Road trip in Salento
Published: June262019

Road trip in Salento

Wonderful beaches and baroque art

Are you curious about Salento, or you’ve yet been here, and do you want to travel to Salento in a new way? A road trip in Salento is what you need!

Let’s imagine an itinerary from Lecce to Otranto and back, that will make you touch some of the most beautiful places in Salento: Roca Vecchia, Torre dell’Orso and Sant’Andrea.

Let’s go!

Travelling in Salento

Otranto is almost 45 kilometers far from Lecce, a good distance for a road trip by car, especially if you’re thinking about stopping by some towns and attractions you can find along the way.

If you’re arriving in Puglia by plane, you will probably land at the Airport of Salento Brindisi-Casale, which is nearer to Lecce than the Airport Karol Wojtyla of Bari-Palese.

To reach the Lecce city center by bus, you can take the Sita Sud line, checking the timetable time table here, or grab a taxi ride calling by telephone the number 039 0831597901.

Do you want to rent a car to start your road trip through Salento? Choose one of the services suggested here.

Arriving in Lecce

Lecce is known as the capital of the Apulian Baroque art and architecture.

Starting from the Duomo of Santa Maria Assunta and the Basilica of Santa Croce, you’ll feel surrounded by churches, buildings, and statues characterized by the rich details of Baroque art, very diffused in Lecce in late 1500.

Lecce is crossed by signs of all past ages: surely not only the history lovers will be amazed by the Roman amphitheater and the medieval Castle of Carlo V, as well as the expositions at the archaeological historical museum MUSA and the Museo Faggiano.

The tour in Lecce wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the artisan shops of Piazza Mazzini, a walk in Piazza Sant’Oronzo, and a night out in Porta San Giovanni.

Once you’re in Lecce you can choose to move to the towns nearby by train, from the station, or continue by car.

Torre dell’Orso, Roca Vecchia and Sant’Andrea

On the way to Otranto, we suggest you three stops during your road trip in Salento: Torre dell’Orso, Roca Vecchia and Sant’Andrea.

Almost 35 kilometers separate Lecce from Torre dell’Orso, which is one of the most popular summer destinations in Puglia, ideal for young people and family’s trips.

Torre dell’Orso is just in the middle of the way between two wonderful places in the area of Melendugno: Roca Vecchia and Sant’Andrea, both just 3 kilometers far from the town.

In Roca Vecchia, you will find the Poetry Cave (Grotta della Poesia), a little paradise beach recognized as one of the most beautiful natural pools in the world.

Sant’Andrea also has one of the most beautiful beaches in Salento. The view from the cliff is breathtaking, the water is crystal clear and the white rocks entering the sea, known as the Faraglioni (Sea Stacks), are stunning.

If you still have time, we suggest extending your road trip in Salento to the Alimini Lakes, a beautiful nature reserve where a huge pine forest protects two lakes.

Are you planning your tour in Salento for the end of August?

Take into consideration to live the magical experience of the Night of Taranta, in Melpignano: a folk music festival that celebrates the folklore and traditions of Salento and that recalls people from all around the world.

Finally Otranto

Your eyes will be yet full of wonder when you’ll arrive in Otranto, but there will still be a lot to discover there!

You’ll recognize the influence of Baroque art here too, starting from the church of Santa Maria dei Martiri.

After a walk along the white streets of the delightful old town of Otranto, make sure to visit Baia dei Turchi and Porto Badisco, two wonderful beaches.

Just 4 kilometers far from Otranto, you can find the Bauxite Cave, a wonder of nature where the red land and the green vegetation hugs an emerald green lake.

Have you eaten a good pasticciotto for breakfast and some frisa or rustico leccese for lunch?

If so, you can say you really had a road trip in Salento and you’re ready to go back home or start a new road trip to Puglia!

Do you want more suggestions?

Start planning your visit to Salento with us now.

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4 commenti su “Road trip in Salento

  1. Arka De says:

    Hey there
    It’s a very interesting piece of information. Could you please let me know if you guys provide any day trip from Leece/bari/ somewhere nearby? We are a couple and would like to visit here but we do not know driving.

    1. ImaginApulia says:

      Hi there! Thank you, we really appreciate your feedback and we’re glad you found interesting our article.
      Yes, we can provide daily trips, but maybe it’s easier if we chat about this by email.
      Can I send you an email?
      Daria

  2. Salvatore Sinito says:

    Hi,

    I’m italian and I found great and very useful the information on this website. Could I have the daily trip via mail too?

    Thank you in advance

  3. John Gayley says:

    Can you tell me about the Capodanno sunrise celebrations near Otranto? where is the celebration and how soon before sunrise do need to get there?

    Also…are there Capodanno parties (31/12) at any Masseria around Lecce? Just starting to plan for a trip this Dicembre…

    Grazie Mille!

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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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