Salento Caravan

If you need a rest after the sensory assault of Lecce, make for the seaside. It’s around half an hour’s drive to resorts like San Cataldo on the Adriatic coast and Sant’Isidoro on the Ionian side, both equally popular with sun worshippers, swimmers, sandcastle builders and those seeking sporting action on the waters. If you’re a history buff, get over to Gallipoli (25 minutes), a virtual island city with ancient Greek origins and a 12th-century castle. The area around Roca Vecchia also beckons (40 minutes), with archaeological sites dating back to the Bronze Age and the Cave of Poetry, upon whose walls centuries of worshippers inscribed prayers in Greek, Latin and Messapian. Make some time for nature in among all that culture, with hikes and bike rides through the various local reserves and parks. About half an hour away on the Adriatic coast, the Bosco e Paludi di Rauccio Natural Regional Park and the WWF-protected Le Cesine reserve are remnants of the ancient forests and wetlands that once covered the region, filled with wild orchids and rare creatures like the Italian tree frog and the emerald green toad.