Day trips from Lecce
Otranto with its mosaic floor, Gallipoli on its island, and the beaches of both Salento coasts.
- Otranto
- train (Ferrovie del Sud Est) or bus
- Gallipoli
- train (Ferrovie del Sud Est), direct
- Sunbed
- €15–35 sunbed and umbrella/day
From Lecce there are three directions, and each takes a whole day: Otranto, Gallipoli and the beaches. Otranto is on the eastern coast and Gallipoli on the Ionian one, and the nearest beach by bus is San Cataldo.
Otranto — the eastern coast
Otranto is reached by train (Ferrovie del Sud Est) or bus, direct, and the trip takes a full day. It is worth it for the cathedral floor, covered by a mosaic of 1166 showing the months and Old Testament scenes. On 11 August 1480 the town was taken by an Ottoman force and held until 11 September 1481; the inhabitants who were killed were canonised on 12 May 2013. There is also the Aragonese Castle, rebuilt between 1485 and 1498. Otranto sits on the eastern coast of Salento, and the most easterly point of the Italian mainland lies a few kilometres away.
Gallipoli — the Ionian coast
Gallipoli is reached by train (Ferrovie del Sud Est), direct; the trip takes a full day. The old town lies on a limestone island joined to the mainland by a sixteenth-century bridge. On the island are the Angevin-Aragonese castle and the Baroque cathedral of Sant'Agata from the seventeenth century. The name is Greek and means "beautiful city".
The Salento coast beaches
For the sea you pick a side. San Cataldo is the closest to Lecce: bus (San Cataldo closest to Lecce) or car for farther beaches. Torre dell'Orso is a rocky Adriatic beach, while Porto Cesareo and Torre Lapillo are sandy, on the Ionian side. The public beach is free; in the organised section: €15–35 sunbed and umbrella/day. The trip takes a full day.
What to sort out in advance
- Each trip is a whole day. Otranto, Gallipoli and the beaches do not fit into one day, so choose two of the three.
- A car only for the beaches. Otranto and Gallipoli are reached directly, without a car; a car is needed only for the farther beaches.
Before you go
Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.
How do you get from Lecce to Otranto?
By train (Ferrovie del Sud Est) or bus, direct.
How do you get to a beach?
By bus (San Cataldo closest to Lecce) or car for farther beaches.
Ready for Lecce?
Where to next
Front row for the next trip
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