There are 7370 km that separate Italy from the Maldives but there is a place in Puglia that eliminates distances and is able to amaze you with the beauty of a typical tropical paradise. Crystal clear sea, fine sand, fascinating landscape and total relaxation, all this in Southern Italy. Precisely for this reason the stretch of coast is called "Maldives of Salento".
Maldives of Salento, a heavenly place
In the south of the Puglia, in the territory of the province of Lecce, it is possible to admire the Maldives of Salento (or "Maldives area". In this stretch of coast the beaches are reminiscent of the wonderful ones that can be admired in the atolls of the Indian Ocean. A peculiarity in a dune and back dune environment of exceptional value. The fine sand between Torre Pali and Torre Vado covers a stretch of about seven kilometers with a crucial point in Pescoluse, a town considered the heart of the "Maldives area".
Since 2009 the sea of Pescoluse has been awarded the prestigious Blue Flag of the Fee, Foundation for Environmental Education. Blue Flag means water quality but also purification, waste management, services and safety on the beaches, organized car traffic. The transparent sea, declined in a thousand shades between green, turquoise and blue, is an unmissable spectacle. Turning your gaze to the territory it is possible to find typical wetland vegetation, in which the rare rush stands out. For this reason too it has for years become a very popular tourist resort, especially in the hot summer period.
What is there to see
To be precise, when we talk about the "Maldives of Salento" we also mean a historic bathing establishment born in 2000 and located just north of Pescoluse. In reality the whole stretch of coast deserves to be lived and falls within the concept of "Maldives Zone". Lido Marini, Torre Pali, Old place of Salve, the nearby Torre Vado or the marina of San Gregorio are small pearls to be discovered and admired for their dazzling beauty.
In particular in Torre Pali there is the Isola della Fanciulla, while Torre Vado stands out for its characteristic marina to visit after a day on the beach. Pescoluse is part of the municipality of Salve and represents an important reference point from which to visit the entire area. Along the coast it is possible to see the rare sea lilies, typical of the Mediterranean area, as well as the white santolina, a rustic and very aromatic shrub, which populates the beaches of our seas. Maldives of Salento yes, but without forgetting the wonderful beauty of the Mediterranean scrub.
Furthermore, for those who want to take a long trip to Puglia, the distance of the Maldives area from Gallipoli is 40 km for 40 minutes. Otranto is 55 Km away, Lecce is 77 Km away, Brindisi airport 124 Km away, Santa Maria di Leuca can be reached in 15 or 20 minutes.
Featured photo source: Brunokito, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
