Palazzo Rosa

Where to begin?  The list is endless.

The jewel in the crown of local towns must be Lecce.  It is a baroque masterpiece with a great many churches and fine buildings from the 16th century onwards.

There are fantastic art galleries, restaurants and bars, and even to wander around the narrow cobbled streets getting lost and window shopping is a marvel. Central to it all is the Piazzo Arronzo with its Roman Theatre and cafes and ice cream shops.

An ideal place to recover after the rigours of shopping and culture.

Another wonderful visit is Otranto with its massive medieval castle overlooking the sea and the magical Catherdral with an astonishing Norman mosaic floor dating from the 11th century showing a tree of life with Adam and Eve, the signs of the zodiak, the seasons of the year, Noah’s Ark, gods and  mythical beasts to rival the imagination of JK Rowling.

Continuing on down the coast from Otranto, a stunning drive by the sea, you come to the charming little town of Santa Maria di Leuca, perfect for lunch and a swim.

One thing not to be missed is the train journey to Gallipoli from Galatina.  This is not a high-speed intercity (by any stretch of the imagination) but if you enjoy trundling through unspoiled countryside in an unhurried way this is for you, especially if you would like a swim and lunch in one of the nicest fish restaurants anywhere.

And talking about swimming the thing that Salento is really famous for is its beaches.  The sea is soft and caressing, warm and limpid, the sun is hot  (go earlier or later to avoid lobster syndrome) and the ice creams beyond compare.  Our visitors book contains many suggestions of well known and lesser known beaches to hang out on.

Finally there is one superb  attraction only a few meters away from our front door.  This is the Basilica (catherdral) di Santa Caterina.  Its 14th century frescos really are world-renowned. We have not got over the sense of privilege of being able to nip into the church early or late (entry is free) with no other tourists around to calmly marvel at these wonderful works.

The Salento area of Puglia (the bottom of the “heel” of Italy)  is famed for its olives and wines.You can drive for ages through the deserted twisting lanes, through mile after mile of olive tree, some probably two thousand years old, and still bearing their valuable fruit.

Equally impressive are the coastlines, sometimes rocky and rugged, sometimes glorious sandy beaches. And as three sides of Salento are bounded by the sea you will come across fishing villages and towns each crying out for you to stop for a coffee, a plate of seafood, a glass of chilled local wine, a quick dip..

You won’t find any mountains in our part of Puglia, but further north past Brindisi are green hills and the spectactular conical stone buildings known as “Trulli.”  Not everyone’s cup of tea, but worth a drive to see.

Very well worth the rather longer drive is the world heritage town of Matera.  In the 19th Century a prosperous provincial capital it is famed for its incredibly steep streets where the houses were built into the solid rock.  Well worth an overnight stay if you have time but can also be done in a day.