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00 Gallipoli
Stemma di Gallipoli

Apulia · Lecce

Gallipoli

The Ionian beach city on a limestone island, Greek Kallipolis meaning beautiful city, tied to the mainland by a seventeenth-century bridge.

Best time
May–Sep
By car
42 min from Lecce
By train
Station in the comune
Population
19,353

Known for

  • ISLAND OLD TOWN

    Walled centro storico built on a limestone island, joined to the mainland by a seventeenth-century bridge, ringed by the Castello Angioino.

  • FRANTOI IPOGEI

    Thirty-five underground olive mills cut into the rock from the sixteenth century, producers of the lamp oil that lit European capitals.

  • IONIAN BEACHES

    Spiaggia della Purità under the walls, the Baia Verde and Punta della Suina south of town, awarded Bandiera Blu and five-Vele in 2024.

When to visit

Best · May–Sep

  • J14°
  • F15°
  • M15°
  • A18°
  • M23°
  • J29°
  • J33°
  • A32°
  • S28°
  • O23°
  • N19°
  • D15°
  • Best
  • Hot or crowded
  • Quiet
  • Mostly closed

Daytime averages, 2020–2024. The sea is warmest in August at 28° and coldest in February at 14°. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com.

The festa: San Sebastiano, 20 January

Why come

Gallipoli is built on a limestone island off the Ionian coast of Salento, linked to the modern mainland town by a seventeenth-century bridge. The Greek name Kallipolis means beautiful city; the site has been a bishopric since the sixth century. The Castello Angioino guards the bridge end and was raised on Roman fortifications in the thirteenth century, expanded later under Aragonese and Spanish rule.

Inside the walled città vecchia, whitewashed lanes wrap around the Basilica Cattedrale di Sant'Agata, built between 1629 and 1696 in carparo limestone under the Spanish bishop Consalvo de Rueda. Below the streets, thirty-five frantoi ipogei, underground olive mills cut into the rock from the sixteenth century, once produced the lamp oil that lit the capitals of Europe. The Spiaggia della Purità sits directly under the sea walls.

Gallipoli got its first Bandiera Blu and a five-Vele Legambiente rating in 2024. In summer, the city flips from fishing port to the densest nightlife town in Salento.

The Sunday letter

Gallipoli is on our list. Its letter is still to come.

We are writing about all 1,000 of these towns, one at a time, in a free letter every Sunday: the photo, the food, the festa. That is our mission. Sign up and you will be there when Gallipoli comes up. By Peter & Sophia, from Pietrasanta.

Read on

Gallipoli in our articles

How to get there

From Bari / Brindisi (BRI), about 2h 45m by car.

Lamezia / Reggio (SUF) is about 5h 29m away.

By car from the centre of Lecce 42 minutes, Bari 2h 33m or Salerno 5h 8m.

There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive without a car.

Gallipoli, photo 1
Gallipoli, photo 2

What to see

  • Castello Angioino

    Thirteenth-century castle on Roman foundations at the bridge crossing, expanded under the Aragonese and Spanish, now an exhibition space.

  • Basilica Cattedrale di Sant'Agata

    Baroque cathedral of 1629-1696 in carparo limestone, with Doric colonnade and polychrome marble altar, built under Bishop Consalvo de Rueda.

  • Città vecchia

    Walled old town on the limestone island, a tight grid of whitewashed lanes, palazzi, and small churches wrapped by sea walls on three sides.

  • Frantoio Ipogeo di Palazzo Granafei

    Underground olive mill cut into the rock in the sixteenth century, one of the city's surviving frantoi, restored and open for visits.

  • Spiaggia della Purità

    Small sandy beach carved into the sea wall below the Chiesa di Santa Maria della Purità, the only beach inside the city walls.

  • Mercato del Pesce

    Daily fish market under the castle walls except Sundays, where the paranze fleet unloads catch from the Ionian at dawn.

The slow-trip planner

Building a trip? Find where Gallipoli fits in a slow Italy circuit.

Answer five questions. We will shape a geographically coherent slow trip from the 1,000 Italian towns most travelers skip. Yours to save and share.

Plan your trip

We recommend

Where to stay

Not our picks, but places the guides put their name to: a Michelin star, a Gambero Rosso fork, a Slow Food snail, a Michelin Key for the hotels. Worth a table, a counter, or a night when you pass through.

  • Palazzo PrestaHotel

    A place in the Michelin hotel guide, at Palazzo Presta.

Living here

  • Population 19,353
  • In-betweeni
  • Pharmacy in town
  • High school within a 30-minute drive
  • Train station in the comune
  • Nearest airport Bari / Brindisi, 2 h 45 min drive
  • Regional capital Bari, 2 h 33 min drive

Common questions

What is Gallipoli known for?
Gallipoli is the Ionian beach city on a limestone island, Greek Kallipolis meaning beautiful city, tied to the mainland by a seventeenth-century bridge.
Where is Gallipoli?
Gallipoli is a comune in the province of Lecce, in Apulia, at 12 meters above sea level.
What is the nearest airport to Gallipoli?
Bari / Brindisi (BRI), about 2h 45m by car.
Can you get to Gallipoli without a car?
Yes. There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive by train.
How long is the drive from Lecce to Gallipoli?
About 42 minutes by car.
When is the best time to visit Gallipoli?
Best in May–Sep. July is the warmest month, averaging 33 degrees, and November the wettest, with about 10 rain days.
Is there a sagra or a festival in Gallipoli?
The town keeps its patron saint's day: San Sebastiano, 20 January.
Which other towns are like Gallipoli?
Polignano a Mare, Carovigno and Monopoli.
How many people live in Gallipoli?
19,353 at the 2023 count.
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources

The numbers

  • Elevation: 12 m
  • Population: 19,353
  • Surface area: 41.22 km²

These figures were compiled from public directories: ISTAT, OpenStreetMap and Wikidata, and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.

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