Zinzulusa Caves

Zinzulusa Caves

By land or by sea?

In the beautiful landscape of Salento, characterized by spectacular beaches and crystal clear sea, there are breath-taking karst rock caves: the Zinzulusa Caves.

Those caves are more than 150 meters long and 15 meters high and can be reached by land from the center of Castro but also by sea, from Castro Marina’s port.

Do you want to take a look at those caves? Scroll down and dive into our article! 

zinzulasa caves in salento puglia

Zinzulusa: one of the 10 best caves in the World

Along the coast that connects Otranto to Santa Maria di Leuca, there are the Zinzulusa Caves, discovered by Monsignor Francesco Antonio Del Duca in 1793.

According to the Monsignor, the cave represented a temple dedicated to the goddess Minerva, who had helped Hercules in the clash with the giants.

Its name derives from zinzuli, a Salentine term that indicates torn pieces of cloth that visually reminds the numerous stalactites and stalagmites existing inside the cave.

The natural course of the cave begin with the Atrio, Vestibolo and Conca: the Atrio, 30 meters high, has a breach backdrop and gives access to the Vestibolo where there is a staircase eight meters deep that contains la Conca, a pond about 100 square meters large and 7 meters deep.

Going deeply into those Zinzulusa Caves, you can find the Corridor of Wonders and the Trabocchetto with stalactites and stalagmites that visually evoke objects.

Immediately after that is the last part of the corridor called the Crypt, and continuing the Duomo, about 24 meters high, inhabited by bats.

The last stretch is an underground lake called the Cocito, where small crustaceans were discovered, sheltered for millennia.

Into those caves, there are 26 aquatic and 40 terrestrial rare animal species and also prehistoric and palaeontological traces.

Thanks to its extraordinary beauty, in 1999 it was included among the 10 most beautiful caves in the world.

Tips:

A long time ago the Zinzulusa Caves were inhabited by bats, who had covered it with guano.

When the caves were discovered in 1957, all the speleologists who contributed to the cleaning signed the cave with their names.

Curious, don’t you think?

speleologist's names written with bat poop in the cave of zinzulusa salento puglia

According to Virgil’s narratives, Castro (the place from which you can access those caves), could be the place where Aeneas landed in Italy. Want to know more about it? Click here!

The Zinzulusa Caves can only be visited with a guided tour lasting 30 minutes.

If you want to enjoy those caves to the fullest, choose May or September: these places are particularly frequented in the summer, especially in the middle of August.

See you in Puglia!

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You find all the conversations you made via ImaginApulia, like comments and massages by contact form, on the Your Connections page.

Other connectivity options

Brindisi Lecce BARI Fasano Taranto Vieste Troia Foggia Conversano Castellana Grotte Monopoli Polignano a Mare BARI Mola di Bari Andria Gravina in Puglia Trani Barletta Fasano Alberobello Noci Locorotondo Cisternino Martina Franca Mottola Laterza Castellaneta Marina Taranto Vieste Peschici Rodi Garganico Monte Sant’Angelo Manfredonia San Giovanni Rotondo Lesina Margherita di Savoia Foggia Ostuni Ceglie Messapica Francavilla Fontana Brindisi Lecce Torre dell’Orso Porto Cesareo Otranto S. Cesarea Terme Gallipoli Ugento Santa Maria di Leuca Nardò Faeto Troia Bovino Sant’Agata di Puglia Lucera

Info Points nearby

Lecce

Info Point Sedile Palace
Sedile Palace | Piazza Sant’Oronzo
Tel. +39 0832 242099
info.lecce@viaggiareinpuglia.it

Info Point Castle
Castle Carlo V | Viale XXV Luglio
Tel. +39 0832 246517
info.lecce@viaggiareinpuglia.it

Piazzale Zinzulusa litoranea, 73030 Castro LE

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The tale of the Two Sisters


Traveling on the Apulian Adriatic coastline, in a few km from Lecce city, you’ll reach the marine area of Torre dell’Orso and the most famous Two Sisters Beach | ita: Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle.

  • Two Sisters Beach - Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle | Torre dell'Orso | Lecce | Salento | Puglia
  • Two Sisters Beach - Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle | Torre dell'Orso | Lecce | Salento | Puglia
  • Two Sisters Beach - Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle | Torre dell'Orso | Lecce | Salento | Puglia
  • Two Sisters Beach - Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle | Torre dell'Orso | Lecce | Salento | Puglia

Are you curious to know something about that singular name?

Well, there is a nice and a bit sad tale behind the Two Sisters Beach | ita: Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle. This gives the location a huge air of mystery.

This marine area is very fascinating. Reachable walking through a little Mediterranean Maquis forest, under the cliffs there’s a sandy beach 800 meters long.

Slight white sand, clear turquoise seawater, warm enchanting sun, everything in the same stunning place.

But probably you’re still thinking about the tale, so, I’m going to tell the story.

The tale of the Sisters

« The tale says that once upon a time, two young sisters were living in the Salento area. They were very hard workers, and they had never seen the magnificence of the sea.

One day, to counteract the hot summer, they went toward the seaside for the first time. Well, they were so much fascinated by the amazing view they got there that the younger one dived from the cliff into the water. At that point, the eldest sister tried to save her, but it was too late.

They couldn’t get back to the shore. The Gods, looking at them: alone, desperate, and cute, decided to turn them into two beautiful rocky stacks in the middle of the sea.

A fisherman, while walking nearby, just saw two rocks rise from the sea. Since that day, the beach is known as Two Sisters Beach. »

The tale is very magical but a bit sad, and once there, it’s really hard to don’t get emotional.

Then, the clear seawater just completes the landscape.

Two Sisters Beach and Torre Dell’Orso

The Two Sisters Beach| ita: Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle | is located in the marine area of MelendugnoTorre dell’Orso. For the sake of completeness, we have to say that also this name has got a charming little story.

In this case, the name Torre dell’Orso, which literally means Bear Tower, derives from the sighting tower by the sea.

Then, on the cliff under the tower, there’s a rock shaped like a bear by the erosion.

  • Two Sisters Beach - Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle | Torre dell'Orso | Lecce | Salento | Puglia
  • Two Sisters Beach - Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle | Torre dell'Orso | Lecce | Salento | Puglia
  • Two Sisters Beach - Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle | Torre dell'Orso | Lecce | Salento | Puglia
  • Two Sisters Beach - Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle | Torre dell'Orso | Lecce | Salento | Puglia
  • Two Sisters Beach - Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle | Torre dell'Orso | Lecce | Salento | Puglia

One day trip

If you want to get a fantastic and cool experience traveling on the Adriatic coastline, start your trip having a good breakfast in Lecce.

We advise you to ask for a pasticiotto and a caffè leccese: you’ll love them from here to the moon and back!

Then, drive from Lecce to Roca Vecchia village, where the amazing Poetry Cave | ita: Grotta della Poesia | awaits you for a nice dive.

After that, run towards the Two Sisters Beach | ita: Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle | to get a relaxing swim into one of the most beautiful seas of Puglia.

In the end, reach Torre Sant’Andrea to admire the stunning view of The Sea Stacks of Sant’Andrea | ita: I Faraglioni di Sant’Andrea .

But if you have still time, don’t miss the weird landscape of the Bauxite Cave | ita: Cava di Bauxite | quite close to Otranto.

You can easily do this little itinerary on a one day trip. From the morning to the night on the southern Adriatic coastline of Puglia.

We did it and you find an article about our Road Trip in Salento on the blog!

Would you like to start your trip? Enjoy your One day trip to Salento!

Click on the map below to directly get the direction.

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