• The Salento is a hot, dry peninsula at the southern tip of Puglia. Its geographical isolation has meant that it has developed a strong identity with its own cuisine, traditions and music, influenced by its Greek past. Along with some of Italy’s best beaches there are some fascinating towns to explore.
• Santa Maria Leuca, the town between two seas – Santa Maria di Leuca is the point of the peninsula’s stiletto heel. The Greeks called it Leukos, meaning brilliant sun, while the Romans called it “the place at the end of the earth”. Situated in the prime part of the Salento, Leuca is a paradise on a promontory between two seas.
• Castro – Situated on a hill overhanging the sea and is referred to as the “pearl of the Salento. The setting with turquoise skies, green hills, white washed buildings and sapphire water is captivating.
• The caves of Zinzulusa – A majestic opening in a sheer sea cliff near Castro welcomes you to the Zinzulusa Cave, one of Salento’s most impressive karstic phenomena.
• Gallipolli’s old town is on a island connected by a causeway to the mainland. It has a relaxed, elegant vibe, some stunning churches, and a golden curve of sand right in the centre of town, plus many more along the surrounding coast. It was ruled by the Greeks for five centuries between 7th and 2nd century BC, but all signs of their existence were destroyed by the Romans and most of the architecture seen now is from the Middle Ages.
• Other than leisurely walks along the city’s seafront walls, the most interesting thing to do in Gallipolli is visit Frantoio Ipogeo in Granafei Palace, one of the 35 underground olive presses. It was first used in 1600, excavated by hand out of the soft rock, to make olive oil for lamps which was exported around the world. You can see the original equipment used for grinding and pressing the olives and get a sense of what it was like to work in this dark, damp cave. Salento is the most beautiful part of Apulia, the hottest, the most sparkling and with the same old reality the Italian coastal scenery has to show the whole world.
• Otranto has a stunning coastal location where you can combine morning visits to churches with an afternoon swimming in the clean, impossibly turquoise sea. Otranto’s principal attraction is the Cathedral with its mosaic floor built in 1163-1165— it survived the Turkish invasion although parts of the Cathedral were destroyed.
• Lecce, the Baroque city known as the Florence of the South. with its historical Baroque abodes awaiting to be discovered, its piazzas, old villages and hamlets. Its culinary specialities, pasticciotti (sweet pies filled with custard), rustici (savory pastries filled with mozzarella cheese and tomato), turcineddi (rolled meat similar to haggis) ciceri e tria (chickpeas with pieces of fried fresh pasta).
• Porto Cesareo – The popular seaside resort has an amazing 17 kilometers of golden beach facing an archipelago of low-lying islands that form a protected bay. The water is calm and clear. Porto Cesareo is also the home of a nature preserve that is a marine protected area rich in flora and fauna with very rare species. Underwater excursions allow for viewing of the unique coral formations, turtles, sea horses, and other marine life.
• Ostuni, La Città Bianca, the white city, is one of Puglia’s most beautiful cities, a tumble of white-washed buildings perched strategically atop a hill with views of the endless olive trees in the Valle d’Itria countryside, and the glimmering Adriatic Sea. The medieval walled city has a maze of alleyways, staircases and arches.The main street in Ostuni is lined with boutiques and souvenir shops selling local olive oil and Salentino sandals. At the town’s highest point you’ll find the Cathedral. Built in the 15th century in the late Gothic style, it has a magnificent rose window with Christ at the centre surrounded by 24 finely carved columns representing the hours of the day. Aim to visit on a Saturday, to experience the town’s market day to browse the stalls of round cucumbers, fresh almonds, dried figs, fresh cheese, aromatic herbs and more.
