Destinations

The true gems of Apulian Baroque style architecture are the cities of Lecce, Otranto, Gallipoli, and Santa Maria di Leuca. These open-air museums are ideal places for visitors to admire wonderful churches, noble palaces, and historic buildings, all built with "Lecce stone": a type of limestone native to this area. Visitors will find themselves marvelling at the Baroque works of art, the gaudy decorations, and the picturesque rose windows, as they wander the quaint little alleyways of Salento’s most beautiful cities.

The Salento area is renowned for its beautiful beaches with crystal clear waters. And while the metropolitan city of Gallipoli, on the Ionian coast, is certainly home to one of the most famous, it is also worth visiting Santa Cesarea Terme, which is known for the curative properties of its thermal waters and sulphur caves, Castro, which is known for its grottoes, and Santa Maria di Leuca, also known as "Finibus Terrae" due to its location right at the tip of the Apulian peninsula.

Just few steps from our Golf Resort is the Le Cesine WWF Natural Park and Reserve: a 380-hectare wetland environment that’s one of the most important and best preserved in all of southern Italy. The Reserve is situated along a major migration routes, and is home to numerous species of waterfowl. The Vernole and Acaya nature areas are also nearby, where visitors can take advantage of the gorgeous natural surroundings to go for a pleasant walk or jog. 

Salento also has lots to offer in terms of food and wine, with lots of traditional Apulian specialties available to sample. The day begins with a basic pasticciotto for breakfast, perhaps accompanied by an ice coffee at the Pasticceria Alvino, in Lecce. At lunch, we recommend indulging in a light frisella with cherry tomatoes and olive oil, to take a break from the summer’s heat. Finally, delight your palate at dinner with the refined entrées at the Bastioni di Gallipoli, or perhaps a simple plate of spaghetti with sea urchin at the Scapricciatiello.