Between Otranto and Santa Maria di Leuca in Puglia, the most charming coastal area of all Salento area, there is not plenty of beaches where you can take a bath. The coast has high cliffs, stunning landscapes, many caves and just a few beaches suitable for bathing. One of them, which is also one of my favourites, is the small beach of Acquaviva di Marittima. It is an amazing, hidden place: you will probably pass without even seeing it, since from the coast road it is not noticeable in any way. Here’s how you can find it: do not forget to let me know your impressions about this place!
It is located between Castro and Marina di Marittima (near Diso and Andrano), on the east coast road of Salento. If you are going towards Santa Maria di Leuca from Otranto, you have to pass the beautiful coastal hamlet of Castro: this place is just 0.6 miles south from it, a few metres before you arrive in Marina di Marittima. Otherwise, if you are coming from Santa Maria di Leuca, you have to pass Marina di Marittima, and then you will find the small beach of Acquaviva about 200 metres later. If you want to know exactly where it is, just click on this link to the precise location on Google Maps. You can leave your car in a small parking next to the coast road, then climb down though the Canale del Bosco. A few minutes later, you will arrive in the caletta (i.e. the beach), which is very small, thus intimate and wonderful: the picture at the top of the article speaks for itself.
It is not very easy going into the water since, in the first part, the sea goes down deep very fast. Only in the first part, though, because if you enter the side of the bay, you have no longer easy access points to the sea: you have to dive. Mind that it is not a sandy beach, but a rocky one. Anyway, you can lay out your beach towel on some boardwalks. This caletta is also very particular for the temperature of its water, which is cold and, somewhere, almost icy. This is due to a source of spring water that meets the sea in this spot: when there are 40 degrees out there, it definitely is the place where you can freshen up! (for personal experience, I can assure you it is totally refreshing). If you do not mind climbing a little, you can go to the top of the left side of the caletta, so you can look at it from a higher, likewise stunning, point of view. In the caletta, there also is a kiosk selling ice cream, drinks and granite, so you can keep all on hand. Someone call it a bay, but I rather call it caletta or small beach of Acquaviva di Marittima. I profoundly suggest you to visit this place.
Foto | thanks to Donato Surano of Creandocornici.it. You can see it on Flickr too, click here.
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