Puglia's other most inspirational stretch lies between Otranto and Santa Maria de Leuca, interspersing dramatic rocks washed by translucent waters and soft-sand beaches backed by shady forests, where the cri-cri of the cicale (crickets) almost deafens in summer.

BBC: Italy��s finest coastlines

From the air they look like tiny stepping stones ringed by translucent hues of jade and sapphire, the sands on their deserted beaches soft as powdered sugar.

FORBES: Blackbeard's Beach