Santa Maria di Leuca

Santa Maria di Leuca is a frazione at the southernmost end of the Salento peninsula, where the Adriatic meets the Ionian Sea. The lighthouse stands on a high cliff above the water, and low houses and small beaches between the rocks spread around the harbor.

A Greek temple for Minerva once stood at this spot in ancient times, and a Christian church was later built on its foundations. The current basilica dates from the 18th century and replaced the earlier building at the same edge of the cape.

Along the harbor and coast, small white houses stand beside fishermen who lay out nets and prepare boats for short trips. The connection to the sea shows in the wooden hulls and simple huts where fishermen pull squid and fish from crates in the morning.

The caves along the coast are easiest to reach by boat, as many are accessible only from the water. In summer, small boats run from the harbor, and trips usually last one or two hours depending on the route.

The lighthouse rises not only above the water but stands on such a high cliff that its base and top together reach well over a hundred meters. This combination of natural height and structure makes it unusually visible to ships on both seas.