don’t take long to appear: 5 km further on, the path deviates just before another pedestrian bridge, to extend and cross the gravina of Palagianello descending and climbing along the lateral walls (short but quite steep). At the top you continue along a scenic path that skirts some caves and a large former quarry that now hosts a public amphitheater.

The second peculiarity of the stage between Castellaneta and Mottola is that it crosses an inhabited center, that of the town of Palagianello; I took the opportunity to stop at “Simbiosi”, a place with a dehors in the very white and quiet Piazza De Gasperi that reminded me of some shelters you find in Spain on the Road of Santiago (afternoon snack with omelette + fresh juice + excellent music selection: 8 €).

After Palagianello there are a couple of rupestrian churches, accessible only in the presence of a guide with keys. I try my luck and find San Nicola open, thanks to a group of tourists who are already inside when I arrive; further on, instead, I find Sant’Angelo closed, which nevertheless remains only a few steps from the provincial road on which the Via Ellenica passes. You can look inside through the gate.

The last kilometers before Mottola are a hot gravel climb without a hint of shade; as soon as I enter the inhabited area, “La cremeria” appears to me like a mirage: artisanal ice cream shop and fresh drinks to regain consciousness.

From Mottola, we enjoy an extremely panoramic view of the entire Gulf of Taranto and not infrequently some local venue (for example the “Sunset”) where you can have an aperitif with a view from the viewpoint.