A Salento Itinerary: 7 Days Through Puglia's Sun-Bleached Heel

Brindisi Airport (BDS) is the natural gateway to Salento, placing Lecce and the region's southern towns within close reach. Further north, Bari Karol Wojtyła Airport (BRI) offers an alternative entry point, although it requires a longer journey to reach the heart of the peninsula.

Hiring a car will help you follow this itinerary to a tee, since the week moves between two coastlines and the towns in between.

• Car hire and chauffeur: Covers the whole route, from Lecce out to both coasts and down to Santa Maria di Leuca
• Local guides: Worth arranging for Lecce specifically, where the baroque architecture comes alive with the additional context
• Boat charters: The most considered way to take in the coastline around Santa Maria di Leuca, its coves and grottoes included

• Day 1: Lecce
• Day 2: Galatina and a Masseria Lunch
• Day 3: Porto Selvaggio and Palude del Capitano
• Day 4: Gallipoli
• Day 5: Otranto
• Day 6: Castro
• Day 7: Santa Maria di Leuca, Specchia or the Cipolliane Way

In the very heel of Italy’s boot nestles the intoxicating city of Lecce, a pure baroque gem. Head there in the early afternoon, before it gets too crowded, and take a stroll around Piazza Sant’Oronzo, one of the most elegant and architecturally diverse parts of the centre.

Admire the Roman Amphitheatre, explore the labyrinthine, palazzi-lined streets, marvel at the exuberantly ornate façade of the Basilica di Santa Croce, and take a few minutes to absorb the sublime proportions and aesthetic clarity of Piazza Duomo, awe-inspiring by day, bewitching by night.

If you’re with children, make sure to visit the papier-mâché museum and enjoy a delicious gelato at Pasticceria Natale. If you’re with gastronomes, don’t miss Bros’ for its Michelin-starred take on Salentine cuisine.

Galatina is the spiritual home of Salento's ancient dances, the Taranta and the Pizzica, and you may be lucky enough to come across an improvised show while exploring its streets and squares. A visit to the romanesque-gothic Basilica di Santa Caterina d'Alessandria to admire its magnificent frescos from the Giotto school is a must. We also recommend stopping off at Pasticceria Ascalone for a mid-morning coffee and a pasticciotto, Salento's signature cake.

For lunch, head out into the countryside to Masseria Le Stanzie, one of the oldest of Salento's fortified farmhouses and still a working farm. A guided tour takes in its huge fireplaces, terracotta floors and frantoio ipogeo (underground olive press), an olive oil tasting, and a delicious traditional Salentine lunch prepared with their home-grown ingredients.

Spend a day exploring the regional nature reserve of Porto Selvaggio and Palude del Capitano, a coastal area of outstanding beauty. The earlier you start the better, and we recommend you wear trekking shoes (and your swimming costume), and take provisions. After walking through a cool, silent forest, you'll come to a steep Aleppo pine-flanked path leading down to an idyllic pebble beach lapped by the irresistibly limpid waters of the Adriatic. Dive in to cool off (you deserve it), and explore the reefs and the grottoes that so characterise this gorgeous spot.

Watching the sunset from Gallipoli is a memorable experience. Located on (or just off) the Ionian coast, Gallipoli's historic centre sits on a tiny limestone island surrounded by ancient fortified walls. The town has many treasures hidden away down its narrow alleys, including a magnificent cathedral, numerous excellent restaurants, and plenty of little independent shops and bars.

Head along the Riviera Nazario Sauro to Buena Vista Gallipoli for an aperitivo overlooking the sea as it turns pink under the setting sun: the perfect ending to a day spent on one of the idyllic sandy beaches that line this section of coast, from Lido Pizzo to Punta della Suina.

Don't miss out on a visit to the historic seaside town of Otranto and its surrounding area. We recommend you start at I Faraglioni di Sant'Andrea, a magical place of wind-sculpted sea stacks, followed by the salt water lagoons of Laghi Alimini and the vibrantly coloured Cava di Bauxite (a disused bauxite quarry).

Then it's on to Otranto itself, Italy's easternmost town. Home to a mighty Aragonese castle, a walled old town centre, a splendid romanesque cathedral with a mosaic floor depicting the Tree of Life, a sandy beach, and numerous little shops, cafés and restaurants. If you're planning to eat out in Otranto, make sure you ask your Local Specialist to book you a table, they know all the best places.

A visit to Castro and its surrounding coastline is an enriching experience. Before arriving in Castro, stop off to explore the Grotta della Zinzulusa, a majestic cave in the cliffs named after its impressive stalactites and stalagmites. For lunch, we recommend Da Amedeo, a romantic, refined seafood restaurant with a lovely garden in the centre of the old town. You could then spend your afternoon driving along the coast, stopping off for a swim in one of the many idyllic bays, such as Cala dell'Acquaviva, the Spiaggia e Piscina Naturale di Marina Serra, and Grotta Verde.

Santa Maria de Leuca

Santa Maria di Leuca sits at the confluence of the Adriatic and Ionian seas, its octagonal lighthouse, Liberty-style villas and Temple of Minerva, now the Basilica De Finibus Terrae, all worth a wander. A boat charter afterward is worth considering, taking in the sheltered coves and grottoes of the surrounding coastline, with lunch either on board or at Lo Scalo, a seafront restaurant nearby.

Specchia

Specchia, a little inland, is one of Italy's officially recognised prettiest towns, its hilltop centre built around a valley of olive groves, narrow streets, and subterranean olive mills. Cantine Macinate and Trattoria La Bettola are both worth seeking out for lunch or dinner.

Cipolliane Way

The Sentiero delle Cipolliane, meanwhile, starts on the rocky beach of Novaglie and winds along the cliffs of southeast Salento, passing ancient olive groves, dry-stone walls and pajare, conical stone shelters once used by farmers, before reaching Il Ciolo, a beach set at the head of a deep gorge. Given the ground already covered, this may suit trading either Leuca's boat charter or Specchia's visit for time on the trail, rather than attempting all three.

Seven days offers a rewarding introduction to Salento, taking in its baroque capital, both coastlines and the lesser-known towns that lie between. Rather than a fixed route, think of it as a framework for discovery, one that can be shaped around your interests, whether that's long lunches by the sea, hidden beaches or time spent wandering historic streets. A Villa Specialist can tailor every detail, adjusting the pace, focus and flow of the journey to suit you.