Rome - The southern tip of the region of Apulia is far removed from the rest of Italian life. After Bari and Brindisi comes the peninsula of Salento, which is just 70 kilometres from Albania, and points like an index finger south-east into the Mediterranean.

The Adriatic and the Ionian Sea surround its coast but its beautiful beaches are not all this part of Italy has to offer. A trip to this small but wonderful place begins in the city of Lecce, the provincial capital, with its churches, castles and amphitheatre.

It would be wrong to merely describe Lecce as the gateway to Italy's heel. The atmosphere is one of the peaceful, friendly south. Lecce with its 100,000 residents welcomes visitors and is very quiet compared to a city in northern Italy. It boasts a bombastic Baroque central area around Piazza Sant'Oronzo but it would never consider giving up its laidback southern Italian style to mass tourism.

Perhaps the focal points of Lecce's brand of high Baroque are the richly decorated Basilica of Sant Croce and the Palazzo dei Celestini. The stone masons who built the structures allowed their imaginations to run wild thanks to the brightly coloured, soft limestone which is native to the area.

The results of their work have become the trademarks of this city just like "cartapesta," the tradition of making papier mache figures of saints, which has recently been revived. A tour of discovery has something to offer everyone, from the culturally interested to those who are looking to try out Lecce's gastronomic delights.

The sea is not far away and provides an excuse to go on the "Heel Round Tour." Locals usually travel in a clockwise direction from Lecce to San Cataldo 12 kilometres away. Further south-east is Otranto, Italy's most easterly beach, where Greece and Albania can be seen in the distance.

The beach here is beautiful but it is nothing compared to the real attraction this small town with its narrow streets has to offer: the 800-square-metre mosaic made by the monk Pantaleone on the floor of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Annunziata. The trip to see the floor is well worth the journey to this historic town that has been home to ancient Greeks, Turks, Normans and others.

Salento's eastern coast alternates between long beaches and craggy cliffs with grottoes. This is especially the case with the countryside south of Santa Cesarea Terme. Next stop is the "white cape" - or the "End of the World" - as Capo di Santa Maria di Leuca is also known. Accommodation can be quickly found in one of the nearby hostels that serve fish to guests and provide easy contact to locals.

If by this stage you have been doubting Italian hospitality this region of the peninsula offers hope as the further you get from Rome the more friendly the host. Describing in detail the way to a supermarket is a favourite pastime along with extolling the virtues of local produce such as grapes, tomatoes, broccoli and cherries.

Old defensive towers stand along the coast road beside the Ionian Sea. It is a place where Africa makes its presence felt. That is underscored by the long beaches with rows of white bungalows behind them. It is the beaches such as Spiaggia Le Pescoluse or the "Green Bay" near Gallipoli that makes this stretch of land devoid of grottoes or Baroque structures so unforgettable.

Visitors to the area invariably make a stop in the town of Gallipoli. Its historic old centre stretches towards a limestone island in the Mediterranean. Fishermen repair their nets in the harbour, occasionally glancing at the passing tourists walking past Castello Angionio towards the narrow streets of the old town.

Gallipoli grew to prosperity hundreds of years ago on trade in olive oil which was used to fuel lamps. The age of milling olives to oil is long over in this region but thanks to the wealth that was created from the trade the town's guilds pumped money into building richly decorated churches.

Gallipoli is just one of the many attractions the peninsula has. Among the others are its pristine beaches and its well cared for old towns and cities. But most of all it is the feeling of being far away from the routine and noise of daily life. (dpa)