Gallipoli's old town is an island — literally connected to the mainland by a 17th-century bridge. Inside: a Greek fountain (3rd century BC), a Baroque cathedral, and a tangle of whitewashed alleys with fishing boats tied below windows. Outside: the Ionian Sea, which is warmer, calmer, and more transparent than the Adriatic. The beaches south of Gallipoli — Punta della Suina, Baia Verde, Lido Pizzo — are white sand with water so clear you see the bottom at 3 meters. In summer, Gallipoli becomes Puglia's nightlife capital: beach clubs, open-air discos, and the passeggiata along the sea walls at midnight when the old town turns into one continuous aperitivo. Lecce: 40 min. This is the Salento coast that Italians guard from foreign tourists — affordable, beautiful, and authentic in a way that the Amalfi Coast stopped being 30 years ago.
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