Laghetto di Bauxite
Far from the big summer crowds, where nature takes its regular course, creating unique spectacles that colour the entire surrounding landscape, we find the Baia delle Orte. We are on the outskirts of Otranto, a town that certainly needs no introduction, and the Baia delle Orte represents the wildest side of this magical land called Salento, as this evocative bay develops along a stretch of coastline characterised by low cliffs that mixes with the spontaneous and discontinuous green of the Mediterranean maquis among pine forests that are always handy in summer for shelter from the sun and a crystal-clear sea that is the icing on the cake of the Baia delle Orte. Well, should you happen to be in the area, a visit to the Baia delle Orte"s Bauxite Pond is not to be missed. An explosion of colours ready to welcome anyone into the pond"s green waters, which, let"s not forget, cannot be bathed in, contrasting with the red of the bauxite rock that surrounds the entire circumference of this very special pond. The Bauxite Pond is easily reached by a short walk after parking your car in the designated parking area, after which you will be surprised by the bright colours that contrast with each other in this supreme spectacle of nature. This now disused former mining site is now an attractive tourist destination and every year thousands of visitors are fascinated by so much spectacle as this quarry from its total state of abandonment has rediscovered its primary roots with nature, thus merging with the surrounding area in an explosion of natural colours. Wonders and charm of an enchanting land... welcome to Salento... from the Laghetto di Bauxite is everything.
Tonio Viva
