De Finubus Terrae
Santa Maria di Leuca is a small fraction of the municipality of Castrignano del Capo with just 1263 inhabitants. Like the whole Salento, it enjoys a particularly mild climate all year round with an average temperature of 12-15° in winter and autumn and 25° in the hottest summer months of July and August.
The mild climate keeps the sea warm and allows you to swim from May until late October.
Leuca, a bay between two promontories
The coast is at times high and rocky and overhanging the sea (on the east side), low and jagged in the bay and on the west side. At the centre of the promenade a small free beach offers a sheltered and accessible place to swim from the months of April and May.
The small marina is set between two promontories:
- Punta Meliso, dominated by the Sanctuary of Santa Maria de Finibus Terrae, the lighthouse of Leuca and the monumental waterfall;
- Punta Ristola,offers a breath taking viewpoint over the blue sea and the bay of the marina. The promontory contains two of the most important caves of Leuca: Grotta Porcinara and Grotta del Diavolo.
Nineteenth Century Villas
Villas with the original moresco, liberty and pompeian style, dating back to the beginning of the 19th century, preserve intact their charm and the beautiful gardens.
The marina is crowded with bars and clubs that enliven nightlife, restaurants on the sea, where you can taste the fresh fish caught daily by local fishermen.
The waterfront
and the craft markets
The promenade crosses the entire bay, from the marina to Punta Ristola and is served by equipped beaches with adjoining bars and restaurants. It is the ideal place to take a walk, not only for local people, but for the entire population of neighbouring villages, that uses to take long walks alongside the sea during the beautiful sunny days.
During summer evenings the promenade comes to life with local markets showcasing some peculiar and precious artifacts produced by skilled local artisans.
Le Grotte
Marina di Leuca has a karst subsoil that has generated numerous caves over and since prehistory, returning to archaeology and speleology numerous findings still object of study, and partly preserved in the museum Castromediano of Lecce and in the museum founded by the Salento scientist Cosimo De Giorgi, inside the Institute Galilei-Costa of Lecce.
