Salento

Santa Maria di Leuca

The southernmost tip of the heel of Italy, where the Ionian and Adriatic seas meet in extraordinary shades of colour. The Sanctuary of Santa Maria de Finibus Terrae towers over the headland with breathtaking views; along the seafront stand the 19th-century villas of the Salento aristocracy, and along the coast there are caves you can visit by boat.

Santa Cesarea Terme

Puglia's spa town par excellence, with Moorish-style architecture, sulphur springs, cliffs and many sea caves.

Otranto

The Gateway to the East, at the easternmost point of the peninsula. The old town with its bastions and walls, the Cathedral, the Castle, the little Byzantine church of San Pietro and the Punta Palascia lighthouse.

Gallipoli

The «beautiful city» on the Ionian Sea: the modern town and the old town on a limestone island joined to the mainland by a 17th-century arched bridge, with narrow streets and alleyways.

Lecce

The «Florence of the South», capital of the Baroque: the Basilica of Santa Croce, Palazzo dei Celestini, the church of Santa Chiara, the Cathedral and the Roman Amphitheatre in Piazza Sant'Oronzo.