Taranto, which was named Taras by the ancient Greeks, is really two cities rolled into one. Geographically, this City of Two Seas, is divided by the Mar Piccolo and the Mar Grande. Traces of the city's past historic importance can be found in the Duomo of S. Cataldo, the Aragonese Castle, the remains of a Doric temple, and the many fascinating exhibits on display in the MArTa, National Archaeological Museum. Taranto, which is the site of the last completed work of the famous architect, Giò Ponti, the Concattedrale (1970), is also a modern city, which has prospered thanks to its immense industrial port. The character of this, one of Puglia's most densely populated cities, is best experienced in the streets and alleyways of the historic center, which are particularly lively in the evening: an ideal time to take a stroll along the seafront.
Heading inland, we soon come across Pulsano, famous for its impressive castle. The stronghold was one of many towered constructions built to defend Puglia's coastal towns from attack. According to legend, an underground tunnel once linked the castle with that in neighboring Leporano before continuing towards the sea and thus providing a well hidden escape route. Just a few kilometers away, Marina di Pulsano is one of the most popular seaside resorts on the whole of the Ionic coast, with Caribbean-like beaches such as the paradisiacal Lido Silvana.
In the heart of Salento and situated an equal distance away from Brindisi, Lecce and Taranto, Manduria is both the land of the Primitivo wine and the ancient home of the Messapi population. The Primitivo is, without shadow of doubt, Puglia's most famous and highly prized wine, produced from the grapes grown in the vineyards which carpet much of the countryside of the province of Taranto, a countryside in which there are now many attractive little hotels and bed & breakfasts which have been created in the region's traditional farmhouses or "Masseria". Those wishing to learn about the Messapi should head to the north-east part of Manduria, to visit the vast archaeological area where an impressive number of tombs and ancient city walls have been uncovered. The Fonte Pliniano, which was mentioned by the Roman historian Pliny the Elder, is located here: in a large cavern, the water from an underground spring still surfaces today.
Traveling past the seaside town of Porto Cesareo, famous for its crystal clear sea and wonderful beaches, we head still further south to reach Gallipoli, the name of which derives from the Greek kalé polis, or beautiful city. This Pearl of the Ionian Sea overlooks the nearby island of S. Andrea. Gallipoli has a number of important edifices, the most famous being the Anjovin Castle, the Cathedral of St Agata and the Greek Fountain. The town is particularly popular with the Puglia's younger generation and is famous throughout Salento for its lively club scene.
Due to its geographic position, right on the end of the heel of the boot of Italy, Santa Maria di Leuca, in the province of Lecce, has long been the subject of romantic legends and many a curious tale. Even though the waters of the Adriatic and Ionian seas actually meet elsewhere, swirling whirlpools can frequently be observed from the area of the Piazzale in front of the Basilica "De Finibus Terrae". In the spectacularly panoramic Piazzale a Corinthian column takes ride of place. Santa Maria di Leuca is also known for its sumptuous, Arabian style villas, built in the town towards the end of the 19th century.
