Otranto Nature Park

Our holiday farmhouse is located in the Nature Reserve which includes  Otranto Coast - Santa Maria di Leuca and Tricase Wood – “Costa Otranto - Santa Maria di Leuca and Bosco di Tricase”.

The Reserve stretches along the municipalities of Alessano, Andrano, Castrignano del Capo, Castro, Corsano, Diso, Gagliano del Capo, Ortelle, Otranto, Santa Cesarea Terme, Tiggiano, Tricase. Here there is also a lighthouse in the area called  Punta Palascìa, Italy’s easternmost point.

The establishment of the protected area, along eastern Salento coast, aims at preserving and protecting flora and fauna, maintaining the historical monuments, increasing the area and improving the ecological function of natural environments, promoting educational activities, giving a boost to a sustainable economy in order to improve the inhabitants’ quality of life.

For these reasons, it’s prohibited to do activities that could compromise the preserved landscape and habitats housing flora and fauna all over the protected area.

The peculiarity of this coastline is the presence of sinkholes due to karst phenomenon and to continuous streams and running water which sculpt the rocks surface.

The following are among the most important caves:

• the Deer’s Cave – la Grotta dei Cervi
• the Romanelli Cave
• the Zinzulusa Cave

Many fossils that date back to Neolithic and Paleolithic period had been found in the Zinzulusa Cave

Thanks to Wikipedia  for the official source:

it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parco_naturale_regionale_Costa_Otranto_-_Santa_Maria_di_Leuca_e_Bosco_di_Tricase