Salento
In the Salento the sun kisses you all year.
The charm of art, excellent cuisine
Mediterranean and sincere hospitality welcome you in a dream landscape: from the Adriatic coast with the marinas of Melendugno, Santa Cesarea Terme and Otranto, to the Ionian bathing Porto Cesareo, Portoselvaggio and Gallipoli.
Here the Middle Ages are colored in the East and ancient nursery rhymes in "griko" resonate in Grecìa Salentina, as in Melpignano, where ancient rhythms become contemporary music in the Notte della Taranta.
You are in the green peninsula between two seas, magical land where mysterious dolmens and menhirs indicate the path, hidden among the olive trees and dry stone walls in the countryside between Giurdignano and Minervino di Lecce. At a walking pace you go to the discovery of paleochristian churches and underground oil mills and do not miss the natural spectacle of the sea caves of Castro and Santa Maria di Leuca.
A walk in Lecce is a journey through the baroque, among churches and palaces embroidered in stone, courtyards, secret gardens and the surprise of a Roman amphitheater in the heart of the city.
In Brindisi, on the other hand, you can visit two castles and enjoy the view of the Regina Margherita promenade.
In the villages are revealed the artisan shops of papier mache and Lecce stone and on the table are all the flavors of Salento: the "tria", homemade pasta prepared with chickpeas, savory wild vegetables and delicious desserts like the "pasticciotto" from the heart of cream and the "spumone", excellent homemade ice cream.
Gallipoli
Città Bella is the meaning of the name of Gallipoli, a seaside town lying like a mirage on the Ionian coast, about 40 km from Lecce.
The ancient village, perched on an island of limestone origin, is connected to the mainland and the new city by a twentieth-century arch bridge, recently flanked by another bridge towards the port. The walls, the ramparts and the towers, which once protected the city from invaders, today shelter it from the storms giving it a charm of the past.
Before landing in the old town with its paved streets from which often glitters a slice of sea, it is worth slowing down the walk with a stop at the true fish market, located in the original moat of the imposing castle, to contend with the true gallipolini the catch of the day. The Angevin fortress, almost completely surrounded by the sea, is accessible from the old city and offers the opportunity to immerse yourself in history through towers, galleries, corridors and majestic rooms.
The old city seems to announce itself with the Greek fountain, a monument actually of Renaissance origin, with baroque pediment, while behind it, between the swing of the sea in the sea overlook the Sanctuary of Santa Maria del Canneto and the Chapel of Santa Cristina, protector of the city, saint beloved by the men of the sea.
Today Gallipoli is a lively center on the Ionian coast of Salento that combines its maritime nature with modernity, tradition and folklore with nightlife and shopping.
The coast develops from the beginning of the Lungomare Galilei and goes on for several kilometers; along this course we find ourselves on the beautiful beaches that are the real highlight of this city.
Here, besides being able to enjoy a wonderful clear and crystalline sea, there are several beaches organized to offer every kind of comfort and that in the evening become real places to dance under the starry sky.
