In short. Castellaneta stands above the ravines of the Terra delle Gravine regional park, with a white old town and a cathedral, and its own long sandy marina on the Ionian a few kilometres below. It is also the birthplace of Rudolph Valentino, which the town has never let anyone forget.
Two Castellanetas, really: the hill town in the ravines, and Castellaneta Marina down on the coast behind a pine wood. Most people come for the second and never see the first.
The town
The historic centre is a maze of narrow streets and white houses, with the Cathedral of San Nicola as its principal building. It is small, it is quiet, and it takes an hour.
Rudolph Valentino was born here. The greatest male star of silent cinema — Rodolfo Valentino — came from Castellaneta, and the town marks his memory every year with events and celebrations. For an American or British visitor this is probably the single most surprising fact in this guide: the original Latin Lover was from a hill town in the Apulian ravines.
The ravines
Castellaneta sits inside the Terra delle Gravine regional park, known for its dramatic limestone gorges and prehistoric caves. The walking and the caving here are the real thing — trails through canyons, caves with a long history of human use, and a flora and fauna that make the park worth a day on its own for anyone who likes being outdoors.
Castellaneta Marina
The seaside part of the municipality is a proper beach resort: fine sand, clear water, well-equipped lidos, and hotels and holiday villages behind the pines. The swimming is good, the snorkelling is decent, and the summers are reliably hot and sunny.
New for 2026: the Termitosa. Among the free beaches at Castellaneta Marina, the Termitosa — reached on foot through the pine wood, very fine sand, clear water — has been formally regulated by the municipality as the first naturist beach on the Apulian Ionian coast. Access is free and no registration is required.
Around it
Massafra is along the same line of ravines to the east, and Taranto is about forty minutes away. Inland the park continues towards Laterza and Ginosa.
Castellaneta is the western end of the Ionian coast in this guide — canyon above, beach below.
