Otranto to Gallipolli – Puglia Road Trip

After we checked out of our beautiful trulli in Alberobello, it was time to drive further down south along the coast to Otranto. It took us just under two hours. We had pre-booked three nights in Otranto. We stayed at Relais Valle Dell’Idro, I booked it via booking.com, the reviews were great and it was in a perfect location. Otranto is a small seaside town in the province of Leece. We spent some time here relaxing, chilling on the beach and swimming in the crystal clear sea. We spent the evenings wandering around the narrow alleyways and browsed in the beautiful souvenir shops.

Places I’d recommend to eat:  Skafe Baguetteria is a great spot. We had takeaway baguettes from here one day and sat on the beach and had lunch. The ingredients are fresh and you can mix and match and make your own baguette filling. A fulfilling, affordable place for a relaxed lunch. I hands down think the gelato I had in Otranto was the best I’ve ever had, and that’s saying something as I’ve had a lot. I really wanted to go back for a second lot, but I had to resist. Definitely take a visit to Gelateria Cavour, its right on the coast. I chose the carrot cake and white chocolate gelato and it was heavenly. La Bella Idrusa is a great spot for dinner if you’re a lover of pizza, it’s located by the huge Porta Terra as you enter the historic centre.

We had planned to drive to Gallipolli from Otranto, however we de-toured slightly en route and stopped off at Pescoluse beach which is described as the Maldives of Salento. It has the most beautiful white sand and shallow clear waters. We relaxed here for a few hours and then headed to our Bed & Breakfast in Alezio, a small town located a 15 minute drive from Gallipolli. We left booking the accommodation quite last minute but didn’t have any trouble finding anywhere. Palazzo Castiota was most beautiful place I’ve ever stayed. It was a stunning eighteenth century building with the most but authentic feel to it. We had the most wonderful three nights here. It was a great base from which to explore the Salento region. We found a perfect, romantic family run restaurant in Alezio a short walk away from our B&B called Le Mecare. In fact the owner recommended it to us, a booking is a must. We ended up going here three times, the food was out of this world.

 

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