A beautiful sunny day again today but a stiff and cold wind blowing down from the north. A perfect drying day today so we got a load of washing done and out on the line before heading out for a walk through the sheltered forest and then out onto the windy beach at Baia dei Turchi….
Not a great deal of shelter to be had on the beach and with the fine sand coming at you in waves we opted to return to the shelter of the trees and amble down to Spiaggia Azzurro to catch a bit of respite in the shelter provided by the closed up activity centre there.
I sat for a while just enjoying being and throwing a pine cone that Tilly had brought from the forest for such an activity….
Fortunately Tilly is very easily entertained and quite happy to walk for miles or not, as long as there is a bit of fun in her day, she is good.
It is fascinating to look at the shapes and forms created by the wind in this fine sand….
The forecast for today was not good but by late morning the grey clouds had come to nothing so we set out northwards through the pine forest and along Spiaggia Azzurro….
The beach ends at what would appear to be the overflow from Lake Alimini….
Here we had to join the road to cross the inlet and had planned to perhaps walk around the lake a bit but with no obvious access we contented ourselves with this view from the bridge….
To be fair it didn’t look to be the most interesting lake so we crossed back over the road and joined Spiaggia Alimini to continue our walk instead….
We walked on until the beach literally ran out, sat for a while watching a lone windsurfer and trying to work out what the wreckage in front of us was (a Greek Cargo Ship that ran aground in 1978)….
At this point the rain (only light rain) that was promised did catch up with us and kindly accompanied us most of the way back though the sun reappeared as we were nearing the end of Spiaggia Azzurro and thanks to the chasing wind we were fully dry by the time we got back to the van, though I rather think that a swim is off the cards today!….
This weather is just perfect so we are going to stay and enjoy the peace and tranquility of this location. It is ideal not having to walk out onto or along any roads with seemingly miles of pine forest and coastline to explore from our doorstep. Today we make our way to the beautiful Baia dei Turchis….
This time heading south we mix between walking along the beach and along a path, leading us through bamboo tunnels and hedgerows….
Across rock beds with natural arches and stunning aquamarine pools….
Along to the hidden sandy inlet – Spiaggia dei Porticeddhri….
And finally around a headland onto the moonlike plateaux Caletta Toraiello….
At this point we decide to turn back and return to site for lunch before returning to Baia dei Turchis to catch the last of the afternoon sun and for a swim….
We are struggling a bit to find places to stay as many campsites are now closed for the winter and the weather looks a little stormy the further north we go. Having found a little campsite just a few miles up the road on the coast by the Baia of Turchis we bid farewell to Otranto the town and follow the coast road to the somewhat remote Agriturismo Fontanelle….
The campsite is a small holding offering fresh fruit and veg and of course Olives from the farm, along with daily deliveries of bread and croissants and is actually a little gem sitting behind a belt of pine forest and the rather stunning beach – Baia dei Turchis, a collection of rock backed beautiful white sandy bays….
We quickly get settled and set off for a walk down to the sea – what a sight for sore eyes….
We venture along the beach to the north passing the petite Lido dei Pini….
Onto the beautiful wide expanse of white sand that is Spiaggia Azzurro….
As the sun is warm and the sea beautiful and clear we pop back to the van for a quick bite to eat and change, before heading back to Spiaggia Azzurro to spend the afternoon playing, sitting and relaxing on the beach with the occasional dip in the sea (for me) – I honestly can’t think of a better way to spend our time….
After a grey day yesterday with occasional showers, which incidentally was much better than forecast with far less rain, where we didn’t really do a lot, today has dawned bright and sunny. Time to move on, though I should say that if there was a decent beach within walking distance, we possibly would have stayed a few more days. Anyway we settled our account and headed across country to the east coast and the small historic town of Otranto.
By midday we were settled onto our Aire for the night (just a car park really but gated and close to the centre) and headed straight out into the glorious sunshine to explore what is Otranto – the Castle was an impressive sight and sits on the corner of the fortified wall which encloses the old town of Otranto….
Typically the old town is a series of narrow streets and alleyways surrounding the Cattedrale di Otranto….
Walking down through the streets takes you out onto the seafront…
A wide pedestrianised boulevard with busy bars and restaurants offering alfresco dining to suit all and views back over the walled old town….
The beaches are as you leave the old town and sheltered by stone groins in the bay. The main beach is Spiaggia degli Scanloni, followed by (heading north) Spiaggia della Riviera, a tiny little bay and finally outside the harbour walls one that I could take Tilly onto for a run, Spiaggia di Porto Craulo….
The sea looked very enticing but unfortunately there wasn’t really the option to leave Tilly safely so I had to make do with a paddle before we sat in the shade of the rocks for a break and to cool down as it is pretty warm today.
Revived we made our way back and around to the other side of the port to look back over the walled town….
Before making our way back to the van for something to eat and drink. Later we did venture back into town just as it was getting dark and as expected the town was well lit and preparing for the evening trade….
