Salento:
the most beautiful cities of art and sea
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You cannot explain Salento. You have to experience Salento, because it enters your soul, envelops you and never leaves you.
~ Fabrizio Caramagna
Spring season is the right time to start planning a holiday in Salento, to discover its infinite naturalistic, landscape and artistic beauties, and - why not? - also gastronomic. Starting from Sanarica, there are many itineraries for a full immersion in the eclectic and versatile Terra d'Otranto among breathtaking colors, scents and flavors. A few minutes from the Bed and Breakfast, there are Otranto, Santa Cesarea and Castro, the three pearls of Salento: the ideal destinations for a summer full of adventure and fun. Autumn also offers its emotions: the many patronal festivals, the mild climate and the feeling of having always lived in Lecce, a sensation that meets the tourist who lets himself be carried away by the music, colors and warmth of the Salento people.
Otranto
Otranto, with its ancient and precious historical center and its golden beaches, is sadly known for the bloody massacre of 1480 during which, at the hands of the invading Turks, the population was slaughtered. The bones of its eight hundred martyrs are kept in the cathedral, which has been included in the Unesco heritage since 2010. Do not miss the historic center. The pride of the Adriatic, Otranto has received numerous blue flags of Europe and Punta Palascìa, with its lighthouse, is the easternmost point of Italy: here you can enjoy the first sunrise of the nation. Every year, on New Year's Eve, thousands gather in the center of Otranto to wait, amidst concerts and markets, for the first "dawn of the peoples": an evocative Italian New Year.
The beaches of Otranto
The beaches of Alimini are among the most popular in all of Puglia, with shallow and crystalline waters, the fine white sand. Between equipped lidos and a free beach, it is impossible not to have fun. Between the Alimini and Otranto we still find the Baia del Mulino d 'Acqua, where a cave with a collapsed vault offers a truly spectacular play of light, and the Baia dei Turchi, with small sandy coves that once served as a landing place. The coast south of Otranto is instead rocky and jagged but the roughness of the rocks is balanced by the transparency of the water. Famous are the localities of Porto Badisco and Baia dell'Orte. From here you can take walks to Capo Palàscia and Sant'Emiliano where you can admire inlets with crystal clear waters. Worthy of note are the numerous scuba diving with the involvement of the Otranto Diving Centers which offer the opportunity to explore some of the most beautiful seabeds, walls and caves of the Capo d'Otranto, such as the Grotta Palombara where you can admire white bream, lobsters, moray eels and groupers. and the Grotta Taglio dell'Orte, between Capo d'Otranto and Punta Falci.
Santa Cesarea Terme
Otranto, with its ancient and precious historical center and its golden beaches, is sadly known for the bloody massacre of 1480 during which, at the hands of the invading Turks, the population was slaughtered. The bones of its eight hundred martyrs are kept in the cathedral, which has been included in the Unesco heritage since 2010. Do not miss the historic center. The pride of the Adriatic, Otranto has received numerous blue flags of Europe and Punta Palascìa, with its lighthouse, is the easternmost point of Italy: here you can enjoy the first sunrise of the nation. Every year, on New Year's Eve, thousands gather in the center of Otranto to wait, amidst concerts and markets, for the first "dawn of the peoples": an evocative Italian New Year.
Castro
Castro, which will win you over with its crenellated coast of inlets and caves overlooking the sea, combines the charm of its superb cliff with historical testimonies such as the Aragonese castle, the bishop's palace, the Annunziata church and the Byzantine basilica. The town is divided between the town of medieval origin at 98m above sea level (Castro di Sopra) and the marina built around the port (Castro Marina). In summer it is also a thriving center of the Salento nightlife, with elegant summer discos and live outdoor concerts in the beautiful city squares with the sea as a backdrop.
Gallipoli
Located on the south-western coast of the heel of Italy, Gallipoli is famous for its clean sea and sandy beaches, certainly one of the most interesting areas of Salento from a naturalistic point of view. Seen from the sea, Gallipoli presents itself in all its oriental aspect, white and similar to a Cycladic country. The ancient village, perched on a limestone island, is connected to the mainland by an arched bridge. The walls, ramparts and towers, which once protected the city from invaders, now shelter it from storm surges and give it a unique charm, which transports visitors to distant times. Do not miss the Baroque-style cathedral dedicated to Sant'Agata, the Hellenistic fountain, full of bas-reliefs inspired by Greek mythology, and the sanctuary of the Madonna del Canneto.
In addition to the cultural charm of the city, there is the natural beauty of the low coast with long beaches of white and fine sand frequented mainly by families and water sports enthusiasts.
Lecce
Capital of the Salento province surrounded by the sea, Lecce is a magical city that contains almost all the essence of Salento. For the people of Salento, it is the capital of the Baroque, of integration, of culture, of sport and even of coffee. In the historic center, in addition to the many architectural works that span the centuries, there are still numerous small shops of papier-mâché, an ancient Lecce art. During a holiday, Lecce is a must if you want to understand the history of the area and be fascinated by the majesty of the monuments or by the mysterious stories that surround them. Between art, culture, flavors, music and tradition, Lecce city really lacks only the sea.
Inserted among the art cities of Italy, Lecce boasts ancient Messapian origins. The Roman remains still speak of the time when Lecce, the ancient Lupiae, was considered the branch of the capital. The real peculiarity of the city, however, is the rich splendor of the Baroque works, built in Lecce stone, the result of the ingenuity of incredible masters who sculpted them entirely with chisel and other fine tools. During the Kingdom of Naples, Lecce was held in high esteem by lords and writers, as well as by artists. In 2015 it was the Italian Capital of Culture. The whole city is dotted with restaurants serving, among other types, the typical Salento cuisine, very tasty despite being of "poor" origin, thanks to the elaborate and rich preparations and a great use of fresh local vegetables, the varieties of which Lecce are jealously produced and preserved by farmers for generations.
Santa Maria di Leuca
The meeting between the two seas takes place in front of the Cape of Santa Maria di Leuca, the finis terrae, as defined by the ancients, the extreme point of Italy from which, on clear days, Greece and Albania can be glimpsed. The coasts of the municipality are part of the Costa Otranto - Santa Maria di Leuca - Bosco di Tricase Regional Natural Park. Do not miss a visit to the Caves of Santa Maria di Leuca, easily reachable by sea with the boats of local fishermen, which have returned fossils of Pleistocene fauna and artifacts dating back to the Upper Paleolithic and Neolithic. The caves themselves in the Middle Ages became a refuge for the Basilian monks, as evidenced by the numerous Greek and Latin inscriptions and the crosses engraved on the rocks.