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Salento

A land between two seas
Salento, a splendid sun-kissed land located between two seas, the Ionian and the Adriatic, is a triumph of natural beauty lapped by a crystal-clear sea with a magical atmosphere of history and traditions. It features a lush green inland region and 250 km of coast which at times is low and sandy and at others high and jagged. 
 
Porto Cesareo 
Porto Cesareo
Porto Cesareo. Copyright © Sisterscom.com / Shutterstock
The Ionian coast extends from the tourist resort of Porto Cesareo to the town of Santa Maria di Leuca, which is found between the two seas. The 17 km of beaches of Porto Cesareo look towards an archipelago of islands, the most well known being the Isola dei Conigli.
Further down the coast is the Nature Reserve of Porto Selvaggio, with the inviting and transparent waters of the Bay of Uluzzo, Rivabella and Lido Conchiglie, an interesting expanse of dunes and the spectacular Montagna Spaccata.

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Where to sleep in Porto Cesareo
Porto Cesareo is a welcoming city and offers different possibilities for accommodation.

To find the ideal hotel and the best offers you can do a search for the stars but also for districts or landmarks.

 
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Isola dei Conigli
 
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Brindisi Airport BDS
 
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Gallipoli
Gallipoli.
Gallipoli. Copyright © Sisterscom.com / Shutterstock
 
A short distance to the south, Gallipoli (from the Greek “Beautiful City”), a gem in the blue waters of the Ionian Sea, has an oriental charm, splendid beaches, beautiful monuments and is filled with the perfumes of its exquisite traditional cuisine. The historic centre sits on a island of limestone and is connected to the mainland by a stone bridge and surrounded by a panoramic road. Beyond the bridge are the Greco-Roman fountain, considered the oldest in Italy, and the new district divided into two branches called  “scirocco” and “tramontana”.

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Where to sleep in Gallipoli
Gallipoli is a welcoming city and offers different possibilities for accommodation.

To find the ideal hotel and the best offers you can do a search for the stars but also for districts or landmarks.

 
STARS
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LANDMARKS
 
HOTELS NEARBY
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Marina di Mancaversa
 
 
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Santa Maria di Leuca and surrounding 
Santa Maria di Leuca
Santa Maria di Leuca. Copyright © Sisterscom.com / Shutterstock
 
Before arriving at Santa Maria di Leuca there is a long series of well-equipped beaches at Torre Pali, Torre Mozza and Torre San Giovanni. A short distance away is Ugento, an ancient Messapian city well worth visiting to admire its architectural remains.
 
Pescoluse
Pescoluse. Copyright © Sisterscom.com / Shutterstock
The “Maldives of Salento”
A section of coast in the Pescoluse area is known as the “Maldives of Salento” because of the white, fine sandy beach, shallow sea bed, particularly limpid and perfumed waters, sand dunes, acacias and tamarisks, and red sunsets on an infinite horizon.
 
The 47 metre-high lighthouse is the distinctive feature of Santa Maria di Leuca, which stands near a sanctuary located on the highest part of the headland. A seaside resort and gem of the farthest corner of Italy, it sits in a magical position on a section of coast that alternates rocks and small sandy bays.

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Where to sleep in Leuca and surroundings
Leuca is a welcoming city and offers different possibilities for accommodation.

To find the ideal hotel and the best offers you can do a search for the stars but also for districts or landmarks.

 
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STARS
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The coast from Brindisi to Otranto
The Adriatic coast, starting from Brindisi, features long sandy shores and sections of low rocks. The wide, clean beaches of San Cataldo lie before a 6 km oasis along the coast with splendid natural habitats. Further south is Roca Vecchia, with a tall jagged coastline and transparent sea. The interesting Grotta della Poesia (Cave of Poetry), which is reached by a flight of steps, is found on the headland; its walls are filled with thousands of votive inscriptions. The Torre dell’Orso is located on a rocky outcrop that encloses an enchanting beach.
 
Cave of Poetry
Cave of Poetry. Copyright © Sisterscom.com / Shutterstock
Further ahead, two rocky stacks, known as “the two sisters”, guard the inlet.  Immediately after is the area of Otranto, with high cliffs, coves and beautiful sandy shores. After Mediterranean maquis and a dense pine forest lies the area of the Alimini Lakes, two bodies of water, one communicating with the sea and the other originating from a fresh water source.
 
Otranto
Otranto. Copyright © Sisterscom.com / Shutterstock
Otranto 
Otranto, known as the “Gateway to the East” and “City of Martyrs” and Byzantine heart of Salento, features a millenary cathedral, Arangonese Castle and the exceptional charm of an ancient village.

Further south are Punta Palascia, the most easterly point of Italy, 82 metres above sea level, and Porto Badisco, where it is said Aeneas came ashore.
 
Castro
Castro. Copyright © Sisterscom.com / Shutterstock
Further along lie Santa Cesarea Terme, a spa town famous for the sulphurous, hydrotherapeutic springs of its four grottos, and Castro, in one of the most attractive inlets of the entire region, which has been awarded the Blue Flag for the purity of the sea.

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Where to sleep in Otranto and surroundings
The coast of the province of Brindisi is a welcoming city and offers different possibilities for accommodation.

To find the ideal hotel and the best offers you can do a search for the stars but also for districts or landmarks.

  
 
STARS - Otranto (Le)
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STARS - Brindisi (Br)
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San Cataldo
Porto Badisco
Santa Cesarea Terme
Castro di Lecce
 
AIRPORT
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PROVINCE OF LECCE
 
REGION

Text by Alisè Vitri
Avion Tourism Magazine
Photos: Sisterscom.com, Shutterstock 

Copyright © Sisterscom.com

Video: www.viaggiareinpuglia.it

WHERE TO GO in salento
Salento
Copyright © Sisterscom.com / Shutterstock
The ‘masserie’ (traditional farmhouses)
Salento offers many traditional farmhouses, known as ‘masserie’, which are a symbol of rural settlements and farming life. Some of these have been superbly restored as agritourism farms and hotels, and preserve all the charm of the past in a verdant landscape.
Salento
Copyright © Sisterscom.com / Shutterstock
The tower
There are approximately 58 towers on the Salento coast, located on headlands or rocky terraces, used for observing the surrounding area and as points of reference for sailors. Most have a square plan and some still preserve all their former splendour.
 
Lecce
Lecce. Copyright © Sisterscom.com / Shutterstock
 
The Baroque in Lecce
Lecce, capital of Salento, has earned the name of “Athens of Apulia” and “Florence of the South”. The secret of Baroque Lecce lies in the local stone, a marble limestone that is soft enough to be sculpted with a chisel. The monument that best illustrates this Baroque city is the Basilica of Santa Croce, but the entire historic centre.

 

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