From island-fortress Gallipoli’s famous fish market to Otranto’s 12th-century mosaics, Salento is peppered with must-see sights
Take a guided tour of honey-hued Castello di Ugento and its glorious 17th-century frescoes. Visit the New Archaeological Museum and wander the little streets of the borgo antico and admire the cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta at sunset.
Ornate facades at every turn from the Cathedral to the Seminary, the Bishops Palace to the towering bell tower it’s one giant Baroque confection.
The little resort with its Art Nouveau villas on the southernmost tip of Salento. This is the end of the road and the meeting place of the Ionian and Adriatic seas. Take a boat trip to explore the grottoes carved out of the rocky cliffs
A medieval medley of courtyards and alleyways and one of the most beautiful villages in Italy
The old walled town of this historic port is on an island protected by towers and ramparts
Dubbed the ‘City of Art’ and home to a rare Gothic gem, the basilica of Santa Caterina d’Alessandria, its walls decorated with ornate frescoes
Teetering above the Adriatic, the picturesque port’s cathedral has a Renaissance rose window and 12th-century mosaic floor – and became a mosque after the Turkish invasion in 1480
The natural rocky inlet has been used as a harbour since the 1400s and it’s one of the prettiest in Salento
A lovely unspoilt town to wander round in the heart of the Salento.
Famed for its Moorish architecture and natural hot springs in four caves on the rocky Adriatic coast as well as thermal baths.
