Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(
www.castelloaragoneseotranto.it
; Piazza Castello; adult/child €2/free; 10am-1pm & 3-5pm Oct-Mar, 10am-1pm &
3-7pm Apr-May, 10am-1pm & 3-10pm Jun & Sep, 10am-midnight Aug)
This squat thick-walled fort, with
the Charles V coat of arms above the entrance, has great views from the ramparts. There
are some faded original murals and original cannonballs on display.
Chiesa di San Pietro
(Via San Pietro; 10am-noon & 3-6pm)
Vivid Byzantine frescoes decorate the interior of this
church, which was being restored at the time of writing. Follow the signs from the castle:
if it's closed, ask for the key at the cathedral.
CHURCH
DRAMATIC COASTLINE
For a scenic road trip, the drive south from Otranto to Castro takes you along a wild and beautiful coastline. The
coast here is rocky and dramatic, with cliffs falling down into the sparkling, azure sea. When the wind is up you
can see why it is largely treeless. Many of the towns here started life as Greek settlements, although there are few
monuments to be seen. Further south, the resort town of Santa Maria di Leuca is the tip of Italy's stiletto and the
dividing line between the Adriatic and Ionian Seas.
