Otranto in Puglia, Italy. The jewel of Apulia’s Salento region. Hot weather and gorgeous beaches!

Come see Otranto in Puglia, Italy. With hot weather, a gorgeous beach, and many, many fun outings nearby, Otranto in the Salento region of Apulia is one of Italy’s best places to go. A real jewel at the end of the heel of Italy’s boot.

In the summer time Otranto Apulia is fantastic with bone-drying heat, to-die-for crystal clear water, soft sand, and lazy days. Everyone is here in Salento. We like it lively but we don’t like crowds. So in this video we share how we made Otranto Apulia our own. A tall order with such a popular summer destination like Otranto, a must see on any trip to Italy’s spectacular south.

First we take you into the heart of the old city early in the morning so that there’ll be fewer other tourists and we can blend in with the local life.The center is so charming. A castle, fortified walls, a cathedral with beautiful mosaic floors, and the gorgeous location next to the turquoise water. Honestly, with so many tourist shops, restaurants and hotels, the historical center has lost its authenticity.

We do find an authentic local sport just outside the historic center’s walls. In the beautiful bay of turquoise water. People here wade early in the morning to get their steps in. Otranto, Puglia’s water is shallow from the shore all the way out. And early in the morning it’s the town’s outdoor gym.

We sit down at the Borderline cafe facing the historical center across the bay. And have one of the best coffee and Italian pastries of our life with a million dollar view. The people at the next table tell us that for an authentic experience, we should check out one of the inland villages that still speaks a greek dialect.

So we head over to Corigliano, driving along a stretch of coastal road that already reminds me more of Greece or Turkey.

Turks and Greeks both occupied Salento leaving some aspects of the culture behind. While we don’t witness Greek being spoken on the streets, we do see some street signs in Italian and Greek. This town’s star attraction is its well preserved medieval castle, but we love the alleys and piazza’s that ooze with charm and we’re amazed by the stunning mosaics covering the floor of the church.

And we find our dream beach in Castellana Bay. Crystal clear waters, soft sand and not too crowded.

Otranto is surrounded by fun places to see, here are handful of our favorites, all take no more than a couple hours:

MARITTIMA. Osteria La Vecchia.
TRICASE.
CASTRO.
FARO PUNTA PALASCIA.
NARDO.
GALATINA.
BAIA DEI TURCHI.

Our last night in Salento, Puglia comes too soon. With our early morning wades, delightful coffee spot, daily outings, and a cute beach nearby Otranto, Apulia has captured our hearts. So come here off season if you can, but know that high season can be fun too!

Please Subscribe
If you have a YouTube account and you like our videos, please click the subscribe button and request notifications of our weekly postings by selecting the bell.

For a whole library of videos and our playlists please visit our channel at:
   / happygoluckytravel  


We RECOMMEND from our latest:
Conversano near Polignano, Puglia Hidden Gem.    • Puglia Italy's Hidden Gem? Conversano...  
Best Beach in Puglia, Italy?    • Which is the best beach in Puglia Ita...  
Best Street Food in Nice, France.    • BEST Street Food in the French Rivier...  
Most Beautiful Place So Far, Lerici, Italy.    • Best of Liguria, Italy: Lerici, Tella...  
Coastal walks on the French Riviera    • French Riviera Scenic Walks ; Best Co...  

About Us
We’re Emre and Maia. Our videos feature local, authentic, and immersive experiences in Europe. We love to engage with people in their own language, while we spend a gap year being curious about everything! We’re passionate about travel and food and have been to 44 countries with five passports between us! Now we’re in Southern Europe — Italy, France, and Spain — where we dedicate a month to each stay. Longing for simplicity and freedom, we put our remaining possessions in storage, and set out with one suitcase and one carry-on each. Our slow travel mindset works whether you have a few days or a whole year.

We like to keep it real. We did not receive, nor do we ask for compensation from any of the enterprises mentioned in this video.

The happygolucky YouTube channel is a production of HAPPY GO LUCKY, LLC, Washington.