Along the Salento coast, on the easternmost tip of the heel of Italy, Otranto appears like a fortress on the sea. About 50 kilometers from Lecce, the city walls and the honey-colored houses dazzled by the sun, shimmer among the olive trees and the wild coast fringed with long beaches and coves .
Listed among the Most Beautiful Villages in Italy , Otranto is a city to be discovered slowly, thanks to a unique historical and architectural heritage.
In 20 kilometers of coast there are bays, long strips of light sand, hidden coves in rocky ravines where you can discover yourself even in high season. And then in Otranto the sea always offers unpredictable colors.
You walk along the Kennedy seafront to lay out your towel on the Scaloni beach , while two other city beaches are Cala dei Normanni and the Idruntini beach .
Starting from the Riviera degli Haethehy and driving north, you come across the Punta Lighthouse , which heralds the view of the Porto Craulo beach and the Castellana lido . You can also swim at the Staffa lido and in the enchanting inlet of the Canale del Càfaro , not far away.
From here on, the rocky coast offers a succession of caves, small bays and coves. Like that of San Pietro dei Canali , in the area of the Cerra farmhouse.
For snorkeling, the ideal place is the Grotta Monaca bay, with populated seabeds, crystal clear and clean sea. While on the boat you can explore the northern coast, between Sapunerà and Mulino d'Acqua, which is all sheer cliffs, sandy seabeds and calm sea that almost seems like a swimming pool.
Continuing you reach Murrune , a suggestive ridge that owes its name to the nearby farmhouse, and then the Bay of Santo Stefano , the beaches of Porticeddhi and the cove of Toraiello .
To the north, the Alimini Lakes lagoon extends, two bodies of water close to the sea, lined with pine trees and beaches on the coast that create a unique panorama.
Those who want to relax on the white dunes that plunge into the turquoise water, five kilometers away will discover the Baia del Sole , also part of the protected area of the Alimini Lakes, where there are also equipped beaches. While even further north stretch the clear shores of Torre dell'Orso , a crescent of white sand that the sea caresses with long and foaming waves. In the distance, among the Mediterranean scrub, the cliff resumes, and the eye runs until it meets the stacks of the Due Sorelle . Then, San Foca , another pearl of the Melendugno marina.
The coast south of Otranto is wilder, where you meet the Baia dell'Orte , with rocks that slope gently into the sea, hiding small coves of stones, like that of Porto Grande , which can be reached on foot. It is difficult to meet people in these parts. The water is transparent and you can dive in with a mask and snorkel to admire the seabed.
After Punta Palascia, the bay of Porto Badisco , famous for being considered the landing point of Aeneas fleeing from Troy, is known not only for its beaches, among the most beautiful on the Otranto coast, but also for the numerous caves hidden along the coast. Among these, there is that of the Deer, decorated with prehistoric rock images. Then, here are the pools of Santa Cesarea Terme and the coast of Castro .
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