Top of the World
The undeniable magic of the place can be grasped in so many different aspects: the waterfront that turns toward a high rocky coastline that leaves you breathless, the many old Art Nouveau villas that enrich it as you stroll through the streets, the many white staircases that connect them when they are on different levels. Yes, because although it is located in Salento, Santa Cesarea Terme stands on a high hill that makes it very varied, full of those ups and downs typical of mountainous centers. Thus, the center develops along various layers placed at different heights, capable of adding further magic.
The numerous villas, on the other hand, date back to that archaic tourism mentioned earlier, when, during the second half of the 19th century, local nobles sought locations where they could vacation during the sultry summer months. Santa Cesarea Terme, like other centers such as Leuca, for example, was already seen in those remote times as the perfect location to regenerate, and so it was they who had a series of wonderful villas built. Today a dozen of them can be counted in excellent condition, although at one time there were even many more. The historic center also features the Mother Church of the Sacred Heart, which is very old and dates back to the 14th century.
In the surrounding countryside, on the other hand, you will be able to admire numerous vineyards and olive groves, terracing over a sparkling sea of blue and white, and climbing further up the hill between numerous hairpin bends, you will reach a grove of large pine trees where there is also a small playground for children and the Belvedere. Here you will admire at a glance the entire coastline as far as Leuca and, on days when the sky is clearer, the high Albanian mountains are clearly visible across the sea, rising as if they were the entrance to an unknown, fairy world. In the lower part of the town, at the lower coastline, on the other hand, is the renowned spa, active since the mid-19th century, when the curative properties of the sulfurous water springs that came from four cavities in the rock were evident, although the same had been known since the 15th century. The waters are already gushing out at considerable temperatures, and by differentiating techniques, they enable numerous ailments to be cured. The same cavities in the rocks are a feature of the coast, which is rich in caves.
