Maruggio
The nearest village is Maruggio, and the maritime village is called Campomarino.
Maruggio is a very ancient country, as many areas of Salento tarantino was part of Magna Grecia.
The country was technically founded between 870 and 963 AD, in a position hidden within a natural depression to not be very visible from the sea and therefore to defend against Saracen attacks.
In feudal times the Templars dried up the marshy lands around the village and developed the salt extraction activity from the ponds along the coast. Subsequently the land passed to the order of Malta, which gave great impulse to the development of the city, contributing to the protection of the country against the Turkish pirates, with the construction of the castle, walls (no longer visible) and coastal towers. From this period are the most beautiful and representative buildings, such as the castle (Palazzo dei Commendatori), the Monastery of the Observant Friars (now the Municipality of Maruggio), the Church of the Annunciation and the Mother Church. The Knights of Malta ruled Maruggio continuously from 1317 to 1819, when Maruggio became an independent municipality.
At present there are 5265 inhabitants in Maruggio,
From this year it is part of the Union of the ‘Most Beautiful Villages of Italy‘.
The sea
The nearest beach can be reached in a few minutes. It is always very easy to find parking along the road, even in mid-August. If you are looking for an equipped beach, our favorite is Posto 9, a few meters to the right of the intersection with Strada Scorcialupi. (www.posto9campomarino.com) – 348 116 7342, you can have lunch and dinner, tell Giancarlo, the owner, who are my friends). Alternatively you have 10 km of wonderful free beach. In Campomarino there are other bathing establishments, but we have never gone there and we do not know how they are. We believe it is a great place for the Fuori Rotta (www.fuorirottacampomarino.com) here you can have dinner, and there is also a disco pub for the evening.
Dogs by regional ordinance could not theoretically stay on the beach. But in Maruggio (as well as in other neighboring municipalities) they are very tolerant. In addition, the beach is 9 km long and is very wide and almost never crowded, therefore, excluding the two central weeks of August, it is difficult to be in a position to move. However, we ask you to have some common sense when you bring your dogs to the sea. However your dogs will have available the many olive groves in the area, reachable in a few steps, where dogs can walk safely.
Shopping
For shopping we recommend the Metà supermarket, in Via Camene, is a small local supermarket with a food counter with typical products. There is also PAM, but we like the Half more. In Manduria there is also a very equipped Famila, about 15 minutes by road. Near the sports fields there is also a zero-km market where you can buy fruit and vegetables from local producers. However, we recommend that you also use the small shops in the village a little bit. The products are very good, and you would help the economy of a municipality that is not very rich and lives mainly in the summer.
For good Salentine meat we recommend the Camene butcher shop where you can also dine, specializing in bowler, and the Modeo butcher that I really like. You will also find the fishmonger, and there is one in the summer also in Campomarino.
A nice dinner
To dine in Maruggio I recommend Il Fico D’India, from Andrea, right on the main square of the town, pretty and characteristic (340 5926189).
Or the Osteria del Vico, right in the historic center, next to the Fico D’India.
Or in Campomarino there is ‘Al Fresco‘, with a nice summer terrace on the harbor – (348 418 8829) or the Piccole Ore, where you can eat a good pizza. The ‘Lamia‘ restaurant serves excellent fish in a typical Salento terrace.
In the summer, Campomarino is full of bars and ice-cream parlors. Out of season, many exercises are closed, but the ‘Panna e Cioccolato’ bar is always open and prepares excellent breakfasts. In summer we also recommend the bar La Pinetina in Campomarino on the main road
If you are looking for a more refined solution there is also the Masseria le Fabriche, from Alessia, a few hundred meters from home. It is a farm that produces excellent wines with a very nice restaurant. 099 987 1852 – www.lefabriche.it
Other services
The pharmacy can be found in the center of Maruggio and only one summer in Campomarino. Hoping you do not have to serve you, there is also the medical guard.
To buy the baby food you can go to the supermarket, but if you look for products a bit ‘more specific as Royal Canin or Trainer there is also the agricultural consortium in Via Camene.
In case you need a vet, in the center of Maruggio there is the very good Dr. Giuseppe Sabatino 328 422 0724
