Maldives of Salento: how to get to Marina di Pescoluse

Very clear, almost white sand, crystal-clear water, shallow waters and soft dunes shaped by the wind, where fragrant white lilies bloom. This is the postcard image of the Salento that coincides perfectly with reality.

The stretch of Apulian coast where the Ionian Sea and the Adriatic Sea meet is characterised by wide sandy beaches lapped by enchanting turquoise waters. That is why they are called the Maldives of Salento. It is a stretch of coastline about seven kilometres long between Torre Pali and Torre Vado, in the province of Lecce, on the Ionian coast of Apulia. Marina di Pescoluse is the heart of this tropical paradise just a stone's throw from home.

Maldives of Salento, how to get to Marina di Pescoluse

The name Maldive del Salento is actually that of a historic bathing establishment, established in 2000 and still open today, located just north of Pescoluse, the heart of this tropically beautiful stretch of coastline. Over the years, the name Maldive del Salento has become commonly associated with the beaches and the entire area along this stretch of coastline.

The Maldive del Salento establishment in Pescoluse

The bathing establishment that first used the name Maldive del Salento has been located in Marina di Pescoluse for 22 years. It is a lido easily accessible to all, offering sunbeds and umbrellas, as well as free wi-fi, a well-stocked newsstand, a tobacconist, hot and cold showers, a restaurant and a beach bar.

Those who, on the other hand, want the tranquillity of a more private space with all the comforts of a beach establishment can book one of the wooden gazebos with white curtains, positioned in the first rows of the beach in front of the paradisiacal sea of the Maldives of Salento.

Other locations along the coast of the Maldives of Salento

Pescoluse is undoubtedly the heart of the Maldives of Salento, but the entire stretch of coastline, in some locations such as Lido Marini, Torre Pali and Posto Vecchio di Salve, Torre Vado or the marina of San Gregorio, is equally impressive.

In fact, the stretch of coastline of the Maldives of Salento includes numerous other bathing establishments. In addition to the historic Pescoluse lido, the following are worth seeing: the Lido Le 5 vele Maldive del Salento, also in Pescoluse, with an equipped garden and a space suitable for children; the Lido Sunrise I-Beach also in Pescoluse; and the Lido Venere in Torre Vado with a wide range of services.

Some of these elegant bathing establishments become the hub of the nightlife.

If, on the other hand, you prefer free beaches, walk along the beach to find your ideal spot among the white sand dunes and turquoise sea.

What to see around the beaches

If you are not an all-day beach person and the climate allows it, you could explore the surroundings of the Maldives of Salento. For example, the Salve area is a treasure trove of important archaeological treasures, where you can see prehistoric caves, megalithic monuments, necropolis and ancient human settlements.

In particular, the contrada Fani area, with a past of around 70 thousand years, boasts finds such as the Argentina and Cosi dolmens. In Salve, therefore, the archaeological sites to see are: the Chiusa dei Fani, a Messapian settlement inhabited in the years between 1550 B.C. and 470 B.C.; Spigolizzi, a Middle Bronze Age village (16th-15th century B.C.); the Grotta Montani and Grotta Febbraro; the Tumuli in the 'Don Cesare' locality and the Megalithic Tomb in the 'Montani' locality.

Otherwise, you can visit the San Lorenzo Astronomical Park in Casarano, where you can see the 3D Digital Planetarium, observe the sky with powerful telescopes and visit the Cosmonaut Museum. Travellers interested in gastronomic tours could visit the underground oil mills hidden in the Salento underground. Near the Maldives of Salento, you could see the Gallipoli oil mill in the underground of Palazzo Granafei, the oil mills of Presicce, Morciano di Leuca or Noha.

How to get to the Maldives of Salento

The car is definitely the ideal way to get to the Maldives of Salento.

To reach them, you can choose between two routes starting from Gallipoli: you could take the SS274, exit at the town of Salve and continue to Pescoluse, or take the coastal road (SP215, SP88) connecting Gallipoli to Santa Maria di Leuca, and once you cross Torre Pali on the SP19 you have arrived at your destination. About halfway between Torre Pali and Pescoluse you will find the establishment of the same name.

When to go to the Maldives of Salento

Given the choice, do not go to the Maldives of Salento in August, but during the summer months when they are usually less crowded, ideally June or September.

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