Routeotranto

Land End of Italy

Drive south from Otranto to Santa Maria di Leuca at the tip of the Italian heel where the two seas meet, the lighthouse marks the end of the Italian peninsula, the pilgrimage church stands on the headland, and the monumental waterfall cascade created by the ancient Roman aqueduct creates the most dramatic land end in Italy.

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1
Castro
Stop at Castro, the clifftop village above the sea caves south of Otranto where the Norman castle perches on the limestone cliff above the small port, the sea cave of Zinzulusa with its stalactite formations accessible by boat and one of the finest natural caves on the Salento coast, the village one of the most picturesque on the eastern heel.
2
Grotta Zinzulusa
Visit the Grotta Zinzulusa sea cave at Castro by boat where the stalactites and stalagmites of the cave, the underground lake inhabited by a blind endemic crustacean species found nowhere else, and the spectacular location at sea level in the limestone cliff create one of the most impressive natural attractions in southern Apulia.
3
Santa Cesarea Terme
Visit Santa Cesarea Terme where the Moorish-style villas of the Belle Epoque spa town perch on the cliffs above the thermal springs, the sulfurous water rising naturally in sea caves below the cliffs and used for therapeutic bathing in the thermal spa hotels, the architectural fantasy of the village one of the most unexpected sights on the Salento coast.
4
Leuca Lighthouse
Reach the lighthouse at Santa Maria di Leuca where the white tower stands at the southernmost tip of Apulia marking the point where the Adriatic and the Ionian Seas meet, the lighthouse keeper cottage now a visitor center and the viewpoint from the headland providing panoramic views of both seas simultaneously.
5
De Finibus Terrae
Visit the Basilica di Santa Maria di Leuca, the De Finibus Terrae church at the tip of the Italian heel where the pilgrimage church built above the site of an ancient pagan temple stands at the symbolic end of the Italian peninsula, the pilgrimage tradition of walking the entire length of Italy to reach this point maintained by modern hikers following the Via Francigena del Sud.
6
Monumental Cascade
See the monumental cascade of Santa Maria di Leuca where the ancient Roman aqueduct that brought water from the Apennines to the heel of Italy was adapted in the 20th century to create a spectacular waterfall cascade flowing from the upper town down the cliff face to the harbor, the cascade one of the most theatrical public works in Apulia.