Looking out the window of our room, we can see the front steps of basilica of Sant'Agata with its seventeenth-century Baroque façade. This church is on every tourist`s must see list but at 09:30 this Monday morning the small street was empty. The days are getting quiet here. After breakfast we loaded up our bikes and rode away over the Ponte Antico and easily onto the SP 108 highway for our short, but pretty ride up the coast today.
The streets were empty a short while ago and suddenly there was a traffic jam in front of our BnB! These scooters, stopped due to two vans blocking the road to the right, are really the best way to get around in this part of the city.
We have seen a few of these old lookout type installations on beaches. They are dug down in the ground and this one appears to have become full of sand and now only the top is showing.
Our road today entering Rivabella, a well-known tourist destination loved for its beaches. The many hotels and other buildings were completely closed for the season.
The coastal road provided up close views of many seaside towns. After passing through Santa Caterina we had a short climb up behind the town away from the coast into the Porto Selvaggio Regional Natural Park. The unique nature park in the Salento stretches along the Ionian coast and offers an impressive variety of landscapes, from dense pine forests to dramatic cliffs and picturesque beaches. Dropping back down to the coast we stopped in the small village of Sant Isidoro for a coffee and then carried on to Port Cesareo, our destination for the day.
Our Bnb was fully "self check in" on the second floor of a modern looking building. Scott carried the bikes up to the room that had great views of a small harbour. We spent the afternoon planning and watching an amazing sunset. Dinner was a simple affair in a local pub.
