This post covers another day of my walking/hiking tour in Puglia, Italy, this time through Porto Selvaggio Natural Reserve. In April, 2022, I had joined with a group from the states to walk through the Puglia area of Italy. This was day 7 of the tour and this day turned out to be a beautiful day of easy hiking near Santa Maria al Bagno.
Location
About Porto Selvaggio
Porto Selvaggio is a Natural Reserve Park along the Ionian Sea along the west coast in the Lecce Province. The park is set along a rocky coast line between two ancient towers. We were able to see one of the towers.
Torre dell’Alto
Our hike started from our hotel in Santa Maria al Bagno. We walked along the coast and past Santa Caterina. We could see Torre dell’Alto in the distance getting closer. There were many stairs to climb and then the watchtower stood majestically in front of us.
Torre dell’Alto was built in 1569 as a defensive structure. It is one of three structures along this part of the Ionian Sea Coast. In the early part of the 18th century the tower was used as a hospital, mostly for prisoners and slaves who came off of ships with illnesses that were contagious such as cholera or plague. Therefore, by hospitalizing or quarantining the patients here, there was less chance of spreading whatever maladies they may have had.
The Park
After hanging out at the tower for a bit we continued on in the park. The Park is very beautiful and also peaceful. It is a wonderful place to enjoy an afternoon.
Coffee and Gelato
After our peaceful afternoon we walked back past the tower and down the steps to Santa Caterina. Here we stopped at Gelo Sia for coffee and also ice cream. It was delicious!
After that we went back to the hotel and had time to wander a bit and get ready for dinner. I, along with another traveler decided to walk around Santa Maria al Bagno to see a bit more of the town.
Dinner
We again walked to dinner and had another wonderful meal. Once again, I did not jot down the name of the restaurant but it was very good.
Conclusion
All in all, Porto Selvaggio Natural Reserve Park in the Puglia area of Italy is definitely a place I would return to. Even though I was getting tired after several days of hiking/walking, this park kind of rejuvenated me and was a very nice day.
Data per my Fitbit
Total Steps: 28,519
Total Miles: 11.36
Diary of a Gen-X recommendations for hotels, restaurants, & tours are based on our own experiences. We do not receive compensation for recommending at any of these nor are we affiliates of any hotels, restaurants, or tours. The only hotels & restaurants we recommend are places we stay which are clean, comfortable, and also provide exceptional hospitality.
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Check out my other Italy posts:
Walking Through Capo di Leuca-Puglia, Italy April 2022
The Ciolo and Cipolliane Path-April 2022
Punta Palascia Italy-April 2022
Wander the Countryside in Puglia, Italy-April 2022
The Natural Reserve Park of Porto Selvaggio in Italy looks like both a lovely location to enjoy hiking, and also a workout. The ancient architecture of the Torre dell’Alto structure on the Ionian Sea Coast also looks like an intriguing site to explore. Thanks for sharing, Lori!
It was a lovely place, Phil. A workout as well but easier than some of the other days in Italy! I wish we could have went into the Torre dell’Alto. I am sure it was interesting inside as well. Thanks for reading!!
Another wonderful post with beautiful photos to match! Your food pictures make the food look fabulous. I (Kellye) really, really, want to go to Italy after reading all of your posts. It only takes time and money, right? Thank you for letting us travel with you.
What was nice about this area in Italy is it is relatively inexpensive compared to the more popular areas. It was also nice that I feel we had a great chance to see the rural area of Italy. Glad to have you along on my travels through Italy. Almost done though, just two more posts to go! Lori