Ex cava di bauxite

Its history

What makes this former quarry, decommissioned in the late 1970s and subsequently abandoned, special are the residues of bauxite (a mineral used to produce aluminum), which give the rock a bright red color, reminiscent of rust. Looking around, surrounded by the tall, steep rock, the silence surrounding you, and immersed in wild vegetation, you feel like you've been catapulted to Mars.

Ma non è tutto: l'uomo per decenni in questo luogo ha scavato la terra per appropriarsi del prezioso minerale, andando a creare un enorme cratere, una sorta di canyon. A un certo punto, però, si è scavato così tanto da trovare la falda. Così, la natura con il tempo si è ripresa ciò che era suo: la voragine della cava è stata lentamente colmata dalle infiltrazioni. Goccia dopo goccia, si è formata una pozzanghera che oggi è un bel laghetto. E, anche in questo caso, il perossido di ferro di cui è ricca la bauxite attribuisce all'acqua un colore verde smeraldo, quasi innaturale per quanto brilla. Se a questo si aggiunge che all'orizzonte si vede l'azzurro del mare, su cui svetta il Faro della Palascìa, il punto più a Oriente d'Italia, il quadro è completo.

But that's not all: for decades, humans have been mining the earth here to extract the precious mineral, creating a huge crater, a sort of canyon. At a certain point, however, they dug so deep that they found the aquifer. Thus, over time, nature reclaimed what was once hers: the pit of the quarry was slowly filled by seepage. Drop by drop, a puddle formed that today is a beautiful lake. And, again, the iron peroxide found in bauxite gives the water an emerald green color, almost unnatural in its brilliance. Add to this the blue sea on the horizon, dominated by the Palascìa Lighthouse, the easternmost point in Italy, and the picture is complete.

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Horseback Riding

One of the most beautiful ways to explore the former bauxite quarry is on horseback (even at night) thanks to tours organized by the Circolo Ippico Tumara of Otranto. Even those who have never ridden a horse before can enjoy this experience, both because the animals are very docile and because an expert instructor accompanies beginners, explaining how to mount and guide the horse along the trail.

The tour winds along the nature trails of the Costa di Otranto, Santa Maria di Leuca and Bosco di Tricase Regional Natural Park, passing by the ancient monastery of San Nicola di Casole. Descending along a mule track, you'll also have the opportunity to see the Palascìa Lighthouse up close, which faces east. On a clear day, you can also admire the mountains of neighboring Albania. But, of course, the highlight of the horseback ride is the quarry itself, with its lake.