Otranto - Masseria Panareo

The route starts at the roundabout marking the entrance to Otranto harbour (Via Del Porto) and follows the Southern Via Francigena for the first two kilometres.

(S) From the start, follow the road to the seafront. At the wall with a ship’s anchor, turn right and, after 100 metres, continue straight on along the unpaved path that runs alongside the seafront, which you follow for 600–700 metres.

(1) When the Via Francigena veers up to the right towards the inland, keep to the left and follow a good path that runs along the coast at the top of the cliffs. After about 2 km, you’ll reach Baia Del Orte (where you can stop for an excellent coffee, a bite to eat or even a swim).

(2) You then continue along the same route, which turns into a path that is not always very visible and is quite stony. As long as you have the sea on your left and the Punta Palascia lighthouse ahead of you, you are on the right track. Walking poles will be a great help. You’ll reach the Palascia lighthouse. This is the easternmost point of Italy and, on a clear day, you can see the mountains of Albania, some 40 km away.

(3) From the lighthouse, head back up the (right) path towards a military site, which you go round on the right. Before reaching the county road, follow the dirt track to the left and then, a little further on, the footpath which roughly follows the route of the county road.

(4) After about 1 km, turn left at the T-junction and head down through the fields towards the sea. Continue to the right for 150 m until you reach a junction.

(5) Turn right onto a path that runs alongside a stone wall as it climbs the hill. At the first junction with another path, turn right again and, after a long bend to the left, you’ll reach a more or less tarmacked path which you follow to the right (with your back to the sea).

(6) At the first Fork in the road, carry on to the left towards the provincial road, which you follow to the left. After 100 m, turn right towards Masseria Panarea (E), the destination for today’s stage.

You’ll need to book in advance at Masseria Panarea. It’s a lovely spot and the food is excellent, featuring fresh, local produce.
Don’t forget to take plenty of water, and those who feel the cold should bring a windbreaker; the tramontane can sometimes be quite strong and chilly.

From Baia Del Orte, it takes 15 minutes to reach a “bauxite lake” with red waters, which we found of only moderate interest.
Note that the Punta Palascia lighthouse is the easternmost point in Italy from which the Albanian mountains are visible.