Salento, here we come!

Piero: and we’re off again, Angela! This time, Salento! Why this choice?

Angela: definitely for the summer, it’s an ideal destination: the sun and the sea are fantastic. Plus, there’s so much to see and taste, literally!

Piero: in this case, the plan includes a whole week; the main need is to balance enough time on the beach and in the sea with the essential desire to see the most beautiful and interesting places.

Angela: the itinerary will be quite packed; we’ve chosen Porto Cesareo as our base for all our travels, and from there, we’ll explore all of Salento. Oh, I almost forgot! One day we need to leave free to visit Matera...

Piero: let’s get started then!

Angela: on the first day, to recover from the journey, we’ll stay around. Porto Cesareo is lovely to explore, and the beaches are not bad either.

Piero: the sea in Porto Cesareo is beautiful, that’s true! Clear and transparent waters with sandy bottoms that remain shallow for dozens of meters; long stretches of fine sand beach from Porto Cesareo to Punta Prosciutto, passing through Torre Lapillo. It’s a continuous strip of sand where you can choose between equipped beach clubs and free beaches: the choice is yours! One important precaution: during peak days in August, going to the beach in Porto Cesareo can be complicated because the beaches get crowded; it’s wise to leave early in the morning to be on the beach by nine at the latest; otherwise, you risk not finding parking or a spot on the beach, even in the free areas!

Angela: after a day at the beach, what do we do?

Piero: we can take a stroll around the town, starting from the harbor. As you can imagine, the port has always been crucial for the town, even giving it its name. The many coves, promontories, and always calm sea, sheltered by the islets in front, have favored its development in the past: there are traces of Phoenician, Greek, and especially Roman settlements. Today, it’s mostly a small tourist dock and a spot for small fishing boats; an ideal place for a pleasant walk by the sea and for an aperitif at sunset.

Angela: don’t forget about the towers! Along the Salento coast, at intervals of a few kilometers, numerous watchtowers rise, which in the past served to counter invasions by Turks and foreigners. They all have thick walls, a square shape, and a height between fifteen and twenty meters, making them visible from the sea for kilometers; the message to pirates and invaders was: “We’ve seen you, and we’re ready to defend ourselves!" Porto Cesareo has one in the town, called Cesarea, and there are others nearby: Torre Lapillo, Torre Squillace, and Torre Chianca.

Porto Cesareo

Piero: so we start the second day from here!

Angela: but first, to kick off the day, a delicious breakfast. Near the port, a great option is the Dolci Tramonti café: pasticciotti (a shell of shortcrust pastry filled with custard) and salentino coffee (coffee with ice sweetened with almond milk) are a must to start off right!

Piero: now we can head to Torre Chianca (named after the tower on the Adriatic coast), which is located on a strip of land between Torre Cesarea and Torre Lapillo. In the waters near the tower, important artifacts dating back to between the 2nd and 1st century BC have been found, particularly the famous Roman columns lying just four meters deep. A few swims and some relaxation on the beach until early afternoon.

Angela: we could visit the large island in front of Porto Cesareo, Rabbit Island.

Piero: as mentioned, the coast in this area is characterized by numerous promontories, islets, and rocks, including Rabbit Island. The name comes from a wild rabbit farm that was started and then abandoned in the 1950s. Today, there are no rabbits left, and the island has become an interesting natural park from a botanical and ecological perspective, thanks to the presence of numerous different plant species. It’s easily accessible and at a modest cost from the port with various shuttle services. The tour is quite brief. The pine forest is ideal for a picnic; the beaches aren’t spectacular, and the first stretch of sea is muddy; at the center of the island, there’s a kind of swamp that can be crossed easily. Kids and ladies might be a bit disappointed by this excursion, but for some photos and maybe a nice drone flight, it’s definitely worth it.

Angela: so we conclude our second day and prepare for a new one. What’s on the agenda for tomorrow?

Piero: we’re going to Otranto, one of the pearls of Salento.

Angela: we can take the day at a leisurely pace, leaving in the afternoon to avoid the heat and enjoy the sunset there. From Porto Cesareo, it’s less than an hour.

Otranto

Piero: Otranto is the easternmost point of Italy and a beautiful seaside town with one of the most charming old towns in Italy. It has a millennia-old history. The center is truly fascinating and unique with its white houses stacked one upon another, cobbled streets, artisan shops, and historic activities. A daytime stroll is fantastic, but doing it at sunset is breathtaking with colors that become truly unique.

Angela: upon arrival, the center of Otranto is surrounded by walls that historically protected it from invaders, making it one of the most charming towns in Southern Italy. At the entrance to the old town, there’s the Aragonese Castle. Viewing the castle’s exterior doesn’t require a ticket, while for the interiors, walls, bastions, underground areas, and towers, a cumulative ticket can be purchased: it’s definitely worth it if you have more than a few hours. Don’t miss the Cathedral either.

Piero: the best thing to do, however, is to walk along the walls that line the old town and overlook the sea: half an hour of walking to be savored slowly, enjoying every moment.

Angela: to end the evening, let’s find a good agriturismo in the area: there are many options, and it’s hard to go wrong!

Piero: now let’s move on to the fourth day: where are we headed today?

Angela: morning and early afternoon at the beach; then we’re going to Lecce!

Palude del Capitano and Lecce

Piero: in the morning, let’s head to the Palude del Capitano, a very picturesque place not far from Porto Cesareo, located in the Regional Natural Park of Porto Selvaggio. It’s named so because, according to legend, a sailor, tired of life at sea, decided to build a small house along the shores of the lagoon to live immersed in a captivating environment, which remains unspoiled and unique even today.

Angela: the uniqueness of the place, besides the crystal-clear sea, is the presence of a “spannulata,” a mirror of water created by karst phenomena, basically a collapsed cave that has given rise to a brackish lagoon where the fresh waters of underground springs meet the salty waters of the sea. Here lies one of the most beautiful spots along the coast, connected to the sea, making it resemble a round natural swimming pool, a few meters in diameter.

Piero: by mid-afternoon, it’s time to set off for Lecce.

Angela: less than an hour's drive from Porto Cesareo, and we’ll be there! We’ll park near Porta Napoli and start our tour from there. There’s so much to see, and it’s easy to get lost in all this beauty. Therefore, having the fortune of a knowledgeable local guide is invaluable: thanks, Lucio!

Piero: It’s a city rich in testimonies and works of art from Roman, medieval, and Renaissance eras. But Lecce is primarily a Baroque city. The warm, golden color of Lecce stone at sunset is unforgettable, and its craftsmanship can be found throughout the historic center in monuments, churches, and even the balconies and terraces of private homes.

Angela: as we walk through the streets of the center, we encounter the Church of Santa Maria della Provvidenza and the Church of Santa Maria di Costantinopoli in piazzetta Addolorata. We then arrive at the sixteenth-century Palazzo Adorno and the marvelous Basilica of Santa Croce, the symbol of the city and Lecce Baroque, with its stone carvings and beautiful rose window.

Piero: let’s reach the elegant Piazza Sant’Oronzo, the heart of city life, where the famous column of the patron saint stands, and the scenic Piazza del Duomo with the lavish side façade of the Cathedral and its tall bell tower, the Bishop's Palace.

Angela: don’t miss the symbols of the Roman era, namely the theater and the amphitheater built in the 2nd century AD. The amphitheater was completely buried under rubble due to earthquakes and devastation, and only in the early 20th century, during the Fascist era, thanks to excavation work, was it brought back to light. The visible part today, placed lower than the street level, is only a third of the entire structure, probably hidden beneath the central Piazza Sant’Oronzo.

Piero: besides the Cathedral and the Basilica of Santa Croce, Lecce has around forty other churches scattered throughout. Among the most original, we cannot fail to mention the Church of San Matteo with its unique curved façade.

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Angela: to end the day, we must have a sandwich with octopus or any other specialty of Salento street food! A few more steps to admire the city’s beauty in the evening colors, and then we head back. Tomorrow we set out for another busy day.

Gallipoli and surroundings

Piero: day five: a busy tour! We’ll leave early for Gallipoli, have lunch in Marina di Pescoluse, and close the afternoon in Santa Maria di Leuca.

Angela: Gallipoli is another charming Salento town. It’s a very lively city from a tourist perspective thanks to its enchanting landscape, architectural richness, and cultural heritage. Our tour begins with the castle located in the historic center of the city, near the bridge that connects Old Gallipoli, situated on an islet, to the new part.

Piero: let’s stroll along the walls to enjoy the sea and the island of Sant’Andrea in front. Before entering the central part of the old town, we can admire the small city beach from above.

Angela: the heart of the historic center is made up of cobbled streets, charming squares, local shops, and boutiques where you can admire beautiful local products. To conclude, it’s worth visiting the Cathedral dedicated to Saint Agatha. Be careful with parking and the parking meters; the checks are very strict: a fine for Piero and a fine for Angela… This quick tour ends here, and we set off south.

Visualizza a grandezza standard

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Piero: we arrive for lunch in Marina di Pescoluse for the famous Maldives of Salento: very white and fine beach, shallow bottoms, particularly clear and fragrant waters, and sandy dunes. It’s practically a paradise!

Angela: after relaxing on the beach, we continue south towards Santa Maria di Leuca, the tip of Salento.

Piero: given the short time available, we head straight to the Sanctuary of Santa Maria di Leuca or De Finibus Terrae, which opens onto a bright square.

Angela: the square is dominated by a column topped with a statue of the Madonna and the lighthouse. We then arrive at the Belvedere, which overlooks the point where the Adriatic and Ionian seas meet: on clearer days, you can see the Greek islands and especially the Albanian hills. On the way back, we find the monumental waterfall. The waterfall is part of a grand project like the Apulian Aqueduct and was completed during the Fascist era. The waterfall was inaugurated with great pomp, to the extent that Mussolini had the monolithic Roman column sent directly from Rome, which is still placed at the end of the staircase next to the waterfall. The waterfall isn’t active all year round but is turned on mainly in the summer, allowing visitors to enjoy a show that is as unique as it is unusual.

Piero: from this part of the square, you can see the town of Santa Maria di Leuca from above, with its white houses and the small harbor.

Angela: we’ve kept another half hour to enjoy another natural spectacle, not far away: the Ciolo Bridge.

Piero: the Ciolo Canal is essentially a gorge overlooking the Adriatic, topped by a bridge (the Ciolo Bridge, indeed) over thirty meters high, under which a sandy cove gently slopes down. A small fjord that sometimes offers visitors the thrilling spectacle of a group of divers daring to jump into the sea from a significant height.

Angela: now, tired, we head back! Tomorrow we leave early for Matera (we’ll talk about that separately).

Punta Prosciutto

Piero: now we come to the last day. After the tiring day in Matera and Craco, we can only organize a relaxing day at the beach. We choose Punta Prosciutto as our final stop.

Angela: we’re back in the protected marine area of Porto Cesareo, along the coastal road that connects Porto Cesareo and Torre Lapillo. One of the most beautiful Salento beaches, Punta Prosciutto, is characterized by an unspoiled and wild setting, occupied by a few houses, tall dunes, and soft golden sand.

Piero: Punta Prosciutto is a little paradise where the shallow and clear waters make it a perfect destination, especially for families with small children, allowing them to enjoy hours of relaxation and tranquility without worries.

Angela: with this relaxing day, our wonderful week in Salento comes to an end. What remains is the satisfaction of having seen so many wonders, enjoyed stunning nature, and savored extraordinary flavors and aromas!

Piero: definitely! But also a strong desire to return as soon as possible because there’s surely so much more to see...

Angela: before leaving, watch this short video: