Torre Nasparo – Ciolo Bridge loop from Spongano

Torre Nasparo – Ciolo Bridge loop from Spongano

Moderate

riders

Torre Nasparo – Ciolo Bridge loop from Spongano

03:24

77.1km

730m

Road cycling

Moderate road ride. Good fitness required. Some segments of this route may be unpaved and difficult to ride. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: August 17, 2026

Tips

The surface along some of this route may not be suitable

Some segments of your route comprise a surface that may not be suitable for your chosen sport.

After 0 m for 160 m

After 77.0 km for 160 m

Waypoints

Start point

Train Station

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11.7 km

Tricase Porto Harbor

Highlight • Settlement

A hamlet of the municipality of Tricase, in the Lecce area, Tricase Porto is located in Lower Salento and has about 250 inhabitants. Here the coast, low and rocky, is dotted with caves: in one of these there is a port dating back to the 15th century, very suggestive.

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12.1 km

ascent without particularly difficult sections

Highlight • Climb

16.6 km

Torre Nasparo

Highlight • Monument

The tower is part of an extensive defensive system spread along the Apulian and overall Salento coasts, referring to the XV and XVI centuries, in fact was built in 1565, during the Spanish domination. Has a truncated cone base, whose base diameter is 11 meters, from the curb upwards it assumes a cylindrical shape. It's made with non-square stones and regular ashlars. It rises on a high rocky spur 129 meters above sea level and its position is strategic because it allows to guard the sea as far as Capo d'Otranto, the most eastern point of Italy. The location of the watch-towers, called the "sentinels of the sea", allowed that the signals could be spread both laterally along the coast line and parallel to the internal fortified villages, thanks to the use of fire signals during the night and smoke during the day.

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23.8 km

Cala del Ciolo

Highlight • Beach

23.8 km

Ciolo Bridge

Highlight • Bridge

The name Ciolo derives from the Salento word "Giolo" or thieving magpie, this is because the area is rich in nests of this species. The beautiful cove is cut by the homonymous bridge which stands 40 meters high. Over the years the bridge has been a destination for intrepid divers but, given the danger, this practice has recently been banned. You can still enjoy the sea by accessing it from the cove below and, for those who do not want to give up a bit of adventure, dive from the surrounding rocks.

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29.7 km

Cape Santa Maria di Leuca

Highlight • Viewpoint

30.3 km

Basilica and Sanctuary of Santa Maria de Finibus Terrae

Highlight • Religious Site

The name Santa Maria di Leuca derives from the Greek "leukós" or white, this perhaps due to the color of the rocks, or for the houses painted with lime, or for the fact that, arriving from Greece with the sun of dawn behind shoreline was illuminated with a clear light. Although there is no certain information on the origins of this town, some archaeological finds confirm the presence of settlements dating back to the Bronze Age. Even Santa Maria di Leuca, like other places on the Salento coast, has been indicated as the place where Aeneas landed fleeing from Troy while, according to Christian tradition, it was precisely here that the apostle Peter arrived from Palestine during his journey to Rome. The territory of Santa Maria di Leuca includes Punta Meliso which conventionally separates the Adriatic Sea from the Ionian Sea.

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41.9 km