Castro Marina

Castro Marina sits at the southeastern tip of Italy's boot heel, tucked into the rugged Salento coast of Puglia where the water stays remarkably clear even right in the harbor. The port is the lower half of Castro, a two-level town where an ancient castle and medieval upper town loom above you on the cliffs. No sandy beaches here — instead you swim from the rocks and explore sea caves like Cala dell'Acquaviva nearby, giving the whole place a wilder, less resort-y feel than much of the Adriatic coast.