Otranto is a small town which represents a bridge between West and East, a territory full of Caribbean beaches, a place rich in history, art, culture. It immediately catches the eye that the ancient village is enclosed by the defensive walls that in the past served to protect it from any enemy attacks.

Among the main tourist attractions we find:

• The Aragonese Castle ;
• The Church of San Pietro ;

Furthermore, the beauties of Otranto are not limited to the old village and the historical importance of its artistic treasures. One of the main attractions of the City of Martyrs is in fact the incomparable sea and the splendid natural scenery.

Moving northwards along the coast road, within a few kilometers, we find bathing sites characterized by fantastic nature and fairytale settings:

• Baia dei Turchi , the historic landing place of the Turkish soldiers. With its Caribbean beach and crystal clear sea like few others, it will seem to be truly in the Caribbean!
• Alimini Lakes , two splendid freshwater basins one, and the other salty. The basins are fed by different sources and surrounded by a fantastic Mediterranean scrub and introduced by a very white tongue of sand.
• Torre Sant’Andrea and Torre dell’Orso , where the coast takes the characteristic shape of huge inlets which. Through the incessant action of the wind, the coast appears as large bays of smooth, softened, sculpted rocks.
• The Bay of Orte where you can enjoy a splendid sea away from the chaos of the most popular beaches, immersed in a wild and still unspoiled nature;
• Porto Badisco, where it is said that the epic landing of Aeneas in Salento took place. Here there is the very important Grotta dei Cervi , an extraordinary testimony of the life of ancient civilizations.
• Santa Cesarea Terme , a jewel set in the Salento Adriatic coast and famous for being one of the most important hydrothermal stations at national level.

Moreover, Otranto offers also one of the most precious jewels of nature or the Bauxite quarry of Otranto. The quarry is located in the Salento hinterland, between Otranto and the area surrounding the renowned lighthouse of Punta Palascia, near Monte Sant’Angelo. The ” Red Lake ” discovered in 1940, is a destination for school trips but also for the most curious who venture into this magical and suggestive place to admire live the spectacle of the emerald green lake. Bauxite is in fact a mineral from which aluminum is obtained and the Otranto quarry was an important source of livelihood for all those who extracted the material during the years in which the site remained in business. Click here to find out every detail.

To discover more about the history of Otranto and find out more about the Cava di Bauxite click here and discover our GO HORSE trip planner.