Which Italian peninsula forms the heel of Italy’s boot and contains the Salento region?

The Salento Peninsula is the Italian peninsula forming the heel of Italy’s boot and containing the Salento region.

It occupies the southeastern end of Apulia, extending between the Adriatic Sea and the Ionian Sea. Its territory includes the provinces of Lecce, Brindisi, and part of Taranto, with Lecce often regarded as the cultural center of Salento.

The landscape is generally low and gently rolling, with limestone geology, olive groves, coastal cliffs, and sandy beaches. Otranto is an important town on the eastern side, while Santa Maria di Leuca marks the peninsula’s southern extremity.

Salento is sometimes used as a cultural and historical term rather than a strictly uniform physical boundary. It is distinct from the Sorrento Peninsula near Naples and the Gargano Peninsula farther north in Apulia.