Discover all the beauties and the things to see in Santa Maria di Leuca.
Salento is one of the most favourite destinations for all the Italians and the foreigners who want to spend special holidays in a fabulous sea, on dreamy beaches, in a sun-drenched land.
The sun, in fact, is one of the most distinctive elements of the “heel” of Italy.
Apulian people are in love with it and cannot conceive how it is possible to do without. In Salento, they even coined a motto that says “Salentu: lu sule, lu mare, lu ientu” (Salento: the sun, the sea, the wind).
It’s not a coincidence that the Southernmost town in Salento, Santa Maria di Leuca, owes its name precisely to the sun.
In fact, when sailors looked at the town from afar, they saw an expanse of white, because the town was drenched in sunshine, so they called it “leukos”, which means “white” in ancient Greek.
It seems that the first part of the name, Santa Maria (St. Mary), was instead introduced by St. Peter, who wanted to pay homage to the Virgin, since its work of evangelisation started exactly there, after he arrived from Palestine.
There are lots of interesting things to see in Santa Maria di Leuca.
The town is rich in history, culture and natural beauties and it’s quite impossible to resist its charm. Some artefacts found along the coast date back to the Palaeolithic and to the Neolithic. Many buildings of the town take you back in time: Greek period, Roman period, Middle Ages, birth of Christianity…
Not to mention nature, which is extraordinary and bewitches everyone, especially sea lovers and divers, who will find here crystal-clear waters and spectacular seabeds.
Leuca has always been loved by everybody. Even in the XIX century, the aristocrats were willing to do anything to own a summer residence on the wonderful coasts of Salento.
It is impossible to get tired of admiring this beautiful town full of attractions.
The lighthouse that dominates Punta Meliso is one of the most distinctive elements and deserves a special mention: if you look at the sea from this position, you see the precise point in which the Ionian Sea and the Adriatic Sea merge.
You see? That’s why we chose this location for our hotel by the sea in Santa Maria di Leuca.
You are welcome, whenever you want!