Villages of Salento: The 12 Most Beautiful to Visit

A crossroads of peoples and cultures, Salento has always been considered the Gateway to the East.

Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans, Swabians, Angevins, and Aragonese have all passed through this land at the center of the Mediterranean.

The Salento Peninsula, forming the heel of the Italian boot, extends into the water dividing two seas, the Ionian and the Adriatic.

Between the high, rocky eastern coast and the low, sandy western coast, a sea of olive trees, dry stone walls, farms, and also ancient villages awaits you.

In this subregion of southern Puglia, the villages are treasure chests of history, art, culture, and good cuisine.

Whitewashed villages, fortified citadels, and fishing villages, the villages of Salento enchant with baroque cathedrals, noble palaces, and breathtaking views of blue.

They are villages basking in sunlight, to be explored in the silence of the sun, the sea, and the wind or experienced during the magic of Taranta nights.

"Otranto, the easternmost point of Italy, has been a port city for millennia," said Yugoslav writer Predrag Matvejevic.

Its origins date back to the 5th century BC, then the ancient Messapian city became Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Gothic, Norman, Swabian, Angevin, and Aragonese.

Its constant dialogue with the sea is evidenced by ancient archaeological finds that tell of rich and frequent trade with Greece, Crete, and all Mediterranean civilizations.

Through great monastic institutions, rock settlements, and hermits, it opened the door to Greece, to the Eastern Church, to the light of Byzantium.

The Romans called it Hydruntum, from the river Idro, but most credible hypotheses suggest the name derives from the Greek ùdor kai derento, meaning water and mountain.

Through the Alfonsina gate, one enters the walled city, now listed among the most beautiful villages in Italy as well as a UNESCO World Heritage site. This way, you stroll through the historic center, among cobblestone streets, alleys that lead to the sea, the blinding light of the Mediterranean, the intersection with the granite balls of Saracen bombardments, and the tour of the bastions.

You will recall the words of writer and journalist Roberto Cotroneo, who in his novel Otranto describes the city as "a collapsed star where the entire universe exists, where daily life and history converge, where years do not pass, and everything seems to intertwine, where it is easy for ghosts to speak to you in the streets, and where everyone knows they are in a different place, where time bends upon itself, it is not a straight line, and bending it encloses itself."

Do not miss the cathedral, the remains of the abbey of San Nicola di Casole destroyed by the Turks, and the Messapian hypogeum in the Valley of Memories.

Presicce is a postcard of Salento: olive trees with twisted trunks, dry stone walls, fortified farms, the scent of the sea, and the triumph of baroque architecture.

Located in the province of Lecce, this small municipality is part of the most beautiful villages in Italy. Its name may come from the Latin praesidium, indicating a military outpost against Saracens.

According to others, the name refers to an abundance of water, derived from praesitium, arising from thirst. Indeed, the earliest traces of settlement date back to the 7th century and are linked to the presence of water in the form of surface aquifers, which attracted nearby villagers during times of drought.

To get a sense of Presicce, simply enter the historic center and venture into the white maze of spaces where noble palazzos and 16th-century courtyard houses, known as "li vecchi curti," alternate.

The cobblestone streets will lead you to a Marian shrine, a prestigious building such as Palazzo Arditi, or the 17th-century hanging garden that colors the surfaces of the Ducal Palace.

Every palace here has its garden or courtyard, and its underground olive mill: beneath the baroque city lies the city of toil, where underground olive mills were carved for olive pressing.

Indeed, Presicce is the city of oil and hypogea, everything revolves around the golden oil, which is celebrated with its own festival.

Also in the province of Lecce is Specchia, another of the most beautiful villages in Italy, fully representing the spirit of the Salento region.

The first small settlement of farmers and shepherds likely dates back to the 9th century, occupying a spot high enough and far enough from the sea to be considered protected from frequent Saracen raids.

The name derives from the conical pile of dry stones called "specchia," which the Messapi used as defense works or lookout posts. Located in a strategic position overlooking the plains below, the historic center of Specchia is one of the most interesting in Salento.

The narrow streets interrupted by flight of stairs enclose a residential nucleus largely fruit of spontaneous architecture that originated in the 16th and 17th centuries and has remained almost intact to this day. The main street is still called "rua," a French term harkening back to the Angevin domination of the 14th century.

Be sure to admire the Risolo Castle, a fortified structure established in the 16th century, owned by noble families of Specchia.

The most picturesque part of the village is behind the castle, where amidst staircases and short narrow streets, the life of the people unfolds, almost always outdoors. Do not miss the church and the adjoining convent of the Black Franciscans, the church of San Nicola, originally Greek-rite, and the church of Sant'Eufemia.

Finally, see the underground olive mill, a historical testimony to Specchia's importance in olive oil production.

Ostuni is surely the most famous white town in Salento. The maze of streets with houses whitened with lime resembles an Arab casbah.

Perched on three hills, Ostuni rises in the Itria Valley and is the northernmost municipality of Salento. It is a picturesque medieval village full of charm.

A stroll through the old town, called "terra" to distinguish it from the newer "marina," offers enchanting glimpses among alleys, steep staircases, courtyards, and squares where white houses with flowers in the windows, artisan shops, and inviting inns overlook.

Dominating the village is the 15th-century cathedral in Romanesque-Gothic style featuring a large rose window with 24 rays.

Along Via Cattedrale, which divides the medieval heart of the city, is the former Carmelite monastery now home to the Museum of Prehistoric Civilizations of Southern Murgia, where you can see the cast of Delia, a pregnant woman who lived 25,000 years ago.

In Beato Giovanni Paolo II Square, you will see the 18th-century buildings of the Bishop's Palace and the old Seminary, connected by the charming Scoppa arch.

Churches and noble residences are scattered across the old town, surrounded by Aragonese walls. In the surroundings of Ostuni, meanwhile, farms and trulli are hidden among stretches of olive trees.

Acaya is one of the lesser-known villages of Salento and worth discovering. Acaya is a hamlet of 450 inhabitants of the municipality of Vernole, just 5 km from the sea.

It is an example of a fortified city, with an orthogonal grid layout, from 16th-century southern Italy. With medieval structures, this splendid village preserves the entrance gate and the castle, originating from the 1500s, which were built as defense from Saracen attacks.

After wandering through the historic center and visiting the neoclassical facade of the church of Santa Maria della Neve, you might explore the state natural reserve Le Cesine, which represents one of the last marshy areas that previously extended from Otranto to Brindisi.

Galatina is the third largest inhabited center in the province of Lecce, listed by the American magazine Forbes among the Italian cities to visit.

Inhabited since pre-Roman and Roman times, later destroyed by the Goths, the city as we know it today dates back to the second Byzantine colonization, which took place between the 9th and 10th centuries.

But its greatest splendor was reached under the rule of Raimondo "Raimondello" Orsini Del Balzo, who expanded it and surrounded it with tall walls. While strolling through the historic center, it is impossible not to notice the noble palaces of the Orsini, Venturi, Baldi, Congedo, and Bardoscia, a true triumph of baroque architecture.

Note the Clock Tower dedicated to Vittorio Emanuele II, King of Italy, and don't miss the basilica of Santa Caterina d'Alessandria, declared a national monument in 1870 and one of the most significant monuments of Romanesque and Gothic Italian art.

Equally remarkable is the mother church dedicated to the apostles Peter and Paul, made of Lecce stone and in late-baroque style. Galatina is also known for the Tarantate, an ancient folkloric festival held in June celebrating the traditional dance of the taranta.

Finally, Galatina is remembered as the birthplace of the pasticciotto, a typical sweet from Salento, made of shortcrust pastry filled with pastry cream.

Nardò was an important Byzantine center and, since 1497, under the ducal family of Acquaviva, it became the main cultural center of Salento, home to universities, academies, and literary and philosophical studies: it was defined as the New Athens of literature.

Its glorious past is reflected in the historic center, a celebration of baroque architecture centered around Salandra Square, long a film set.

Here you will find the Palazzo del Sedile with the statue of San Gregorio Armeno, the City Palace, rebuilt in Rococo style after the earthquake, and the 18th-century Church of San Trifone, built in honor of the martyr who freed the Neretine countryside from an invasion of caterpillars.

At the center of the square stands the Immaculate Conception Spire, with its 19-meter height, erected in 1769 as a thank you for escaping the earthquake's danger.

Do not miss the cathedral, the church of San Domenico, a prime example of Lecce baroque, and the Acquaviva castle, which is now the town hall.

The countryside around Nardò is dotted with farms and watchtowers, leading to the Portoselvaggio Park and the Captain's Marsh, with its vast pine forest stretching along the coast.

16 km from Otranto, along the eastern coast of the Salento peninsula, lies Santa Cesarea Terme.

Today it is an important thermal spa attracting tourists for its high-temperature sulfur springs.

The healing properties of the thermal waters and mud were known since the 2nd century BC, but it was only in the 19th century, with the construction of an accessible road, that this charming spa town flourished. Santa Cesarea Terme is also rich in 19th-century noble villas with eclectic styles.

Among these is Villa Sticchi, an expression of the Moorish style that developed in the 19th century in some seaside locations in Salento. The villa, perched on a rocky outcrop 20 meters above the sea, was built at the behest of Giovanni Pasca, the first concessionaire of the thermal exploitation of Santa Cesarea.

Another is Villa Raffaella, built in the second half of the 19th century as a summer residence for Baroness Raffaella of the Lubelli family, designed by architect Emilio Corti, who also created the thermal establishment of Santa Cesarea.

The rocky coast, where towers, sea stacks, and prehistoric caves alternate, offers truly enchanting scenery.

Just 7 kilometers south of Santa Cesarea Terme, Castro, an ancient fishing village, rises. Its name derives from the Latin castrum (fortress) and the first settlement was named Castrum Minervae due to the presence of a temple dedicated to Minerva.

On a promontory 98 meters above the sea lies the medieval village known as Casciu de susu, while below, around the port, lies Castro Marina, Casciu de sutta.

Castro Superiore, therefore, is the oldest part, already a Roman city and then a bishop's seat in the 1300s and 1400s. The castle and fortifications tell the story of Saracen attacks in the 1500s, the primary cause of depopulation of what was once a city.

In the upper part of Castro, you will see the Aragonese castle, built on the remains of a Byzantine fortress, and the cathedral in Romanesque style. Descend to Castro Marina for fried fish with a view of the blue sea.

Calimera is the epicenter of Grecìa Salentina, a linguistic island of eleven municipalities where an ancient Greek-derived dialect, Griko, is spoken.

Its origins are uncertain, but the Hellenic roots are still visible in the architecture and culture of Calimera.

The heart of this charming village is the dazzling Piazza del Sole, where the mother church of San Brizio stands, built on the ruins of a Greek church. Don't miss the Chapel of the Crucifix, a treasure trove of frescoes.

On Via Costantini, you will find the House-Museum of peasant civilization and Grika culture for those wanting to delve deeper into the popular culture of Grecìa Salentina.

Calimera is also a village where Christian and pagan cultures merge, as evidenced by the Sacred Rock of San Vito, a megalithic block from pre-Christian times with a hole in the middle, located in the church of San Vito, associated with fertility rites.

Tradition holds that on the day of Easter Monday, people pass through the hole to purify themselves. Also dating back to pre-Christian times are two ancient megalithic monuments located just 3 km from the center of Calimera, along the road to Melendugno: the Placa Dolmen and the Gurgulante Dolmen.

Those who wish to explore other villages of Grecìa Salentina can continue to Zollino, known for its pozzele, public cisterns, to Martano, known for its typical courtyard houses and pastry shops, to Soleto, where the Orsini Spire stands out in gothic style. Or still visit Martignano, Sternatia, and Corigliano d'Otranto.

Finally, for a dive into the Middle Ages, head to Melpignano, where the final concert of the Night of the Taranta is usually held.

It is believed that the founder of Gallipoli was the Cretan Idomeneo who landed here with his ship in 1150 BC, but it was the Spartan Leucippo in the 8th century BC who named it Kallipolis, meaning beautiful city.

And indeed, Gallipoli is a charming seaside town located on the Ionian coast of Puglia, about 40 km from Lecce. Gallipoli is divided into two distinct areas: the historic center, which rises on a limestone island, and the new town, connected to the island by a 17th-century stone bridge.

Get lost among the cobblestone streets of the old town, where you will see the Church of San Francesco da Paola, the Church of Santa Maria della Purità, the oldest one, housing the namesake brotherhood and a valuable art gallery, and the Cathedral of Sant'Agata, one of the finest examples of Salento baroque architecture.

At the mouth of the 17th-century bridge, connecting the isthmus to the mainland, you will see the castle, bathed by the waters of the Ionian Sea, silently observing the heart of the beautiful city.

The last stronghold of Salento and the southernmost inhabited center of Puglia, Santa Maria di Leuca is the finis terrae, where the Adriatic Sea meets the Ionian Sea.

Due to its beautiful position, it was already known since antiquity: Greek navigators from the East gave it the name Leukos, meaning illuminated by the sun. A hamlet of Castrignano del Capo in the province of Lecce, Santa Maria di Leuca today is a renowned tourist destination where the remains of Greeks and Phoenicians tell of a glorious past.

You will be struck by the light and silence surrounding the basilica of Santa Maria de finibus terrae, associated with a legend stating that Saint Peter, on his journey to Rome, stopped in Leuca, and from then on, the temple dedicated to the goddess Minerva became a Christian place of worship and one of the main pilgrimage centers of ancient and medieval times.

Santa Maria di Leuca is dotted with beautiful 19th-century villas such as La Meridiana, Villa Mellacqua, or Villa Sangiovanni, from when the village became a summer residence for the Salento and Apulian aristocracy. From the port of Santa Maria di Leuca, you can set off to explore the numerous caves along this rugged coast, or if you prefer marine leisure, the mythical Maldive del Salento are just a few kilometers away.