Ciao Vince,
sorry for the delay, but I wanted to reply to you in deep. First of all, thanks for your contact and for planning a trip to my region! It’s very nice to read your family history. I agree to stop first in Lecce and spend a day in this beautiful old town and show it to your friends. A second stop is Otranto, yes: other nice old town with beautiful beaches. If you plan to stay here only one day, I suggest you to visit the northern coast of Otranto where Turkish Bay is and more. Then, you can move directly to Santa Maria di Leuca, the coast between Otranto and SMDL is very scenic. I suggest to have a swim in Acquaviva di Marittima, a secret place of the Adriatic coast and then lodge in SMDL. Next day you can move directly to Gallipoli and take it like a base for discovering the west coast: Porto Selvaggio, Maldive del Salento, … If you have one more day, I do suggest you to go to Torre Lapillo beach where we are: here the beaches are white, Punta Prosciutto beach for instance, and you may pass to visit us in our office close to the beach for a coffe and a conversation!
With regard to the accommodation, usually in summer in Salento is quite difficult to find properties for rent just for a night, as the common use is renting at least three days. You may opt for b&bs or hotels, they book for a single night.
I just read your article THE 10 MOST BEAUTIFUL SALENTO BEACHES IN PUGLIA and enjoyed it very much. I am planning a trip to the Salento in late August, the dates I’m thinking of are August 25 to August 31. I will be travelling with my brother, two friends and their 13 year old daughter. I love history, archeology and beautiful beaches and would like to ask your opinion on my proposed itinerary. We are thinking of meeting in Bari (or possibly Brindisi) renting a car and driving to Lecce for the first day. From there maybe drive to Otranto and spend a day or two there visiting Baia dei Turchi and/or P. Badisco. Then move south and would like a recommendation of where to stop next: Cala dell’Acquaviva, S.M. di Leuca, Pescoluse? Or, since our next destination is the Gallipoli are, should we drive from Otranto west directly to Gallipoli, stay there a couple days and head north to Porto Selvaggio or other beaches in that area before returning to Bari or Brindisi? I usually book apartments via airbnb but would be open to other suggestions. We would need at least 2 bedrooms, and three would be better but not necessary.
My father was Italian and born in Pisticci in Basilicata. Our family name was Grattacaso but was changed in the 1920s. We visited Pisticci in 2018 and found the house were my father and his three brothers were born in 1909. It was an amazing trip and we loved the area. I have been to Bari and Lecce but have always wanted to visit the Salento Peninsula. I actually planned this trip for August 2020 but of course had to cancel.
We use cookies to enhance your experience while using our website. If you are using our Services via a browser you can restrict, block or remove cookies through your web browser settings. We also use content and scripts from third parties that may use tracking technologies. You can selectively provide your consent below to allow such third party embeds. For complete information about the cookies we use, data we collect and how we process them, please check our Privacy Policy
Ciao Vince,
sorry for the delay, but I wanted to reply to you in deep. First of all, thanks for your contact and for planning a trip to my region! It’s very nice to read your family history. I agree to stop first in Lecce and spend a day in this beautiful old town and show it to your friends. A second stop is Otranto, yes: other nice old town with beautiful beaches. If you plan to stay here only one day, I suggest you to visit the northern coast of Otranto where Turkish Bay is and more. Then, you can move directly to Santa Maria di Leuca, the coast between Otranto and SMDL is very scenic. I suggest to have a swim in Acquaviva di Marittima, a secret place of the Adriatic coast and then lodge in SMDL. Next day you can move directly to Gallipoli and take it like a base for discovering the west coast: Porto Selvaggio, Maldive del Salento, … If you have one more day, I do suggest you to go to Torre Lapillo beach where we are: here the beaches are white, Punta Prosciutto beach for instance, and you may pass to visit us in our office close to the beach for a coffe and a conversation!
With regard to the accommodation, usually in summer in Salento is quite difficult to find properties for rent just for a night, as the common use is renting at least three days. You may opt for b&bs or hotels, they book for a single night.
If you need more, just ask!
A presto, Fabio.
Dear Fabio,
I just read your article THE 10 MOST BEAUTIFUL SALENTO BEACHES IN PUGLIA and enjoyed it very much. I am planning a trip to the Salento in late August, the dates I’m thinking of are August 25 to August 31. I will be travelling with my brother, two friends and their 13 year old daughter. I love history, archeology and beautiful beaches and would like to ask your opinion on my proposed itinerary. We are thinking of meeting in Bari (or possibly Brindisi) renting a car and driving to Lecce for the first day. From there maybe drive to Otranto and spend a day or two there visiting Baia dei Turchi and/or P. Badisco. Then move south and would like a recommendation of where to stop next: Cala dell’Acquaviva, S.M. di Leuca, Pescoluse? Or, since our next destination is the Gallipoli are, should we drive from Otranto west directly to Gallipoli, stay there a couple days and head north to Porto Selvaggio or other beaches in that area before returning to Bari or Brindisi? I usually book apartments via airbnb but would be open to other suggestions. We would need at least 2 bedrooms, and three would be better but not necessary.
My father was Italian and born in Pisticci in Basilicata. Our family name was Grattacaso but was changed in the 1920s. We visited Pisticci in 2018 and found the house were my father and his three brothers were born in 1909. It was an amazing trip and we loved the area. I have been to Bari and Lecce but have always wanted to visit the Salento Peninsula. I actually planned this trip for August 2020 but of course had to cancel.
Thanks very much for your kind assistance.
El Presto,
Vince Gratzer
Los Angeles CA