Bauxite cave close to Ortanto is one of places which is still not overcrowded, however it’s becoming more popular. One of the reasons is the fact that Salento has been experiencing a siege of tourists in the summer for a long time, which makes it the most trendy province of Puglia. Although the roads leading to Salento are rather tragic and apparently the prices of accommodation and restaurants have become quite killing, this doesn’t discourage holidaymakers longing for the blue-turquoise sea, Instagram-picturesque towns and good cuisine.
And as I mentioned above, they generally tend to visit the same things. Still realiatively unknown places like the bauxite lake (Cava di Bauxite) near Otranto are not usually on ‘what to see’ lists.
How the bauxite cave was created.
The lake ‘came into being’ on the site of a former bauxite mine. Since 1940, it provided work for locals, but over time, mining the minerals became less and less profitable. For this reason, in 1976 the mine was closed, people lost their jobs, and after the bauxite was extracted, there was a memory and a deep hole that slowly began to fill with water. And so, thanks to people and nature, another place worth seeing appeared on the map of Italy: the bauxite cave.
The history of the creation of this blue-turquoise lake surrounded by rusty-red hills is not particularly impressive. The colors are impressive: turquoise, sometimes navy blue water, red-rusty-yellow mounds of earth surrounding the bauxite cave and plants growing here and there create an unusual mix. And it’s because of the mixture of colors that the reservoir looks great in photos, just right for Instagram.
Actually, the surroundings of the lake give the impression of being from another planet. Mars, for example, could look like this if there was water and plants there.
How to get to the bauxite cave.
The best way is by car, bike, but you can also go on foot. The lake is located only about 2.5 km from Otranto, in the Costa Otranto National Park – Santa Maria Leuca and Bosco Tricase. The walk will take half an hour. By car – not even 10 minutes.
From the port in Otranto, go straight on provincial road no. 369 following the signs to Santa Cesarea Terme, and then to the bauxite lake (Cava di Bauxite).
You can leave your car in a paid parking lot a few hundred meters from the bauxite cave. Last time it cost 3 euros, I don’t know the current price.
Is it worth seeing the bauxite lake in Ortanto?
I don’t like to recommend places, and I rarely do, because ‘interesting or beautiful’ is a matter of individual preferences. So let me put it this way: I certainly wouldn’t go to Otranto specifically because of the lake. But on the other hand, if I were in Otranto, I’d add the lake to my ‘to see’ list. So if you like unknown places, or lesser-known places, it might be worth considering visiting Cava di Bauxite and taking a few photos.
The colors and surroundings are unique and undeniably ‘instagrammable’, but apart from walking and taking photos, there’s not much to do there. (Hmm, the same could be said about many other places, actually). To make it more ‘exciting’, you can of course climb the slag heaps surrounding the lake; from the highest ones on the horizon you can see the sea. You can also walk around the reservoir looking out for a small steep path leading down to the water. If you are brave enough, you can go down there and look into the former mine. Of course, I don’t have to mention that bathing is forbidden, although when I was there, one very sober German wanted to jump in.
In my opinion, the best time to visit the bauxite cave is around sunset, when the place is still brightly lit. But then wait a few minutes for the spectacle of colours changing under the influence of the last rays of sunlight.
The former mine, at least for now, is always open: there are no visiting hours or tickets, apart from paying for parking.
Let me know in the comments if the bauxite cave in Otrano is on your ‘must see’ list.
