A dip in the beauty of the Lower Salento

MARINA DI PESCOLUSE, 30 JUL - Sink your feet in the soft white sand;

inebriate yourself with the scent of salt, lavender and rosemary;

fill your eyes with the thousand shades of the sea and let yourself be lulled by the waves of the water.

It is a regenerating and healthy experience to discover the most beautiful beaches along the coastal road which, on the Ionian side of the Lower Salento, travels from Gallipoli to Santa Maria di Leuca.

Here nature is the protagonist with a low and sandy coast, the transparent seabed, the Mediterranean scrub that contrasts with the colors of the sky and the sea, the lighthouses and towers that guard the coast, the dunes, the sea lilies and the figs of India that frame the "Tropics of Italy". It is impossible not to be tempted by the white beaches, the transparent and clean water and the sparkle of Caribbean colors that are found on the coast between Ugento and Morciano di Leuca, whose beaches have been awarded the Blue Flag of the NGO this year too. international Fee (Foundation for Environmental Education).

The first beach that intoxicates with its beauty is

, a very long sandy coast with a ruined tower a few meters from the sea.

Here the sand is white and soft and the water is shallow and warm;

much of the beach is equipped but in 10 kilometers of beach there are pristine corners where you can enjoy the sea in complete tranquility.

Traveling south along the beach of

, an expanse of golden sand up to the Calette di Salve beach, small but full of contrasting colors.

The road continues to the marina of

, a fishing village between soft beaches, the small port and the ancient crumbling sixteenth-century tower that turns pink at sunset. The shoreline, in front of the partially submerged tower, can be easily reached on foot from the harbor square. From the lido you arrive in another romantic place, the beach of Isola della Fanciulla: it is an isolated rock that suddenly emerges from the sea and which has always stimulated many legends about its birth. The best known is the story of the terrible Saracen pirate Dragut and a girl who lived in a farm in the hinterland; kidnapped by the pirate, she tried to escape but was killed and thrown into the sea right off the coast of Torre Pali. Since that time the islet has been renamed "Island of the Maiden ".

The coast that stretches to the south is a succession of dream beaches, wild lilies, a few umbrellas half-hidden by the dunes and some beach clubs for those who don't want to give up a sunbed and a cocktail at sunset.

In August the beaches are very busy, yet along the coast it is possible to find small quiet and isolated corners.

In the localities of

and

, which are part of the municipality of Marina di Salve, the beaches are so beautiful, sandy and with shallow waters that they are commonly called the "Maldives of Salento". Actually the name is that of a historic Pescoluse establishment born in 2000. Pescoluse is one of the four sandy beaches of Marina di Salve: many stretches are equipped, but there are just as many free portions with sand dunes to relax under the sun. Access is easy thanks to a large parking lot located directly on the coast; it is often crowded but it is sufficient to go a little further north, after Eden Agri Beach Salento. This last stretch is called "Seychelles del Salento", with several access points along the dunes; it is advisable to walk on the sand to find the corner that best suits your needs.Also in Pescoluse, the beauty of the sea has seen the birth of the first marine spa in Italy: Natural Sea Spa of the Le Cinque Vele plant (lecinquevele.com/spa) is a natural wellness center on the sand, which benefits from the benefits of what it surrounds. The natural elements of the beach - from sand to sea water, from prickly pear to mastic, from rosemary to lavender - have become wellness paths while the essential oils and natural compounds of the fruits of the Salento land have been transformed into beauty treatments . The Spa, which will remain open until the end of the summer season, represents a new way of conceiving personal care and a "slow" and environmentally friendly holiday.Natural Sea Spa of the Le Cinque Vele establishment (lecinquevele.com/spa) is a natural wellness center on the sand, which benefits from the benefits of what surrounds it. The natural elements of the beach - from sand to sea water, from prickly pear to mastic, from rosemary to lavender - have become wellness paths while the essential oils and natural compounds of the fruits of the Salento land have been transformed into beauty treatments . The Spa, which will remain open until the end of the summer season, represents a new way of conceiving personal care and a "slow" and environmentally friendly holiday.Natural Sea Spa of the Le Cinque Vele establishment (lecinquevele.com/spa) is a natural wellness center on the sand, which benefits from the benefits of what surrounds it. The natural elements of the beach - from sand to sea water, from prickly pear to mastic, from rosemary to lavender - have become wellness paths while the essential oils and natural compounds of the fruits of the Salento land have been transformed into beauty treatments . The Spa, which will remain open until the end of the summer season, represents a new way of conceiving personal care and a "slow" and environmentally friendly holiday.The natural elements of the beach - from sand to sea water, from prickly pear to mastic, from rosemary to lavender - have become wellness paths while the essential oils and natural compounds of the fruits of the Salento land have been transformed into beauty treatments . The Spa, which will remain open until the end of the summer season, represents a new way of conceiving personal care and a "slow" and environmentally friendly holiday.The natural elements of the beach - from sand to sea water, from prickly pear to mastic, from rosemary to lavender - have become wellness paths while the essential oils and natural compounds of the fruits of the Salento land have been transformed into beauty treatments . The Spa, which will remain open until the end of the summer season, represents a new way of conceiving personal care and a "slow" and environmentally friendly holiday.it represents a new way of conceiving personal care and a "slow" and environmentally friendly holiday.it represents a new way of conceiving personal care and a "slow" and environmentally friendly holiday.

Just outside Pescoluse there is a rocky place, unfortunately often crowded, but which deserves to be seen: it is

, where you immerse yourself in an invigorating and refreshing pond. The springs are large pools of spring water at a constant temperature both in winter and in summer. The road continues towards Torre Vado, a few kilometers from Santa Maria di Leuca. It is part of the municipality of Morciano di Leuca and extends over a low and sandy coast, easily reachable on foot from the nearby beaches of Pescoluse and Posto Vecchio. On the beach there are restaurants, clubs and establishments from where it is possible to leave for boat excursions to the caves of Santa Maria di Leuca or simply where to enjoy an aperitif or dinner at sunset. The symbol of Torre Vado is the ancient Saracen tower that overlooks the tourist port with the ancient strazzi, the fishermen's lodgings, which today house the headquarters of the Italian Naval League.In the area in front of the port there is a small bay, which the residents call "the beach": it is a cove of white sand with a shallow seabed and frequented mainly by families with children.