Eight kilometers (4.8 mi) of unspoiled Adriatic coastline awaited fellow blogger Orna O’Reilly and me on a recent sun-kissed winter’s morn as we went on a combination walk and photoshoot inside a nature reserve and protected marine area just a short drive from our humble abode: Torre Guaceto.
A World Wildlife Fund designated area, Torre Guaceto, named after its eponymous 16th century watchtower, lies midway between Ostuni and Brindisi in the carefree Salento region of Puglia in southeastern Italy.
Stretching from Punta Penna Grossa to the cliffs of Apani, Torre Guaceto, home to a sea turtle recovery center, is inhabited seasonally by migratory birds, like the egret and the bittern, and covered in wild Mediterranean vegetation.
This quiet-as-a-mouse hideaway — at least during wintertime — is the perfect place for a long, leisurely stroll, a jog or an all-terrain bike ride along rustic trails, over sandy dunes, around seasonal wetlands and postcard-perfect little inlets, and across a blue flag-rated beach.
Hardly a soul in sight, other than a lone marsh harrier flying circles above, we felt like we had the entire place all to ourselves.
If your travel plans include Puglia, you should definitely add the nature reserve and protected marine area of Torre Guaceto to your list of sights to visit. Hey, it’s “must see” here in the Salento.
Ciao for now.
©The Palladian Traveler
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Nice start to my morning, Tom. Thanks for letting me share the scenic walk.
janet
Corrected!
Lovely Tom. Well captured! Photos are perfect, as always. 😀