Long beaches of white sand and crystal clear sea....
From Porto Cesareo to Santa Maria di Leuca, natural reserves and breathtaking landscapes characterize the Ionian coast, completed by pine forests or sandy dunes covered by Mediterranean scrub.
PUNTA PROSCIUTTO
Punta Prosciutto is part of the municipality of Porto Cesareo. The pristine beach, the crystal clear sea and the rarity of the seabed have led to the development of many animal and plant species. Today this area is a Natural Park, the "Riserva delle Paludi del Conte e delle Dune di Punta Prosciutto". Here bathing is very easy thanks to the shallow and sandy waters.
PORTO SELVAGGIO
The Park of Porto Selvaggio, located in the territory of Nardò, has been recognized as the Regional Park of Puglia and is part of the FAI (Fund for the Italian Environment). The park covers an area of 1122 hectares, of which 300 of pine forest and includes about 7km of coastline.
At the limits of the Park are the Torre dell'Alto and Torre Uluzzu.
In this area there are the Grotta del Cavallo (Cave of the Horse, in the bay of Uluzzo), the Grotta delle Corvine, spectacular in size and richness of marine biological species, and the Palude del Capitano (Swamp of the Captain), interesting karst phenomenon consisting of various springs in the form of a sinkhole filled with brackish water.
Moving to the south, you will find long white sandy beaches and beautiful places such as Torre San Giovanni, with its ancient white and black checkered coastal tower surmounted by a lantern, a reference point for fishermen and sailors and Torre Mozza, a small town that develops around the Torre Fiumicelli, an ancient structure dating back to the second half of the sixteenth century. In this area you can come across the so-called "Ugento shoals", stretches of coast where the seabed greatly decreases its depth, a truly unique spectacle.
A little further you reach Lido Marini, in the heart of the Ugento Regional Natural Park, with its long beach that gently slopes.
The landscape is characterized by sandy dunes and bushes of aromatic plants that color and interrupt the monochrome sand.
In the north-west of the village, you can see the presence of a water catchment area, part of the network of basins of Marina di Ugento. Near the area there is the typical vegetation of swampy and brackish environments, but also a migratory fauna (mallards, teals, grey herons).
Continuing towards Santa Maria di Leuca there are still a series of beaches among the most beautiful in Salento, for the color of the water and the fine sand, so much to be known as "Maldives of Salento".
TORRE PALI
Torre Pali seaside is part of the Municipality of Salve. Here white beaches and small cliffs alternate in a play of colors.
The area is distinguished by the presence of a coastal tower built in the sixteenth century. A small island called “Isola della Fanciulla” brings to the seaside of Torre Pali a mysterious and suggestive atmosphere
PESCOLUSE E POSTO VECCHIO DI SALVE
These are among the most popular and beloved beaches, rich in tourist and catering activities.
Spectacular sunsets and breathtaking sea, beaches with fine golden sand, deep sand dunes covered with large shrubs typical of the Mediterranean scrub, give these enchanting places a wild and primitive look.
TORRE VADO
Torre Vado is one of the most famous tourist destinations in Salento, whose beauty is essentially due to the type of coastal conformation, a spectacle of exceptional beauty. As in many of these places, the village is characterized by the presence of the Saracen tower built by the Spanish and around which the town has developed.
