About 7 km of wild coast, rock overhanging the sea, winding paths, watchtowers and karst caves, these are the fascinating elements that characterize the fantastic and unspoiled Park of Porto Selvaggio and Palude del Capitano, naturalistic beauty able to become part of the world FAI (Fund for the Italian Environment).
The park covers an area of 1,122 hectares, of which about 300 are occupied by pine trees and are the result of a work of reforestation of the Forest Corps during the fifties. Today the large expanse of aleppo pines represent a real green lung for the entire area that extends between the town of Santa Caterina, a fraction of the Municipality of Nardò, and the town of Torre Inserraglio.
Like many of the areas of the Ionian coast, the Park is characterized by the presence of watchtowers, Torre dell'Alto and Torre Uluzzo, built in the sixteenth century with the function of controlling the coast and warning the surrounding towns of the danger of invasion by sea. Two gears of the coastal defensive mechanism wanted by Emperor Charles V of Habsburg.
The vastness and beauty of this reserve attracts every year, and not only during the summer, thousands and thousands of tourists, attracted by the charm of unspoilt nature, of a wild environment and a biological richness second to no other place in the whole Salento.
Uluzzo Tower, which, unfortunately, has not remained intact, is located 32 meters above sea level and dominates a stretch of coast rich in caves and karst cavities that, used as a refuge in prehistoric times, fascinate historians, archaeologists and geologists. The numerous finds of tools and primordial instruments have led the experts to talk about a real 'culture uluzziana', to indicate the uses widespread by the ancient inhabitants of the area. Many of these finds come from the fascinating Horse Cave, important for the Paleolithic and Neolithic testimonies that left us.
Another important cavity is the Green Cave, located perpendicularly under the Torre dell'Alto. It is a cave not particularly relevant from the point of view of caving, but incredibly rich in terms of biodiversity, as well as many other karst cavities scattered throughout the park, both in those dug in the rock and in those completely submerged by the sea, such as the Grotta delle Corvine. The latter has even led to the updating of the list of species known by science.
Between a historical discovery and the other is almost a must stop in the beautiful bay of Torre Uluzzo, where you can enjoy an unforgettable bath, between the springs of cold water and the wonderful surrounding landscape.
The pine forest of Aleppo pines populates much of the territory, in the company of oaks, olive trees and the natural outline of the Mediterranean that with the scents of aromatic herbs intoxicates the entire area.
Emerge, almost magically, the sinkholes of Palude del Capitano, a singular name probably due to the presence in past times of a military captain who came to spend the last years of his life in the reserve. What characterizes this part of the park are the famous 'spunnulate': it is a karst phenomenon due to the structural subsidence of the rock that, inexorably and constantly dug from aquifers and underground streams, gives in by continuously changing the shape of the soil and mixing the sea water to the most superficial waste of rainwater.
Heading north, towards Torre Inserraglio, we come across the beautiful and deserted Frascone area, where the remains of an ancient fishing village probably from the Roman Empire have been identified. From here you can reach a small beach that allows you to enjoy a fantastic sea in solitude, the natural context has the incredible.
The managing body is the Municipality of Nardò that provides through a special office, established within the Urban Planning and Environment, to take care of and respect an area so pristine and rich in beauty. The task responds to a moral duty towards the locals and the many tourists who come here from all over Italy to admire the spectacle of nature they have heard so much about.
You can reach it through two streets: park your car in Santa Caterina, under the Torre dell'Alto and climb the stairs carved out of the rock, then go down to the pebble beach. The path is tiring, but rewarding. The second solution is to go by car to the road connecting Santa Caterina and Sant'Isidoro, or the SP 286, arrive at the Contrada Cucchiara and park at the famous disco Casablanca. From there begins a long but easier path that goes into the heart of the park. In both cases it will be a bit 'of effort but walking through the wild and admire such beauties will be able to overshadow the fatigue.
