The Regional Natural Park Costa Otranto – Santa Maria di Leuca and Tricase Forest is a regional park in Puglia established in 2006. The park includes sites of Community importance and protecting a natural heritage of great scientific and cultural value. Within the territory of the Park are Zinzulusa cave in Castro, Cervi Grotto in Porto Badisco, the Grove of Tricase and the Oaks of Castro Park.
With more than fifty kilometers of coastline and 3200 hectares of land, the Regional Natural Park Otranto-Leuca Coast is the largest regional parks established in the province of Lecce. A road with a thousand curves is the historic backbone of the breathtaking landscape; by terraced olive groves to the cliffs overlooking the sea a natural spectacle all to learn and retain, even in its most secret corners. No coincidence here, where the last stretch of the Adriatic gives way to the Ionian, born a large Protected Area, established by Regional Law in 2006 and became part of the network of reserves and natural parks of the Salento; a long strip of land between two historic bastions of the coast Torre del Serpe, an old lighthouse of Roman origin, place of legendary events narrated by Maria Corti in “The siren song”, opens the door of the park, in the most point east of Italy (Palascìa) and directs us on an exciting journey through picturesque creeks, pastures, pine forests, olive groves, small woods and deep ravines up to the mighty of Leuca lighthouse, then finishing in the Finis terrae, where even Italy and ends look over to another continent.
The long eastern rocky coast that stretches from Otranto to Santa Maria di Leuca is presented to the traveler as a well defined entity scenery, a wild and rugged stretches, often fragmented and discontinuous but certainly among the most beautiful and interesting of Puglia.
On this wild coast is Villa Capece, silhouetted on a promontory overlooking the sea, which enjoys a splendid view from every angle. Stay in Capece villa equivalent to immerse themselves in nature, re-living the typical features of Salento in cozy apartments built in stone, as per tradition of Salento.