Self-Guided Southeast Coast Puglia Walking Tour

Your journey begins in Lecce, often called the Florence of the South for its extraordinary baroque architecture. Spend the day wandering through streets lined with ornate churches and palaces carved from the region's distinctive golden limestone. The city's compact historic center invites leisurely exploration before tomorrow's coastal walking begins.

After a private transfer to Torre dell'Orso, begin walking south along the Adriatic coastline past the striking Due Sorelle rock formations and Sant'Andrea sea stacks. The trail winds through fragrant Mediterranean scrub and the pine forest surrounding Serra Alimini lake. Pass the historic Baia dei Turchi, where Ottoman forces landed in 1480, before reaching Otranto, Italy's easternmost city, home to a remarkable Byzantine mosaic floor in its cathedral.

Today's coastal walk reveals the otherworldly landscape of the Blue Lake and the evocative ruins of the Abbey of Casole, once a waypoint for crusaders heading to the Holy Land. Continue to the Palascìa lighthouse marking Italy's easternmost point, where the sunrise arrives first on the Italian peninsula. The day concludes at a countryside accommodation near the village of Uggiano La Chiesa.

Walk beneath the watchful Saracen Tower of St. Emiliano as you follow dirt roads toward Porto Badisco, traditionally identified as the landing place of Aeneas in Virgil's epic. The route brings you to Santa Cesarea Terme, a belle époque resort town famous for its therapeutic thermal baths housed in Moorish-style buildings perched above the sea.

A shorter walking day takes you through inland hills to Castro Alta, where recent archaeological discoveries have uncovered a temple dedicated to Athena. The medieval town shares architectural similarities with Otranto, including defensive walls and a cathedral. Descend to Castro Marina to swim in one of the sheltered coves along this dramatic limestone coast.

Choose between a challenging coastal trail over rocks or an easier inland path to reach the beautiful Acquaviva inlet with its picturesque marina carved into the cliffs. After a refreshing swim, climb inland to Tricase, a charming historic town where narrow streets wind past elegant palaces, notably the grand Palazzo Gallone, evoking centuries past.

A brief transfer brings you to Marina di Novaglie to walk the spectacular Cipolliane coastal path. The trail follows dramatic cliffs where waves crash far below and vegetation clings to limestone ledges dotted with euphorbia and prickly pear. Country roads lead along the final section of the Via Francigena del Sud pilgrimage route to the Sanctuary of Finibus Terrae at land's end in Santa Maria di Leuca.

Your walking holiday concludes after breakfast. Take time to explore Leuca's lighthouse and waterfront, where the Adriatic and Ionian seas converge, before departing from this dramatic southern tip of Puglia.