Salento
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By Dion Protani
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Latest update: 28 February 2022
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The exact boundaries of the Salento region are often disputed but in simple terms, it covers the administrative area of Lecce Province.
If you think of Italy in the shape of a boot, the Salento region is the heel of the boot, from just above Lecce, all the way down to the southern tip of Santa Maria di Leuca. |
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The Salento is characterised by its beautiful beaches with their crystalline waters and jagged, coastal rock formations, while inland there are numerous historic towns to discover with the major centre of Lecce chief among those.
Lecce is in fact the perfect base for any exploration of the Salento as not only does it lie in the very heart of the region, but its beautiful Baroque centre marks it out as one of Italy's most celebrated cities. Away from Lecce there are a number of wonderful seaside towns in the Salento; some of the favourites include Gallipoli, Otranto and Castro, but dig a little deeper and you'll find some less-publicised gems such as Santa Maria al Bagno and Santa Caterina which are separated by just a few kilometres of headland.
So numerous are the beaches of Salento that I've created a special section just for them which you can find a link for a little further down the page. In some way it feels almost wrong to try and rank the beaches in order of importance because they are all so beautiful and share the common thread of cobalt blue seas and fascinating little coves. However, a few that are not to be missed include San Foca, Torre Sant'Andrea and the famous Grotta della Poesia.
Among the smaller towns of most interest are Galatina with its astonishing cathedral: the Basilica di Santa Caterina d'Alessandria, covered from top to bottom in frescoes. You'll find a typical style of architecture in many of the small Salento towns which owes much to its Greek heritage: Nardò, Cavallino and Tricase are all worth a visit, along with Copertino, Acaya and Ugento to name just a few.
The Salento has its own airport, at least in name if not location; the Brindisi Salento Airport lies just outside of the region's confines but is hugely convenient. A half an hour or so drive from the airport brings you to Lecce and from there you're within easy striking distance of the Salento's best sights.
Lecce is in fact the perfect base for any exploration of the Salento as not only does it lie in the very heart of the region, but its beautiful Baroque centre marks it out as one of Italy's most celebrated cities. Away from Lecce there are a number of wonderful seaside towns in the Salento; some of the favourites include Gallipoli, Otranto and Castro, but dig a little deeper and you'll find some less-publicised gems such as Santa Maria al Bagno and Santa Caterina which are separated by just a few kilometres of headland.
So numerous are the beaches of Salento that I've created a special section just for them which you can find a link for a little further down the page. In some way it feels almost wrong to try and rank the beaches in order of importance because they are all so beautiful and share the common thread of cobalt blue seas and fascinating little coves. However, a few that are not to be missed include San Foca, Torre Sant'Andrea and the famous Grotta della Poesia.
Among the smaller towns of most interest are Galatina with its astonishing cathedral: the Basilica di Santa Caterina d'Alessandria, covered from top to bottom in frescoes. You'll find a typical style of architecture in many of the small Salento towns which owes much to its Greek heritage: Nardò, Cavallino and Tricase are all worth a visit, along with Copertino, Acaya and Ugento to name just a few.
The Salento has its own airport, at least in name if not location; the Brindisi Salento Airport lies just outside of the region's confines but is hugely convenient. A half an hour or so drive from the airport brings you to Lecce and from there you're within easy striking distance of the Salento's best sights.
Salento Beaches
Torre Sant'Andrea, Salento, Puglia
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Towns of Salento
Tricase, Salento, Puglia
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Torre Sant'Emiliano
Torre Sant'Emiliano, Salento, Puglia
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Torre Uluzzo
Torre Uluzzo, Salento, Puglia
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