Salento: 10 reasons to discover its beaches
Hello everyone,
it's winter outside and I'm sure you're planning your next summer vacation!
Are you considering travelling to Italy this time? Then book your flight to Bari and hire a car because I am going to show you ones of the best destinations ever.
I'm talking about Salento, the Maldives of Italy. Provided that here's much to see apart from laying on the beach sunbathing and swimming in clear waters, I would like to focus on the sea today and show you whi this is an unbeatable destination!
Thus I have decided to list the top 10 reasons to book your stay in one of the villages on the sea in Salento and why you should not miss it.
1. Rainbow colours.
How can these colours bore you? There's a feeling of being in heaven just looking at the waves crashing. The sea is usually calp, except when it's windy. The shore is sometimes sandy, some other times rocky. There are places where you can swim in shallow waters.
2. Quietness.
Uncommon places far from the touristic attractions are the best ones and will gift you with a sense of peacefulness. Avoid losing control due to the stress of being surrounded by the screaming crowd and forget about the the beaten tracks. You'll be wonderfully surprized and will end up amazed and satisfied with your choice. Peak season is mid of June until mid of August, if you are looking for a bit of privacy mid June until mid July is perfect. Some villages have little parking space and in June is sometimes even free of charge.
3. Pure wild nature.
The roads end into the sand, you can end up into a beach without even realizing it. I suggest you to look for the Dunes in Campomarino, they're just unique and Always changing.
4. Fish
Sea urchins, starfish, corals, sponges, squids, mussels, all to be seen underwater, at hand. You needn't do anything special, just get a mask and snorkel a few meters off the water edge. There are shops everywhere selling it, it's certainly worth it.
Either you're based in Europe or in another continent, the Salento isn't so difficult to reach, and offers the enjoyment of transparent waters and beautiful weather. Moreover, as it isn't an isolated location, with just a few minutes drive you'll find yourselves into the heart of Puglia's rural culture. Torre Lapillo, Porto Cesareo, Punta Prosciutto, you'll have so many wonderful spots to go to. The sea turns from blue to light blue to turquoise and some points of the region are less developed and give space to nature and primordial landscapes.
6. Refreshment.
The weather in the summer can become torrid and you'd feel burning under the scorching sun. The water of the Ionian sea is at the perfect temperature and will provide the perfect refreshment, as it isn't too cold nor too warm. It's not so uncommon to see people sleeping on air matresses right in the middle of the sea, anchored to a buoy. I don't think it's wise, anyway. It may be a urban myth, but I've heard of people lost in the sea Landing in unknown places kilometers away from their place. I wouldn't risk, you never know.
7. Safety.
If you're travelling with children, or if you feel insecure in swimming off, you'll be happy to know that there are many equipped beaches with umbrellas, deck chairs and a lifeguard. Sometimes you'll see them sat on a simple chair observing the people from behind their sunglasses, some other times they monitor the situation from the top of a guard tower. Occasionally the only emergence you may have is to find a toilet, mostly if you are a beachaholic who would live at the sea literally. Well, in pristine pleasant spots you'll hardly find one. Nevertheless toilets are usually available at the equipped beaches.
8. Family-friendliness
The area offers different options, there are beaches where typically meet young people and couples, others that are more suitable for families with children. Not everywhere you need to pay to lay by the shore, there are free beaches, whereas others are well organized. If you're travelling with children, the equipped locations are advantageous, as they are comfortable, time saving and well supplied.
9. Well-being.
Okay, I'm maybe too snob and posh but I don't go crazy for "sun-heated-in-the-bag-from-the-morning" sandwiches and drinks, and I would never ever let my children eat cold cuts or cheese after hours under the sun, so I'm prepared to pay as I need a beach bar or restaurant and here there are some so alluring and tempting. The one pictured here is in Campomarino di Maruggio, not far from Taranto.
10. Trees. (excluding olive trees)
In various Italian regions the maritime pine is the most common specie planted everywhere. I guess some of them just grew spontaneously. I have seen houses built around the tree, in order not to disturb it! The small villages by the sea still have uncultivated fields where bushes expand, under which leaves sometimes homeless dogs wearily rest.
11. Extra reasons
I need to create another article because the bucket list of the wonders of Puglia deserve a new piece. Anyway I'll give you a hint: Puglia had been inhabited since ancient times and offers many wonders and monuments that need to be explored, undoubtfully. The picture below shows the hallway to the most renowed touristic centres, Gallipoli. Good food, skilled restaurant owners, nice shops and tradition, all to be found within few square kilometers. I recommend you to go there late in the afternoon for an aperitiv and a tour around the city, that in the evening shows its best. There are shiny bright markets, noisy bars, that amazing nice smell of suncream, tarallis, friselle, wine, raw fish, paved roads and much more!
