Costa Otranto Natural Park – Santa Maria di Leuca and Bosco di Tricase – Puglia: cliffs, olive trees and silences where the Adriatic meets the extreme South. The Otranto Coast – Santa Maria di Leuca and Bosco di Tricase Regional Natural Park extends along the most evocative stretch of the Salento Adriatic coast, from the fortified city of Otranto to the extreme tip of Leuca. Here, the landscape alternates between white cliffs, ancient coastal towers, monumental olive groves and strips of Mediterranean forest. It is a frontier territory, where the land overlooks the open sea and nature retains its most authentic face. 🌿 An ecosystem suspended between stone and sea: The park protects a unique biodiversity heritage: coastal habitats, sea caves, fragrant garrigues, Mediterranean scrub and centuries-old trees. The Bosco di Tricase is the last coastal forest in Salento, a refuge for wildlife and rare botanical species. The sheer cliffs, interrupted by coves and inlets, offer a wild and pure spectacle. 👉 Tip: Go trekking between Torre del Serpe and Punta Palascia: the view of the Adriatic is open and dizzying. 🏞️ Between coastal towers, caves and lighthouses: Along the way you will encounter sixteenth-century watchtowers, solitary lighthouses and prehistoric caves. The Punta Palascia Lighthouse, the easternmost lighthouse in Italy, symbolically marks the beginning of every sunrise. The caves of Porto Badisco, where according to legend Aeneas landed, preserve cave paintings and millenary silences. Every corner is full of memory and landscape. 👉 Tip: Visit Porto Badisco early in the morning: the grazing light enhances the rock and the sea seems to be made of glass. 🚶 Walks among olive trees and brackish scents: The park is crossed by panoramic paths, cycle paths and ancient sheep tracks that connect farms, towers, dry stone walls and viewpoints. On foot or by bicycle you can explore itineraries through cultivated fields, rural churches, trees sculpted by the wind and overhanging stretches of coast. 👉 Tip: Walk the Ciolo Ring: between rocky gorges, suspension bridges and 360-degree sea views. 🍽️ Rural flavors and sea in the kitchen: The park's cuisine reflects its dual soul: rustic and coastal. You will find fresh cheeses, local legumes, oily fish, wild vegetables and extra virgin olive oil from ancient olive groves. The white and rosé wines of Salento, fresh and fragrant, complete every meal with simplicity and harmony. 👉 Tip: Try a black chickpea soup from Salento with croutons in oil: a poor dish, but rich in taste and history. 🎉 Experiences between nature, art and silence: Throughout the year, the park hosts events dedicated to sustainability, narrated walks, concerts in nature, cooking workshops and starry evenings. Local communities, deeply linked to the land, animate the territory with slow, authentic and immersive initiatives. The park thus becomes a meeting place between the environment, tradition and inner research. 👉 Tip: Take part in a sunrise concert by the sea between July and August: an experience that combines scenery and pure emotion. The Costa Otranto – Santa Maria di Leuca and Bosco di Tricase Natural Park is a meeting place between East and West, between light and wind, where every step is contemplation and every stop is beauty.