Conflicting traditions claim both Cretan and Hellenic origins for Castro, which looks out on a dramatic seascape with the small resorts of Castro Marina and Marina di Marittima at its feet. One km of cliff road and several flights of rock-cut steps bring you into the most remarkable of Salentina’s sea caves: the grotto of Zinzulusa. In dialect this means ‘rags’ – a reference to the stalactites and clusters of algae which hang like streamers from the roof. A walkway, submerged at high tide, takes you right into this grotto. The overhangs and pinnacles of limestone above a clear sea of ever-changing blues and greens are a fascination, whether you clamber over the precipice walk or go round them in a small boat from Castro Marina or Santa Cesarea.