Oasy Park

If you’re big into history, you really should have a look at Otranto, where you can take guided tours of the ramparts and towers of 15th-century Castello Aragonese (15 minutes’ walk) and admire the floor mosaics of mythical beasts in medieval Cattedrale di Santa Maria Annunziata (20 minutes). Get Adriatic Sea views from the belvedere on neighbouring Piazza Cattedrale, or walk down tiny lanes to the Lungomare degli Eroi seafront prom (25 minutes) for a coffee and pastry in waterfront cafés. Bucket-and-spade days might include a sojourn at a lido on the city beaches of Molo and Gradoni (20 minutes), or you can jump in the car and head for the peaceful, rocky inlet at Spiaggia di Porto Badisco (10 minutes’ drive), with a bite-size sandy pocket and a couple of informal seafood restaurants. Baia dei Turchi (15 minutes) is another option, popular with families for its safe swimming in clear waters. Get well off the tourist trail with a hike around the multi-hued rocks at Cava di Bauxite quarry lake (five minutes), or pay homage to Pope John Paul II at the landmark Croce del Papa memorial (also five minutes).