Leuca Boat Tour : 4 Hours Exploring the Wonders of Leuca

At Punta Meliso, at the exact point where the Adriatic and Ionian Seas meet, stands one of the most iconic lighthouses in Europe. It is the second tallest lighthouse on the continent, surpassed only by that of the ancient port of Genoa.

Designed by engineer Achille Rossi and inaugurated in 1866, it replaced an older structure commissioned by Frederick II of Swabia in the 13th century. Its local stone octagonal tower rises 47 metres above the ground, reaching 102 metres focal height above sea level.

The lantern emits intermittent light every 15 seconds, visible for up to 25 nautical miles, red and white beams that for generations have guided sailors returning from Africa and the Middle East to the Italian coast.

From the sea, seen from the boat, the lighthouse is an apparition: white, vertical, solitary above the promontory. It is the visual landmark of the entire coast of Leuca.

The most famous and photographed of the caves of Leuca. Leuca.info Three large natural arches that open onto the cliff, resting on two pillars, communicating with a single huge internal cavity.

Seen from the boat it is a shot in the chest: the white rock splits into three perfect mouths.

Inside, the first Neanderthal fossil from Salento was found, the molar of a ten-year-old boy, the southernmost in Italy, along with remains of elephants and rhinos. The inner cave is home to spectacular plays of light and seabed with hedgehogs, starfish and crustaceans.

Accessible only by sea.

One of the most scenic caves on the west coast. The name comes from the Superstar that makes it unique: when the sea is rough, the air compressed by the waves inside the cavity is forcefully expelled from the opening, creating a powerful breath, sometimes a spray of water that rises upwards like a geyser.

With the calm sea the cave is silent and crystal clear, the seabed clear and transparent. With the rough sea it turns into a sound and visual spectacle that passengers remember for a long time.

Accessible only by sea.

Porcinara: The only one excavated by man. Ancient Messapian sanctuary, then Greek, then Latin. On the walls votive inscriptions to Jupiter, Venus, names of ships and sailors. Accessible from the ground.

Morigio : Hidden and hard to reach. Also known as the Lovers' Cave: you enter by swimming underwater. Legend has it that the Moors hid here before attacking Leuca.

Cazzafri : Greek name meaning "house of foam". Three caves with stalactites and natural arches. Spectacular plays of light at sunset.

Giants: Pachyderm bones found inside. Legend has it that the giants killed by Hercules are buried here.

Nativity scene: Series of low arches reminiscent of the Nativity. Visited only with calm sea.

Dragon : Deep about 40 meters. The stalactite formations at the entrance resemble the head of a dragon. Legend of a sea monster that terrorized fishermen.

The River : a freshwater spring that flows into the interior. Sandy seabed with spectacular light effects.