Imagine stepping into a dazzling white cave where stalactites hang like delicate ivory daggers. Or hiking through a canyon as grand as any abroad, teeming with wildlife. Even centuries-old twisted trees still yield fruit every year. These are just a few of the breathtaking natural wonders you can find in Puglia.
One of the area’s standout beauties is its surrounding ocean, offering a spectrum of blues that range from vivid azure to turquoise green, and occasionally a deep navy. While many are captivated by the sea, Puglia’s inland treasures are equally worth exploring, especially when you need a break from the beach.
Take the caves of Castellana, for instance. Explored for the first time fewer than a hundred years ago, locals once feared its entrance, calling it the “demon’s hole,” and used it as a giant waste bin. When speleologist Franco Anelli descended 60 meters into the darkness in 1938, he must have felt a mix of excitement and unease. On reaching the cave’s floor, he discovered a hidden passage surrounded by stalagmites and stalactites and ventured into what is now known as the Cave of the Monuments.
Today, visitors can follow in Anelli’s footsteps and marvel at formations like “the Owl,” “the Altar,” and “the She-Wolf.” A guided three-kilometer tour provides insight into the caves’ history and geology, culminating in the White Cave—a fascinating display of ivory colors and intricate shapes, sculpted by nature over the past 2.5 million years.
Just a 20-minute drive from Alberobello’s unique trulli, these caves provide an adventure suitable for anyone curious about subterranean Puglia. With a constant temperature of 16-18 degrees, it’s a refreshing summer activity and a mild winter escape.
Equally impressive is the canyon of Laterza, similar in grandeur to its American counterparts. Over 60 million years, this 12-kilometer-long chasm has formed, reaching depths of 200 meters and widths averaging 400 meters. Located about half an hour’s drive from Matera in Basilicata, it stands as one of Europe’s largest ravines. Rich in biodiversity, the Gravina di Laterza is a haven for plants, animals, and particularly birds of prey. The beautiful landscape offers excellent hiking, bird-watching, and nature exploration opportunities. The Center of Environmental Education (CEA) provides guided walking and mountain bike tours, making this lesser-known area ideal for an authentic nature adventure.
There are about 60 million olive trees in Puglia, creating a stunning tapestry of silvery green landscapes. The olive tree has a deep historical significance, its oil has been used by ancient Egyptians, Greek athletes, and in royal palaces. Today, this golden liquid is a staple in Mediterranean cuisine, giving your salads and bruschetta a touch of history-infused flavor.
The olive trees in Puglia are well-adapted to the region’s climate and terrain, with gnarled trunks shaped by time. These ancient trees, known as “ulivi secolari,” can be between 400 and 600 years old. As they age beyond that, their trunks twist and hollow out, eventually becoming too weak to produce fruit. However, even when they stop bearing fruit, they are protected by law and cannot be cut down. Some of these natural sculptures have stood for as long as 3,000 years, surviving through countless historical epochs and perhaps outlasting us as well.
If you’re intrigued by Puglia’s natural wonders, consider exploring its other attractions like The Peculiar Trulli of Puglia or the baroque beauty of Lecce.
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