From Otranto to the Punta Palascìa lighthouse
A clifftop path from the ramparts of Otranto to the bay of Le Orte and then along the cliffs to the Punta Palascìa lighthouse, the easternmost point of Italy, where on clear days you can see the mountains of Albania.
- Difficulty
- T Tourist
- Length
- 6.3 km
- Elevation gain
- +80 m / −80 m
- Time
- 1.5–2 hours (one way); return the same way
- Route
- Point to point
- Altitude
- 0–57 m
- Season
- Spring Summer Autumn Winter
Download the GPXDirections to the start ↗
Saved. You'll find everything in My trip, where you can split it into days and see it on the map.
Saved on this device: you can open it even without a connection. All your saved pages are in Offline guides.
The topographic map loads OpenTopoMap tiles (an external server) only when you open it.
The story
The Punta Palascìa lighthouse was first lit in 1867 and is now open to visitors at certain times of year. Here, on New Year's night, many people wait for Italy's first sunrise. Not far from the path is the former bauxite quarry, abandoned in 1976: rainwater has formed an emerald-green pond between walls of red earth.
Why go
Because in a two-hour walk from the centre of Otranto you reach Italy's eastern edge, with the sea on one side and Mediterranean scrub on the other.
Practical information
- Start
- Otranto, seafront south of the harbour (Orte area)
- Finish
- Punta Palascìa lighthouse, the easternmost point of mainland Italy
- Best time
- All year round; in summer at dawn or sunset
- Parking
- In Otranto, in the car parks south of the centre; there is also a small car park above the lighthouse.
- By public transport
- Otranto has a railway station (Ferrovie del Sud Est): the trail starts a few minutes from the centre.
- Water
- No springs: bring at least a litre, more in summer.
- Shade
- None: low scrub, garrigue and cliffs.
- Huts and refreshments
- None; bars and restaurants in Otranto.
- With children
- Yes: almost flat, but always in the sun and with stretches close to the cliff edge.
Weather at the start
The forecast for the next 7 days at this spot: sky, temperatures, rain and wind.
Forecast by Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), from the models of national weather services. Your browser downloads it directly from Open-Meteo, and only when you ask. In the mountains and at sea the weather changes quickly: check the official forecast as well before you set off.
What to see on the route and nearby
- OtrantoOn the route
- ★ Punta Palascìa lighthouseOn the route
- Torre Sant'Andrea sea stacks13 km from the start
More hikes in Puglia
- 1Scala Santa, from Macchia to Monte Sant'AngeloE 3.3 km · +510 m · 1.5–2 hours uphill · point to point
- 3★ The Cipolliane Trail, from Novaglie to the CioloT 5.1 km · +70 m · 2 hours round trip, including the caves · out and back
Routes © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), via Waymarked Trails and BRouter; elevations from a digital terrain model. Times and elevation gains are indicative: waymarks on the ground and closure orders always take precedence.