Gallipoli

Like Taranto, Gallipoli is a two-part town: the modern hub is based on the mainland, while the older centro storico inhabits a small island that juts out into the Ionian Sea. With a raft of serene baroque architecture usurped only by Lecce, it is, arguably, the prettiest of Salento’s smaller settlements.

The old town, ringed by the remains of its muscular 14th-century walls, is the best place to linger. It’s punctuated by several baroque chapels, a traditional fishing port, a windswept sea drive, and narrow lanes barely wide enough to accommodate a Fiat cinquecento (500).