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Santa Maria Al Bagno besides offering bars/restaurants/supermarket etc Santa Maria also offers a beach, handy for those days when you don't wish to travel far. If you follow the coast around from Santa Maria Al Bagno and head towards Rivabella (a distinct feature is the big white hotel which overlooks the sea) you will come across a long stretch of sandy beach. This is a nice spot to relax and also offers loads of shade from the trees. There is a small car park, which charges a small fee in high season. |
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Santa Caterina (2.5km away) a pleasant walk from Santa Maria Al Bagno with plenty of bars/restaurants. You can also book to go scuba diving at the Costa del Sud Diving Centre (www.costadelsud.it), Tel. 335 527 38 23. At Santa Caterina, there is also a hut located by the roadside where you can book excursions. |
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Porto Selvaggio (2.9km away) - marine and game reserve perfect place for a picnic and plenty of walking trails to choose from. Porto Selvaggio is a protected area with a rocky costline. |
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Water Park in Gallipoli (9 Km away) - Located in Rivabella, 73014 Gallipoli Tel. 0833 273400 - http://www.splashparco.it/home.html |
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Gallipoli (12km away) The beautiful old Greek styled town is renowned for its fish restaurants, and has some lovely managed beaches known as the Baia Verde area just south of the town. Some of the best Lido 's around here are Punta delle Suina and Lido Pizzo. There are also boats trips to the southern tip of Puglia run by Salento in Barco, Tel 347 371 05 72, www.salentoinbarcagallipoli.com . Trips depart at 11am and return at 7pm . |
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Sant' Isidoro (19km away) Beautiful beach to visit. Very shallow water, so perfect for children. There is also a restaurant on the beach front where you can have lunch. |
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Porto Cesareo (20km away) 17km stretch of coastline with plenty of sandy beaches. You can also take the yellow boat taxi out to the Isola dei Conchigli or just hire a pedalo. For the more adventurous, you can go scuba diving given that the area is a protected marine reserve, Centro Subacqueo Sasa Sub ( www.sasasubdivingcenter.com ), Tel. 338 822 80 56, located at the main lungomare near all the fish shops. |
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Galatina (24km away) a town worth visiting just for the impressive Basilica di Santa Caterina open from 8am 12.30pm and 4.30pm 6.45pm (April September) and 8am 12.30pm and 3.45pm 5.45pm (October March). Pleasant to walk around and certainly comes alive on the weekends particularly Sunday evening. For a coastal drive, take the coastal road south of Gallipoli all the way down to Santa Maria di Leuca. It is also worth stopping at what is said to be the best beach along this coast, Marina di Pescoluse. |
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Lecce (33km Away) also known as The Florence of the South is a beautiful city to walk around with its magnificent Baroque architecture. There are also plenty of bars/restaurants/cafes to choose from. |
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Acaya Golf Club (44km away) Located just East of Lecce. http://www.acayagolfclub.it/inglese.html |
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Santa Maria di Leuca (48 km away) where the Ionian Sea meets the Adriatic Sea . A pretty town and pleasant to walk around also offering nice eateries both in town and along the sea front. From here, you can take a boat trip to the grottoes (Grotta del Diavolo, Grotta della Stalla and Grotta grande di Ciolo). For further information contact, Piccola Nautica Tel. 0833 75 81 84 or www.piccolanautica.it . |
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Otranto (52km away) perched on a small hill overlooking the bay. Renowned for its magnificent mosaic in the Romanesque Cathedral. Otranto is also a perfect spot for diving. From here you can also visit the impressive bay of Porto Badisco . The costal scenery around Otranto, whether you go north or south, is amazing. Head north towards Baia dei Turchi for white sandy beaches and translucent blue water. An area also worth visiting north of Otranto is Torre dell'Orso which has been highly recommended. |
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Castro (55 km away) renowned for its boating and diving trips. Here you can visit the famous Grotta Zinzulusa, Tel. 0836 94 38 12 open from 10am 4.30pm (Oct May) and 9.30am 7pm (June Aug). For diving trips, visit DWD diving Tel. 0836 92 12 76 or 339 254 90 04, www.divingdwddiso.it . |
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Martina Franca (96km away) wander around this 18 th century town taking in the splendid architecture. Well worth visiting is the Basilica di San Martino, which dominates the historic centre. The Basilica is open 9.30am 12.30pm and 4.30pm 8pm . |
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Ostuni (104km away) perches on a hilltop, you can meander around the maze of streets which circle around the dramatic 15 th century Cathedral, open from 8am 12pm and 4pm 6pm. You can combine a visit to Ostuni with the Riserva di Torre Guaceto (a protected coastal area about 16km South) where you can go biking, walking and sailing. You can also go horse riding at Parco di Mare ( www.parcodimare.com ), telephone 335 721 87 82 for further details. |
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Massafra (112km away) visit the rock churches. Massafra is a town overlooking the coast where on a clear day you can make out the Calabrian mountains. It is a white-washed town with the old and the new town separated by a ravine. In order to visit the rock churches you have to be escorted by a guide. Tours can be booked through the Tourst Office Tel. 099 880 46 95 or 338 565 96 01, office opening hours are 9am 12pm , Mon to Fri. Tours start at 9.30am , 11.30am and 4pm and 5pm during May Aug. Outside of this season please ring for times. English guides are available, however, you need to phone in advance to book this. |
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Zoo in Fasano & Fasanoland (130km away) - A drive thru' Zoo just outside Fasano, they have a great selection of animals and it is great to see them close up. Beside the Zoo is an amusement park - the two are a great way to spend a day. http://www.zoosafari.it/index.php?rubrica=versione_inglese |
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Locorotondo (137km away) spend a morning or afternoon walking around the streets of Locorotondo said to be one of the most beautiful towns in Italy . Sample some of the local Spumante (Cantina del Locorotondo), visit one of the churches (Chiesa Matrice or Santa Maria della Greca) or just relax whilst taking in the panoramic view of the valley dotted by Trulli's (Villa Comunale). |
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Alberobello (Unesco World Heritage Site) (146km away) a perfect place to combine with visiting Martina Franca. Alberobello is famed for its trulli (conical roofed houses). Due to its popularity, it does get very busy during high season. |
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Polignano a mare (149km away) a stunning seaside town. It is said to be one of the most photogenic towns in all of Puglia . Take a walk around the cobbled streets filled with chalk-white houses and take a picture from the Ponte Lama Monachile which looks out over the crystal clear waters of the tiny cove, Cala Porto. Visit on a Thursday when it is market day. Polignano a mare is also said to have one of the most famous ice-cream parlour's in all of Puglia called Il Super Mago del Gelo. |
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Matera (Unesco World Heritage Site) (168km away) difficult to reach, but well worth the trip. Unique as it maybe, Matera , a city made up of caves called Sassi, gives a powerful insight into Italy 's old peasant culture. Believe it or not it is still inhabited today. It was also where Mel Gibson filmed, The Passion of the Christ. |
