Salve
Salve is a town of 4,700 inhabitants in the Apulia region in Italy. Its municipality comprises the two coastal villages of Pescoluse and Torre Pali, both renowned tourist localities.
Understand
Get in
By plane
The closest airport is the 1 Brindisi Airport (BDS IATA), 120 km away. From here you can reach Salve by renting a car or through the various bus shuttle services.
By car
- From the airport of Brindisi: take the
to bypass the city, merge onto 
towards Lecce, here take Tangenziale Ovest and 
to Gallipoli and finally 
until the exit of Salve/Torre Pali. Once you get here turn right to arrive in the proper town, or turn left on the provincial road 339 to reach Pescoluse and Torre Pali in 5 minutes. The whole route will require about 1 ½ hr. - From Santa Maria di Leuca: take the freeway and then the provincial road 190 to arrive in Salve in 15 min. As an alternative you can drive along the coastal road enjoying the beautiful view.
By train
The municipality is served by the 2 Salve-Ruggiano railway station, which is located in the small village of Ruggiano, 1km north of the town of Salve. The station is managed by Ferrovie del Sud Est network, but be aware that the service is usually inadequate and people will strongly discourage you to take a regional train, since it takes a bit more than 2 hours to reach Salve from Lecce with a cost of €6,40.
Get around
Map of Salve
See
- 1 Chiesa di San Nicola Magno (Church of St. Nicholas the Great), Piazza Concordia. Free.
- 2 Frantoio ipogeo "Le Trappite", Via Veneri Francesco. An underground oil mill carved into the rock during 1601, at the border of the old town. Free.
- 3 Torre Pali. Partially collapsed coastal tower built in the 16th century, one of the hundreds built in the Kingdom of Naples during the Spanish rule as a defense against Ottoman raids. The circular plan structure in now completely surrounded by the sea, few meters off the beach, because of the natural erosion of the sandy coast. The second level is collapsed in different steps during the last decades and the tower resembles now a lonely great rock against the low coastline.
- 4 Pajara "Trauscèddhu" (Pajara "Trauscello"), Via Paolo Borsellino. The largest pajàra in the municipality. It consists in an ancient countryside house built in dry-stone before the 19th century, one of the thousands of this structures similar to the trulli built in Salento. It has a circular plan and is built on three levels with three external staircases that runs along every level, you can climb it to reach the roof at an height of about 10 m (33 ft). This large pajàra is located in the suburb of Salve, unfortunately facing some modest 20th century buildings, the access is completely free since it is located on public land.
- 5 Santuario di Santa Marina (Sanctuary of Saint Marina), Via Santa Marina, 9 (Ruggiano). Small but fine baroque church located in the small village of Ruggiano, north of Salve. Free.
Do
Boat excursions
- 1 Salentour escursioni, Corso Cristoforo Colombo (Torre Pali), ☏ +39 347 660-7036, info@salentourescursioni.com. A 4 hour mini-cruise starting at 9:00 or 14:00 to the Ionian and Adriatic sea caves of Leuca, with two stops of ½hr to bathe and aperitif on board. A shorter 2 hour trip starts at 18:30 to discover only the Ionian sea caves with a stop to bathe, but it will end with a rich aperitif on board with raw seafood and live music. You can also choose to rent a boat to hold a private party starting at 20:30 with aperitifs and deejays music on board. Finally you can even sail the Ionian sea for 1½hr on board of a large dinghy to reach the Greek island of Othonì, swimming in the waters of the bay of Kalipso, having lunch in a local restaurant, enjoying an aperitif on board and discovering the island to come back to Torre Pali at 19:00.
Other activities
- 2 Parco Astronomico Sidereus, Contrada Leopaldi, ☏ +39 349 847-0776. M-Th 20:30-22:30, F-Su 20:30-23:30. An "astronomical park" with a 50 seats planetarium where to discover constellations, planets and nebulae, knowing how to use meridian and telescope as well as observing the stars shining in the dark sky of the countryside. €15 full, €8 under 13 years, €5 students.
Buy
Eat
- 1 Li Pali, Litoranea Gallipoli-S.M. di Leuca (Torre Pali), ☏ +39 0833 711-331, +39 340 696-8720, hotel@lipali.com. 24/7. One of the most renowned restaurants in the area, famous for the abundance of the dishes, that comprise raw and cooked seafood. Mid-range.
- 2 Martinucci, Via Duca degli Abruzzi, 4 - Torre Pali (facing the beach in the centre of Torre Pali), ☏ +39 0833 933414, info@martinuccilaboratory.it. 07:00-02:00. Excellent ice-creams, as well as cakes, calzoni and rustici.
- 3 Sante Le Muse, Strada Comunale Salve-Morciano, 3 (close to the cemetery), ☏ +39 342 791-1059. M, W-Th 17:30-23:00, F-Su 17.00-23:00. Probably the most renowned restaurant of the town in an enchanting farmhouse surrounded by olive trees. You can enjoy local dishes typical of the Mediterranean diet with zero kilometer ingredients, seeing the animals or playing a game of chess with giant pieces in the courtyard. Mid-high range.
Drink
- 1 Cafè du Port, Lungomare Cavallotti (Torre Pali), ☏ +39 349 052-2014. 06:00-02:00. Open air tables where you can enjoy excellent drinks in front of the tourist port of Torre Pali.
- 2 Chiosco Jordan, Largo delle Rose (Posto Vecchio). A small stand beside the beach of Posto Vecchio where you can enjoy ice-creams, snow cones, coffees and brioches between a bathe and the other. It is also the location of two large parties during the nights of the shooting star and Ferragosto eve (10 and 15 August), with live music from about 19:00 to 05:00.
- 3 Titty Twister, Via Pitagora, 2 (Pescoluse), ☏ +39 346 753-5723. 08:00-20:30. Informal bar close to the sea of Pescoluse where to enjoy aperitifs, cold coffees and snacks. It also provides umbrella and sunbed rental service.
- 4 Caffè Roma, Via Roma, 229, ☏ +39 0833 520398. 05:00-00:00 closed on Fridays. A lively bar with many outdoor seating few steps from the old town of Salve, very frequented after dinnertime. Here you can taste coffees, aperitifs, drinks and various snacks in a beautiful square.
Sleep
- 1 B&B Antica Dimora dei Pepe, Piazza della Repubblica, 41, ☏ +39 320 448-4183, +39 320 917-2671, info@anticadimorapepe.it. Renowned B&B in the heart of the old town of Salve, with free WiFi and a large terrace where you can enjoy a rich breakfast. This is the ideal place if you prefer to visit monuments, walking down the narrow streets and discovering the inland rather than the crowded beaches.
- 2 Gigli Hotel Salento, Corso Leuca (Pescoluse, facing the roundabout), ☏ +39 0833 528-176, +39 338 568-4045, info@giglihotelsalento.it. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 20:00. Modern 3-star hotel few steps away from the beach of Pescoluse. It has 18 rooms, some of them with view of the sea while others with small gardens and a restaurant on the roof.
- 3 Hotel Salento Gold Beach, Corso Leuca, 15 (Pescoluse), ☏ +39 0833 711-062, +39 333 668-5781, contatti@goldbeach.it. Check-in: 13:30, check-out: 10:00. Modern hotel close to the public beach of Pescoluse, with free WiFi, rooms with balconies and an excellent restaurant.
Stay safe
Police Station (Comando dei Carabinieri), Via Paolo Borsellino, 3, ☏ +39 0833 528115. Headquarters of law enforcement in the modern town of Salve.
Emergency medical (Guardia medica), Via Fratelli Cairoli, 15, ☏ +39 0833 741103. 20:00-08:00, public holidays 10:00-08:00.
Cope
Pharmacy (Farmacia Villani), Via P.P.Cardone, 5, ☏ +39 0833 741007. Pharmacy and herbal shop close to the old town of Salve.
Post Office (Poste Italiane), Via Dante Alighieri, 2, ☏ +39 0833 520940. The only post office in the whole municipality, with ATM.
Go next
- Torre Vado - Adjoining coastal village, rich of activities linked to the sea. (5 min by car)
- Santa Maria di Leuca – Popular tourist destination with a relevant sanctuary and several sea caves to explore. (15 min)
- Gallipoli – Enchanting old town, miles of beaches and buzzing nightlife. (½ hr)
- Otranto – Colorful historic centre with its majestic castle, many beaches and coves to take a bath. (1 hr)
- Lecce – The famous "capital of the Baroque" with its numerous churches and palaces, all of them richly decorated. (1 hr)