There are many places, in part little known, where you can still dive into the crystal clear waters of a sea that changes color depending on the will of Aeolus, the god who rules the winds. Starting from the Blue Flags 2013. In the town of Melendugno are cliffs, interspersed with beautiful sandy coves, Torre Specchia, Roca and Sant'Andrea. Places still largely untouched, to be discovered wandering around the coast - by bicycle thanks to the many cycling routes - stopping in the picturesque archaeological site of Roca Vecchia, with the mysterious cave of Poetry, or in the small port of San Foca, whose promenade are two rooms known for the delicious freshly caught mussels hairy, eat strictly raw.
Those who can not do without a sandy beach can instead opt for a stop in the wide bay of Bear Tower, very busy in the summer months. Continuing south we reach the magical beaches of Otranto, including that sandy Bay of Turks, near the naturalistic lakes of Alimini, to walk after leaving the car in the parking lots at the edge of the pine forest. .
Beyond Otranto - do not miss the beautiful mosaic floor of the cathedral - is a must a refreshing bath in the enchanting bay of Orte. Then you meet the unexpected fjord of Porto Badisco, with its beach and the Neolithic cave of deer, one of the most imposing monuments of pictorial art rock of Europe, with over 3,000 designs in ocher and bat guano. Other caves in Castro, where are the Grotta Romanelli, with the first graffiti Puglia strong sexual symbolism, and Grotta Zinzulusa, full of stalactites and stalagmites, accessible from the sea and a bold path. At the foot of the old town of Castro he dives in the waters of one of the most enchanting inlets of the region. Exceeded Santa Maria di Leuca, traveling to the edges of the Ionian Sea that, in the stretch of coast from Punta Ristola to Uluzzo Bay, offers games of colors and reflections unrepeatable.
Then comes Gallipoli, the city "beautiful", almost an island in the sea, with the dazzling domes of the churches, the medieval town, the winding alleys, the ramparts, the castle, the fountain and the Greek baronial buildings and clear waters of the nearby Bay of Porto Selvaggio - accessible only on foot or by boat - in a large area declared a regional park for its beauty.