Salento means not only sea, beaches and villages with a remarkable historical and artistic richness; on the contrary, this is a wild land that still bears traces of a distant past and of a rural life now forgotten.
The Cipolliane path best represents the most authentic face of Salento, located, moreover, a stone’s throw from one of the most scenic seaside resorts, the Canale del Ciolo.
So called because of the presence along its route of the caves of the same name, it is a few kilometres from Santa Maria di Leuca and stretches northwards on the Adriatic side.
Since 2013, the ancient track that led from Porto Vecchio di Novaglie to Ciolo, site of the most famous bridge, has been open to the public as a hiking trail.
Cipolliane Path
The 2.5-km-long route was used by locals to move goods, especially salt. For trekking enthusiasts, there are various associations that organise hikes throughout the year.We do not recommend it to the less young or untrained, as it is in any case demanding, since it was basically covered on the back of a mule.
Each step opens up little treasure troves of rare plants, colourful insects and small birds that the sea encourages from the east. The smells of the Mediterranean scrub stun us, while the rural landscape of dry stone walls and sporadic pajare bring us back to a recent past.
Everything smells of the past, but breathing in the history we remain entangled as if we do not want to leave the frame of this canvas because we are part of the picture.
Mute and timeless, the three caves that were Aeneas’s shelter observe us; we approach them noisily, stepping on shells and flints, traces of a sunken past.
The shade shelters us from the heat, the tiredness stops us at the bivouac, the peace is beautiful, the companions and the thoughts are beautiful, we appreciate what little the moment offers us, the atmosphere is almost mystical, we feel good, we can tell about it.
And the sea is there, it feels like touching it, as blue as ever, the sea of the Greeks, the Turks, the Phoenicians… our sea!
Cipolliane Path where is it?
The Cipolliane Path is located in Gagliano del Capo in Ciolo.
The Canale del Ciolo, in the territory of Gagliano del Capo, looks like a spectacular fjord set between a crystal-clear sea and high rocky walls, habitat of crows that have given their name, in local dialect, to the fjord itself.
The bridge above it is almost 40 metres high and is a destination for intrepid divers who test their skills and courage.
The Cipolliane Path starts precisely from the Canale del Ciolo, an ancient track leading to the Porto Vecchio of Marina di Novaglie: it was travelled by fishermen and merchants who, with the help of animals and mules, transported their goods to the Salento hinterland.
Cipolliane Path Video
Here is a beautiful video of the Cipolliane Path, enjoy watching it, recommended in 4k!
This evocative country path on high ground, with the blue sea always in the background, winds for just over 2km and crosses the typical rural landscape of Salento immersed in Mediterranean scrub with the scent of chives, thyme and oregano.
Surprising discoveries can be made amidst the vegetation, including karstic cavities, fossils of bivalve molluscs and fragments of shells, very normal occurrences since in the past the area was nothing more than a seabed, therefore completely covered by the sea.
Map of the Cipolliane Path
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