There are numerous places of interest to visit in the Puglia region of Southern Italy. Each town and village has its own charm and you will enjoy just taking a map and picking a place to visit.

The whole area has excellent roads with dual carriageways linking all the major towns and winding coastal routes with beautiful scenery to explore.

Santa Maria Di Leuca at the tip of the heel of Italy is a mid size town open all year round and a must place to visit. The town takes its name from the Cathedral situated above the town from where you get great views of the harbour. There are many interesting and very pretty buildings with some nice bars and restaurants. During the summer months there is a great market set along the sea front. Entertainment is available most of the year in the bars and hotels, there is also a new 5* hotel being constructed overlooking the harbour.

Gallipoli is the largest town in the district and open all year round. In the main street you will find lots of designer fashion and shoe shops. It is also a perfect place to pull up a chair in a coffee bar and just people watch.

Gallipoli blends the ancient and modern with a brightly paved main street surrounded by modern buildings and the Old Town situated by the harbour dominated by the towns ancient fortifications. You will find selection of restaurants in the Old Town among the narrow cobbled streets, most will have local dishes and fresh fish caught on the day by the fishermen in the harbour.

A great way to spend a day is to take a tour of the two coasts. The drive across country will take you through some interesting small towns and miles of olive trees and fruit trees all interspaced with wonderful wild flowers. The coast tour can be done in about 4 hours with minimal stops. During the summer months (June to August) it will take much longer. We have found the best time to really enjoy this trip is in the late autumn or early spring when the countryside is in full blossom and the roads are very quiet allowing you to stop and enjoy the sights at your leisure.

Your drive will take you through some wonderful small towns and fishing villages. All have their own charm and everyone will have their own favourite. Allow yourself time to stop and savour these places.

 Otranto is on the Adriatic Coast and is well worth a stop. It is full of history and charm. Here you just might hear some people speaking English or German due to the fact that the town has a growing population of residents from other parts of Europe.

In ancient times called Hydruntum (from the little river Idro which flows into the port) it was a Greek town, perhaps founded by Taranto, and then a roman municipality; it was a popular port in the republican roman age for the relationship between Italy and Greece. In the middle age it was an important centre of the Byzantine dominion in Italy, and had a Greek bishop. It was occupied for a short period by the Longobards (757-58) during the Byzantine occupation Otranto became the chief town and a military centre.

It was attacked many times by the Saracen. With Bari and Taranto it was also the heart of the last Byzantine opposition against the Normans (1054-68) and surrendered to Roberto il Guiscardo in 1070.

In 1480 it was attacked and surrounded by the Turkish navy of Maometto II, the town surrendered after 15 days because it received no support from Naples. The Turks killed the bishop Stefano Pendinelli, the clergy and many inhabitants on the hill of Minerva. (the "800 martyrs" of Otranto). Their bones are now kept in the Cathedral in 7 very big cupboards and also in the church of Saint Catherine in Naples.

The most important monument is the Cathedral, kept holy for the memory of the massacre in 1480. Founded about 1080 the crypt was built in the second half of the XII century and partially rebuilt after 1480. The modern restorations free it from the seventeenth-century baroque superstructures. The front has, on the rich baroque portal (1674) a wonderful rose with 16 rays of fine gothic traceries.

Another very important church is San Pietro: a Byzantine building of the X-XI century, with some interesting frescos inside.