Orte - Bauxite Lake

Between Punta Facì and the Lighthouse of Punta Palascìa, in the south of Otranto, after the Torre del Serpe (the Tower of the Snake), appears the wildest beach among those of Otranto, the Baia delle Orte.

The bay, awarded the Blue Flag and 5 Sails (a flag awarded to the most beautiful beaches) of Legambiente (Italian environment protection association), boasts shimmering water, with shades of cobalt blue, where water is deeper, and turquoise, where the sea bed is sandy, near the coast.

Walking along the trails which run through the pine forest and the Mediterranean scrub, one can arrive as far as the sea. In this isolated and wild place, you have to walk amid the low rocks to find a comfortable place on which you can stop and dive in a blue sea, protected by the northern winds.

Baia delle Orte, populated by water animals, is also a small paradise for those who love diving and underwater fishing.

Just a hundred metres away from water’s edge, instead, stand out the small red hills of the bauxite cave, which surrounds a lake with green shades, a picture-postcard view, nestled in the cliff.