On my way from the Salento to Basilicata I did also stop at Taranto, also known as the “Spartan City” as it was the only colony ever founded by Sparta, in 706 BC. “The City of Two Seas” is located on a spit of land that divides the open sea connected by an artifical canal.
It´s also the city of two faces as there is the modern Taranto and the old town, with the Aragonese Castle, the Cathedral and many other monuments.
On my way from Lecce to Matino I also stopped in Otranto, a harbour town in the east of the Salento. About 5 kilometers away from Otranto a lighthouse “Faro della Palascìa” marks the most easterly point of the Italian mainland. Beside the little harbour and lovely old city there is (of course) a castle as the city was already an important port even in the roman times.
On March 28th 1997 an Albanian boat filled with refugees sank after a collision with an Italian naval vessel and at least 57 Albanians drowned. Greek artist Costas Varotsos transformed parts of the sunken ship to this monument in the harbour of Otranto.
Almost 3000 people drowned in 2016 on their way to Europe – please support the work of private vessels like the Sea Watch saving hundreds of lifes every day! #safepassages
The heel of Italy lies between the Adriatic and Ionian coasts – or in other words: endless rows of olive trees lie between sandy beaches and tall cliffs.
Make a stop at Grotta Verde at the Marina di Andrano – it´s really easy to find and so amazing to be able to swim into this grotta. Don´t forget your snorkeling equioment and if you don´t have any, don´t worry the little bar at the parking sells some stuff.
There are a lot of beach clubs, as almost everywhere else in Italy, but also some beautiful hidden beaches, even some that are reachable from the street – just watch out if some cars are parked at the costal road. That´s always a good sign!
I stayed in Matino, a little town quite in the middle of the Salento and the perfect spot to explore the heel from all sides – it´s just a nice and easy drive around. With many great places to stop, take a sip or just have some caffè.
What´s been the trulli in the Valle d`Itria seem to be towers in Salento – they are everywhere on the coast, some of them turned into restaurants and also a lot of round stone buidlings of different hights.
Being at the most southern point of my journey: Santa Maria di Leuca
