An itinerary in the hinterland of Salento, the things to see between Mepignano, Corigliano d'Otranto, Alessano and Morciano di Leuca as well as the Bauxite quarry in Otranto, read the post to discover a unique itinerary.
Who says that the Salento is it just crystal clear sea and dream beaches?
Above all, who says that you only go to Salento in summer?
This angle of Apulia which in recent years has been increasingly successful as a holiday destination for thousands of tourists from June to September, is a real treasure to discover and I am not talking about the most hidden cove or the lesser known beach, but its hinterland. You will be amazed to discover that, while on the coast people are elbowing to grab a piece of beach, inland you can wander freely, immerse yourself in the traditions and in local culture, in short, you can discover the real Puglia. For this and for many other reasons that I will tell you shortly, a itinerary in the interior of Salento it's always a good idea.
For your itinerary in the interior of Salento you have two options: you can arrive by plane in Brindisi, in the Papola Casale airport, the hub of reference for most of the low cost flights in Puglia; alternatively you can arrive in Lecce by train with the connections of the Frecciabianca and the Frecciarossa (the latter only on weekends). Once you arrive in one of the two cities, theitinerary in the interior of Salento: we start from Lecce, the capital of the Baroque.
Here you cannot miss the stages of piazza Sant'Oronzo, piazza Duomo, the castle of Charles V, the basilica of Santa Croce and the Palazzo dei Celestini, with these you will make a full immersion of baroque style that you will hardly forget. For know Lecce well, the advice is to walk it, starting from one of the main squares and going into the alleys that can offer unique views to photograph. Don't forget to stop by The Baker, located right in piazza Sant'Oronzo, a historic shop in the city that has been making for over 60 years typical Salento bakery products such as taralli, frize, orecchiette, cutugnoli, grape handkerchiefs, mostaccioli and sagne 'ncannulate.
After Lecce, continue south and arrive at melpignano located just 15 minutes by car from the center of the Salento capital. Melpignano is a very small village, famous for the final concert of the Taranta night. Throughout the rest of the year Melpignano is silent and delicate. His is a small concentration of Salento Baroque, but of great value: first of all the former Convent of the Augustinians and to follow Piazza San Giorgio and the marquisate Castriota palace.
All around you will see the Salento countryside, green and full of flowers in spring, more burnt during the summer, enriched by dry stone walls and ancient olive trees. This is the Grecìa Salentina, a historical region that still today has its own language: griko. Right next to Melpignano there is Corigliano d'Otranto, if you ask the people of Salento this is the place to come if you are looking for a bit of nightlife. Corigliano welcomes you with its majestic castle of the '500, one of the most beautiful in all of Salento, with a historic center made up of alleys and ancient buildings.
From here you can choose to make a detour to the coast, to see one of the most incredible places in all of southern Italy: the Bauxite quarry of Otranto. Get your camera ready because here, at every hour of the day with the different reflections of the light, the colors of the quarry change and suddenly you seem to find yourself in the Australian outback.
After the detour, if you are still not satisfied with the baroque you have seen so far, you can continue towards Giuggianello and have a coffee in its beautiful square.
Continuing further south, the landscape gradually changes and it is also thought that Salento is all the same, in reality each area has its own particularity and character. For this the Salento of the Capo di Leuca it is another world than the northern Salento. Before arriving at the Sanctuary of Santa Maria di Leuca, Italian finis terrae, it is done stop in Alessano and Morciano di Leuca. Alessano is rich in history and culture and is the town of Don Tonino Bello. If you want to jump to the sea, don't miss Marina di Novaglie, a still wild corner of paradise. Finally in Morciano di Leuca, not to be missed are the hamlet of Barbarano del Capo and the marina of Torre Vado.
Last tip: you can do the itinerary in the interior of Salento in summer, but if you want to discover Salento in its most beautiful season, then this is the perfect trip to do in spring or autumn.
