Salento – the tip of Italy’s heel
Salento Peninsula, simply Salento, stretches across Italy’s heel from Brindisi to Santa Maria di Leuca in the region of Puglia. Here the lush greenery of Valle d’Itria gives way to flat, ochre-coloured fields hazy with wildflowers in spring and endless olive groves.
This strategically important lump of limestone between the Adriatic and Ionian seas has been dominated by Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Normans and Spaniards. They all left their mark in the shape of amphitheatres, palaces, castles and churches. In a cluster of villages nearby the city of Lecce, a Greek dialect called Griko is still spoken, written on signs, and taught in schools.
But press on through these, and there are rich baroque rewards to goggle at, carved from the buttery local tufa beloved by sculptors across Italy for its malleability. The historic quarters of the main towns, as Gallipoli or Otranto, are all testimony to the craftsmanship of the local stonemasons. Then the capital of the Salento, the Fabolous Lecce called the “Florence of the South” and is the centre of the ornate architecture called “Barocco leccese” (Lecce Baroque).
At the tip of Italy’s heel is where the crystal clear waters of the Ionian and Adriatic seas converge, and the picturesque beaches spread all along the coast, precisely what you’d expect of a Mediterranean getaway.
Each seaside town offers something uniquely special, among the others: Porto Cesareo, Porto Selvaggio, Santa Maria di Leuca, Santa Cesarea Terme, Gallipoli ( built on a limestone island and linked to the mainland by a 16th-century bridge) or Otranto and its small alleys that are lined with whitewashed buildings reminiscent of Greece.
After visiting, you’ll know it for the dreamy beaches, mouthwatering street food, burgeoning wine scene (first of all the famous and full-body Negroamaro), Ancient Greek history, and traditional farmhouse homestays.
Our Local Team has carefully handpicked the most charming villas with pools and properties in Salento that match the quality of the properties with the superb context.
We propose a broad and diversified collection of luxury villas in Salento, handpicked and inspected by our staff.
Our Villas’ portfolio can meet any specific requirement: Luxury villas with swimming pools in dreaming spots, villas by the sea with direct access to the sea, gorgeous masserie (farmhouses), cosy holiday homes by the sea, or typical trulli: explore our off-the-beaten-track collection and contact us to let us help you find the property you are looking for.
Live an authentic holiday experience in one of our villas full of charm, scattered in various beautiful corners of the charming Salento.
