Grotta Zinzulusa - 4 Things to Know Before Visiting

The lighthouse of Punta Palascìa, also known as Capo d’Otranto is commonly known as the easternmost point of the Italian peninsula; the tip that extends into the Otranto Canal. Already in thePeutingerian table, the settlement is reported under the name of Ydrunte. The lighthouse stands not far from where, up to the 19th century, there was a watchtower built during the Middle Ages.

The castle of Otranto is the fortress of the homonymous city located in Puglia, in the province of Lecce. The castle, which gave its name to the first Gothic novel in history, is closely related to the city walls with which it forms a single defensive apparatus. The current appearance of the fort is in fact due to Spanish Viceroys, who made it a real masterpiece of military architecture: extraordinary defense works were implemented in 1535 by Don Pedro of Toledo.

The cathedral of Santa Maria Annunziata is the most important Catholic place of worship in the city of Otranto, the mother church of the homonymous archdiocese. In July 1945, Pope Pius XII elevated the cathedral to the dignity of a minor basilica. The cathedral, built on the remains of a Messapian village, a Roman Domus, and an early Christian temple, was founded in 1068 by the Norman bishop Guglielmo. It is a synthesis of different architectural styles including Byzantine, Early Christian, and

The Baia dei Turchi , a few kilometers north of Otranto , is the place where, according to tradition, the Turkish warriors landed during the siege of the city of Otranto in the 15th century ( Battle of Otranto ). Sandy and unspoiled, the bay belongs to the precious protected oasis of the Alimini Lakes , one of the most important ecosystems of Salento and Puglia.

The Alimini lakes or Limini lakes are two Apulian lakes located north of the city of Otranto, in the province of Lecce. The two lakes are connected by a canal, called Lu Strittu . The name of the place derives from the ancient Greek and Byzantine name λίμνη, which translated into Italian means lake, swamp, or basin. It is almost completely surrounded by a rocky strip, richly covered by thick pine forests and Mediterranean scrub.

Pescoluse is a seaside resort in the province of Lecce and a hamlet of Salve. It is located in the lower Salento, on the stretch of the Ionian coast between Torre Pali and Torre Vado, the height of the Fano canal. The coast is low and sandy, characterized by the presence of dunes behind it. The peculiarity of the beach is that it has very fine and very clear sand, the finest in Salento. The coast faces south and its particular position allows Pescoluse to enjoy clear and crystalline water durin