We present Ugento and its splendid marinas on the Ionic coast, a concentration of very white beaches, postcard-perfect sea, history, folklore, and culture. It is one of the most popular holiday destinations in the Salento peninsula.
Ugento, a town in the Salento hinterland, is a jewel that encloses unmatched architectural and artistic beauties, as well as enjoying a strategic position for potential travel within the territory. Perfect as a tourist destination, it embraces a stretch of coast that also includes the marinas of Torre San Giovanni, Torre Mozza, Lido Marini.
Among the peculiarities of the area are the reclamation basins, connected by special canals that allow the orderly collection of waters by regulating their flow to the sea. These basins, being located on the main migration routes of particular birds, have become the perfect habitat for various species that stop in this area to feed and breed.
Known for its monuments and points of interest, Ugento is a town of uncertain origins, difficult to date. What is known is that archaeological finds such as imposing menhirs, megalithic monuments where religious rites were carried out, as well as dolmens, funerary monuments destroyed over time, suggest very, very ancient origins.
The city reached its greatest splendor around the nineteenth century B.C., a period when the influence of the Messapian civilization was felt in Ugento, making it a city-state with its own army and mint.
A testimony to the Messapian settlement are the powerful walls, of which some stretches are still visible and are supposed to have included several towers that ran along the entire length.
Today Ugento has a well-kept historic center, full of history and traditions, but also dotted with religious and artistic monuments of great value. One of these is undoubtedly the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, built at the beginning of the 18th century, with a neoclassical-style facade and a single nave with a Latin cross plan. Among the peculiarities of the church is the presbytery, with a choir entirely made of olive wood.
Another noteworthy place is the Castle of the Princes of Amore: repeatedly renovated over the years and damaged following the city’s occupation by the barbarians around the mid-1500s, the castle underwent a radical transformation thanks to the settlement of the Princes of Amore around the late 1600s, who, with various restoration interventions, made the residence majestic and splendid, removing its purely military features. Among the beauties that can be admired inside the manor are the paintings and decorations that adorn the large rooms, with mythological cycles.
The former Franciscan convent of St. Mary of Piety has housed the new Civic Archaeological Museum for the past six years, a large space spread over two floors that hosts and preserves artifacts retracing the city’s history. The ground floor, in the part that previously housed the refectory, offers visitors a large model reconstructing the history of Ugento, while in the cloister there is one of the most interesting finds, the Tomb of the Athlete. This latter, dating back to the end of the 6th century B.C., was discovered in 1970 and consists of a base, cover slabs, and enclosure slabs, decorated with painted bands.
Also, on the road connecting Casarano to Ugento, there is a place of unique beauty, the Chapel of the Madonna of Constantinople, dating back to the early 1600s. A single barrel-vaulted room welcomes visitors, who are completely captivated by a system of frescoes that fills and illuminates it, even though the visible signs of time have faded the colors. The Madonna of Constantinople is depicted on the wall above the altar, surrounded by saints portrayed full-length. A truly evocative place worth stopping at even for just a minute.
The strong historical and artistic significance of the various monuments present in the city has led to the establishment of a real network, creating a functional and efficient museum system that includes the New Archaeological Museum, the “Adolfo Colosso” Archaeological Collection, the Crypt of the Crucifix, the Church of the Madonna of Constantinople, the Castle of the Princes of Amore, and Palazzo Rovito.
Ugento, therefore, an ancient Messapian center, cradle of art, civilization, and culture, is recognized by the Apulia Region as an important hub and tourist reception point, due to all the beauties embracing architecture, environment, and art, which it still preserves with commitment, care, and constancy.
More information can be found at https://www.comune.ugento.le.it
Torre San Giovanni
Torre San Giovanni is the marina closest to Ugento (in fact, it is a real district of the city), and since ancient times it has been an important hub due to the port, consolidating the town’s prosperity and development over the years.
The symbol that characterizes it is a coastal tower, now a lighthouse, impossible to miss because of a distinctive black-and-white checkerboard pattern, which gives it a style completely different from the other coastal towers scattered along the Salento coasts.
In summer Torre San Giovanni becomes a vibrant and lively tourist hub, welcoming thousands of visitors every year, who live it intensely both by day and by night, with a series of activities, events, and festivals offering a dive into the habits and traditions of the south.
A highlight of the place is the seafront, spacious, well-cared for, very popular and perfect for enjoying the evening cool or sipping a coffee facing the sea in one of the many little bars. If you love photography, the seafront offers sunsets that become true spectacles of nature, with intense and vibrant chromatic variations, unforgettable forever.
The coast of Torre San Giovanni seems made to satisfy the most demanding tourists with varied tastes, offering the comfort and accessibility of sandy beaches, but also the wilder beauty of the rocks, ideal for diving and snorkeling enthusiasts.
To stay here, it is advisable to book choosing among the best deals and preferred accommodations: bed and breakfasts, villages, campsites, and private homes are all comfortable and valid options, just decide what kind of vacation you want. More information is available at https://www.nelsalento.com/torre-san-giovanni.html
Torre Mozza
Just after the small port of Torre San Giovanni, a stretch of sandy dunes begins bordering a section of sea protected by pinewoods that seem to almost wrap and cradle it. The sea here has colors, scents and transparencies worthy of the most popular exotic destinations, with vibrant blue shades that thrill.
Torre Mozza lies slightly south of Torre San Giovanni and takes its name from an ancient 16th-century coastal watchtower around which the entire settlement developed over the years. Sea erosion combined with several collapses that occurred at different times gave it an almost unique shape, as if it were literally truncated on the side, making it very similar to a sandcastle missing its top, abandoned on the shore by some child.
The beach surrounding and characterizing Torre Mozza is splendid, without too many euphemisms: very white sand, typical vegetation of sandy and brackish environments, and above all, ample free space make it one of the most popular beaches during the summer months.
Moving further on, it is also possible to enjoy the comforts offered by various equipped beach clubs, but generally, those who choose Torre Mozza do so for the freedom to enjoy the beach without schedules, with a towel on their shoulder and lots of sunscreen. In the evening, the marina sheds the crowd that seems almost to afflict it during the day to gather in moments of tranquility and relaxation, among outdoor dinners, aperitifs or barbecues.
Booking holiday homes or hotels nearby can be a very good solution for those who love convivial moments, evenings under the starry sky, without necessarily the stress of having to do something. Alternatively, it is possible to choose the marina as a base, then move to adjacent locations if you are looking for nightlife. More info at https://www.marinediugento.it/#torremozza
Lido Marini
The third marina of Ugento is Lido Marini, a location that extends south towards the marinas of Salve heading to Santa Maria di Leuca. Part of Lido Marini belongs to the municipality of Salve and is the ideal destination for a vacation of pure sun, sea, food, and relaxation.
Because it developed later than the other two marinas, with works that brought it back into the spotlight for vacationers, it is a very quiet marina, equipped with essential services and a myriad of private villas lining the streets.
Its sandy, shallow, and easily accessible shoreline is especially suitable for easy descents for those not very familiar with water or for families with children. Among the things to highlight for anyone deciding to book a vacation here is the fact that there are no ATM machines available, so you must move to nearby marinas for cash withdrawal. This does not diminish the beauty of the place, which looks like a snapshot worthy of any travel agency catalog, and it is still possible to choose it as a base to then move by car around Salento.
More information at https://www.Lido-Marini.com
