Today we drove well down into the boot of Italy, heading for a spa town Santa Cesarea Therme, a spa town since the 1800s thanks to the mud and hot sulphurous waters that flow into the caves in the sea cliffs. Apart from the thermal spas the area is also known for its spectacular coastline and beaches
We started sizing up the beaches near San Foca. This one didn’t appeal..
...nor did this one
Plenty of Lido pay beaches - no thanks
We settled at Roca. Nothing special, indeed the whole coast was still stirred up with onshore winds, but there was free parking and free access and the water was reasonably clean
We continued our drive south checking out more of the coast to the area around Torre dell’Orso. We stopped there for a quick lunch high on the sea cliffs
Then drove the ocean front cliff, checking out Sant’Andrea
Baia delle Orta
Before finally arriving at Santa Cesarea Therme
Hotel Est, our home for 2 nights
Nice room..with a view...
....this view
We were desperate for a swim. Alas no beach in the town itself as it is perched high above the limestone cliffs and only swimming from the rocks at the Lidos. Fortunately it was late in the afternoon and mentioning the hotel name got us free entry for a quick swim
The town is dominated by Palazzo Sticchi . A private residence in the Moorish style built in the late 1800s by the man who had the initial concession for the thermal waters
The town otherwise was pretty but very quiet. No easily accessible beach so people go elsewhere
Sole drinkers at the taverna
We decided on dinner at the hotel, a good choice, prawn balls with ???
Mackerel strips on potato with zucchini
Eggplant ravioli
Tuna millefeuille with spinach
The dome on Villa Sticchi glowing in the setting sun
The town after dark - sipping limoncellos on the roof terrace
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