The “Beautiful” City
Like many cities in Southern Italy, Gallipoli has been a part of many empires over it’s history, including the Greeks, the Romans, and the Byzantines. Its limestone island location along the Ionian Sea was seen as a strategic location for a regional fortress to help control the area.
We also found Gallipoli to be an incredible location, but for very different reasons. Always in search of beaches with great walkability, preferably an urban center close by, we were thrilled when we drove across a bridge that was built in the 16th century to find an absolute medieval gem of a city. You can walk the entire circumference of the island on the rim road in about 25 minutes, and along the way, you’ll see a nice marina with space for boats of all shapes and sizes. Past the marina you’ll find a beautiful sandy beach with turquoise water, and a plethora of restaurants and bars with a fabulous view of the sea.
The Best of Both Worlds
Divided into two parts, the modern and the old city, Gallipoli offers the best of both worlds in an area of Southern Italy that is still relatively remote. Located on the western coast on the Ionian Sea in the province of Lecce, which is part of the Puglia (Apulia) region (the Salento Peninsula – think the inside portion of the heel of the boot), Gallipoli’s newer portion of town has modern buildings with apartments, shopping centers, and a long promenade full of restaurants, bars, and cafes. The old town is located on a protected island, linked to the mainland by the aforementioned bridge. Once you cross the bridge, you are immediately transported to a different world on the island, which was a really cool experience every time we left and came back across the water.
Summer Fun in the Sun
Being that Gallipoli was once a part of ancient Greece, it makes sense that the name comes from the Greek Kallipolis meaning “beautiful city” – and the Greeks got it right. Gallipoli is such a gorgeous city to walk around, especially the historic portion on the island. With narrow alleys carved out by vertical medieval stone buildings, dripping with character and charm, all leading in the end to a gorgeous view of the Gulf of Taranto and it’s pristine water. It’s a lot to take in. So much so, Italians flock to this area during the summer for time on the beach, and to eat the delicious seafood that comes out of the water. Every night we would wander out of our apartment to one of the alleys around us that had suddenly come alive with tables in the street. We would dive into a huge ball of burrata, loads of Puglian olive oil, some fresh fish from the Ionian sea, and a glass of one of many of Puglia’s outstanding wine varietals.
Which Way to Gallipoli?
The closest major airport to Gallipoli is Brindisi, which is about an hour drive. The airport in Brindisi is a good size, perfect for budget airlines like Ryan Air. It’s easy to navigate, and quick for renting a car and getting on the road. There is even a city bus that runs in a circle from the Brindisi airport, to the train station in the heart of the city, to the port, and then back again. So it’s easy to take the train to Brindisi, rent a car, and drive to Gallipoli. You can catch the train to Gallipoli, but you need to transfer in Lecce to catch the specific rail line Ferrovia del Sud Est line, and the train does not run on Sunday. Flix bus is another great option for getting to Gallipoli, and other places in Italy. We have found that Flix bus is not only incredibly affordable, but quite nice to ride, so they are a great value option.
