Probably, among all the most famous places in Salento, Torre Vado is less in light than the others, because it is still little known and this is a real shame.
Trying to present this splendid town in the best possible way, we highlight the tower that gave the place its name.
The fortified structure dates back to the 16th century, when the Spanish sovereign Charles V was busy weaving a real network of towers, which were to act as protections against the Salento land against Saracen invaders. Restored in 1935, it has a circular plan and is equipped with an access staircase, while it was once also equipped with a messenger on horseback, which earned it the name of "Torre Cavallara".
Torre Vado is bathed by the Ionian Sea, whose seabed is inhabited by a rich marine fauna and flora, but not only. On the seabed in front of the city, the wreck of a Turkish ship called Teflik Kaptan has been hiding for some years.
It sank on 6 July 2007 following a displacement of its load of skeins of iron wire, about a thousand tons; it is rumored that an incorrect maneuver was carried out by the commander.
From that fateful day, the wreck was ready for its new life. Since then the sixty-five meters long of the ship has begun to accommodate all the sedentary life forms carried by the currents, plus the countless fish species that found a very valid refuge in the complex structure.
Today the wreck is a gym in all its aspects. The maximum depth of only 22 meters is ideal for beginners and experts. The structures are very safe, free of lines, nets and such dangers. Pelagic fish have already flocked around the hull.
Banks of damselfish, boghe, mennole and zerri are always present and the first golden groupers have also arrived.
The most striking view of the wreck is the prow seen from the bottom, where the ship appears in all its grandeur.
