Castro

The town of Castrum is divided into two parts: upper Castro is an old fishing hamlet protected by massive walls with towers and bastions and boasting a Byzantine crypt and Romanesque cathedral. From a height of almost 100 metres, a web of seemingly-infinite stairways leads to the bay of the old harbour, which in our day is flanked by the more modern tourist port, to the gentle descent to the sea, and to the little square crammed with bars and souvenir shops. The miracle of Castro’s beauty would still be intact were it not for the myriads of villas and houses that surround it in the present. But the spectacle bestowed by the coast and the infinite embrace between sky and sea is the same as ever. Don’t miss: the Zinzulusa grotto, a fabulous karstic feature just north of Castro on the coast road leading to Santa Cesarea.

Distance: 49 km from Lecce (00h44) > national road SS 16 Maglie-Otranto, exit Castro-Santa Cesarea