The Coast of Puglia

Porto Otranto, Puglia, Italy

Puglia is one of the undiscovered jewels of Italy. The town of Lecce is one of my favorite places in the world, and I've posted about it a couple of times before. And, I'll post more extensively about this amazing city in the future.
But, this post is about the coast of Puglia, from Otrano all the way to the tip of the heel at Santa Maria di Leuca. If you were to do the drive nonstop, you could do it in about an hour, but, of course, stopping along the way is required. 

Otranto, while not frequented by Americans, is a very popular beach area. We were lucky to visit during the off season when we had the shore to ourselves. It wasn't beach weather, but it was certainly beautiful for a stroll.

If you go during the busy season, or even if you don't, I'd recommend driving 15 minutes south to Porto Badisco, where there is a small sheltered bay which is great for swimming or snorkeling. Plus, it's not nearly as crowded!

Villa Sticchi, Santa Cesarea Terme, Puglia, Italy

 Another 15 minute drive past Porto Badisco is one of the most unusual and seemingly out of place sights you're likely to see in Puglia. The Villa Sticchi was built between 1894 and 1900 by an Italian architect with obvious Moorish influences.

It's privately owned so you can't tour Villa Sticchi, but it is so striking that we had to stop for a look at the outside.

Santa Maria di Leuce Lighthouse, Puglia, Italy

 At the very tip of the heel of Italy, what must have seemed the end of the world to the ancients, is Santa Maria di Leuce, or Leuce for short. This is where the Adriatic and Ionian Seas converge, making for a rocky and dangerous navigation point for boats.

Santa Maria di Leuce, Puglia, Italy

 While the town may be most famous for its lighthouse, its beach and harbor, filled with boats from all over the world, are enticing as well.

Santa Maria di Leuce, Puglia, Italy

 We visited during the off season, but even with deserted beaches, a lot of bars and restaurants were still open. Even if they were closed, a visit to Leuce and a stroll on the beach is about the best way to spend an afternoon.

Santa Maria di Leuce, Puglia, Italy

After reaching the end of the world, you could retrace your drive back up the coast, or you could drive up the west side of the peninsula. Puglia isn't very wide and you can get all the way across in about an hour.

Porto Gallipoli is a nice stop on west side. There's nice beaches, plenty of boats for hire, and historic sites to see.

If you're feeling really adventurous, continue up the coast and you'll reach the next province of Italy, Basilicata. You can be there in 2.5 hours.

This guy spent an hour getting his boat around the Fiat pared in the road, but he did it and neither suffered a scratch!

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