Travel easily in Salento offers a choice of sandy beach or rock: there are miles of sandy coastline, with sand dunes, but also cliffs overlooking the sea. Just directed in the right place!
Gallipoli – Ionian Sea
The town’s fitting name dates all the way back to that of the original ancient Greek settlement: ‘Kalé polis’ means ‘beautiful city’. Gallipoli is really a walled island attached to the mainland by a 17th century bridge. To visit: the Angevin Castle, the Greek Fountain, built in the sixteenth century, the seventeenth-century Cathedral of St. Agatha, Tafuri Palace, built in the XVII century. To the south of Gallipoli, on the seafront Lido San Giovanni, we recommend the Beach Green Bay: characterized by a crystal clear water with sandy bottoms and well-equipped beach.
San Foca – Adriatic Sea
Characterized by a sandy beaches, the coastal lookout tower and a small marina with a capacity for 500 boats. Ideal destination for those who want to boat trips, diving tours, surf or take sailing lessons.
Roca Vecchia – Adriatic Sea
Important archaeological site: excavations have revealed an impressive system of fortifications dating back to the Bronze Age (XV-XI century BC) as well as many artifacts that resemble Minoan and Aegean models.Interesting to visit are also the sixteenth century tower, the castle ruins overlooking the sea, the Sanctuary of the Madonna of Roca (seventeenth century) and the cave of the Poesia. The latter, in particular, plays an important role due to the numerous votive inscriptions, signs and symbols that date between the second millennium B.C. and the era of the Roman Republic.
Torre dell’Orso – Adriatic Sea
It is characterized by wide sandy cove bordered by two high cliffs, a characteristic ancient tower and a wonderful beach dominated by a thick pine wood. Torre dell’Orso has a very clear sea by the currents of the Strait of Otranto.
Castro Marina – Adriatic Sea
The town was founded by the Messapi people. Than,in 123 B.C., the Roman empire renamed it Castrum Minervae in honor of a temple in the area dedicated to the moon goddess, Minerva. What to see in Castro: the Castle built in the 13th century, the Cathedral of the twelfth century and the Byzantine crypt. On the coast there are the Caves of Zinzulusa: odd stone formations twist into a hanging ceiling, these mineral deposits gave the caves their name by resembling old rags or “zinzuli” in the regions dialect language.
Otranto – Adriatic Sea
Places of historical and archaeological interest, is the easternmost town of Italia.Dapprima Messapic center and Roman, then Byzantine and later Aragonese, is built around the impressive castle and Norman cathedral. We suggest you visit the cathedral in the old town and its mosaic floor, the Aragonese castle and the Byzantine church of San Pietro. Also just south of Otranto, near the Bay dell’Orte not miss the chance to visit the lake of Bauxite: it is a pit bauxite mining, ore from which aluminum is extracted. The lake was formed due to water seepage from an underground aquifer. Due to the presence of the mineral lake is colored a particularly intense emerald green, while all around, including the walls are a beautiful dark red.
Santa Maria di Leuca
The most southern town of the province: here the two seas, the Adriatic and Ionian sea. Leuca is a resort town famous for the nineteenth-century villas, built according to different styles: Daniel Villa, Villa Fuortes “sede Pro Loco“, Mellacqua Villa, Villa La Meridiana, Villa Episcopo. To visit the Basilica Santa Maria De Finibus Terrae and the Lighthouse.
