Beautiful and Light, Leuca has always fascinated
people for its light and its position in the inlet between
“Punta Meliso” and “Punta Ristola”.
The Greek sailors, attracted for its beauty, gave it the
name Leukos, lit by the Sun; the siren Leucasia,
according to the legend, found peace on its reef;
also St. Pietro disembarked in Leuca during his journey
to Rome; He christianized the existing pagan temple
devoted to the Goddess Minerva and he devoted it
to the Virgin Mary; Leuca so became Santa Maria
di Leuca and for the Christians it is the door to Heaven;
De Finibus Terrae for the Romans, border beyond
which there is only the infinity of the horizon; Santa
Maria di Leuca during its millenary history has
preserved and enriched its charm and its mystery.
The elegant promenade with its trend nightclubs and
its beautiful villas built between 1800 and the first
years of 1900, transform Leuca in one of the most
popular tourist place.
The port, landing stage of big fishing boats and
holiday yachtsmen, the lighthouse which overlooks
Punta Meliso, the monumental staircase which leads
to the Sanctuary,
the bathtubs, the sixteenth-century tower of the “Omo
Morto”, the intense blue of the sea, its many coloured
seabed, its caves and bays of sand, make Leuca a
beautiful holiday destination.