Between the caves of Castro and the atmosphere of Piccolo Mondo

Castro is renowned for the blue of its sea, the gastronomic skills of its fishermen and for the caves that open like an accordion in the broad score of grey and white dolomite cliffs. Just a few tens of metres from the cavity of the Zinzulusa, the only one along the entire Adriatic coast to boast splendid stalactites and internal lakes, a flight of 192 steps 'unrolls' down like a ship's cable and leads to the Piccolo Mondo. The name of this place is as apt as ever: it is not only a hotel that has remained virtually unchanged since 1964 when it was inaugurated, but represents a chic and slow way of experiencing a holiday in Salento. The rooms are surrounded by indigenous vegetation, the petanque court and open-air cinema, and the wedding chapel frame the blue swimming pool around which one dines under the vines and among the bougainvillea. Room 81 enjoys an intimate and romantic terrace that seems suspended in the sky as if it were the mast of a ship en route to nearby Greece. Alessandra Greco, a descendant of visionary entrepreneurs, has preserved the original furnishings, including the paintings by Régis Deparis and the shell tables, enriching this Little World with a fashion boutique with a rustic and graceful style that wins the favour of actresses and fashion designers. You can dine on the panoramic terrace while gazing at the horizon and the moon, amidst the scent of oleanders.