The Salentine peninsula, a land of strongholds and defensive towers, occupies the heel of the Italian boot and is depicted by a closed triangle of the towns of Otranto, Santa Maria di Leuca and Gallipoli. Follow the coastal road past a host of seaside resorts, some of which have caves that are only accessible by sea. The untamed, indented shore of the east coast contrasts with the sandy beaches of the west coast.