We HIGHLY RECOMMEND! We adored Castro Marina. We went swimming every morning and every evening in the turquoise blue sea. You get there following this little stone path - beautiful! I think this is the ideal place to stay in this region - the gorgeous little port town is just minutes away by foot but at the same time you are definitely not in town - you are in this quiet secluded little area of greenery and stone paths etc. We visited most of the coast from Otranto (fantastic) and Leuca but we kept congratulating ourselves for having chosen Castro Marina as our base. The town is great and the only people sharing our swimming area were neighbours as such. Do go for a swim in the port though - amazing clean transparent water also. We also visited Gallipoli - it's only about an hour away. And we loved that too - lots of tourists though.
There was a bit of a heatwave for the duration of our stay so from midday to four thirty or so we had a siesta and read. And then either visited somewhere or wined and dined in Castro. I'd go back in a heartbeat but I'd go outside the July-August period for heat reasons. Luisa's place is beautiful - ideal location and exactly as in the photos. There's a ceiling fan in the bedroom - for me a necessity. Remember to bring earplugs if the sound of a fan is likely to bother you. There's no clothes washer which is a bit of a thing but we were fine - we washed things in a tub and they dried in an instant practically! In the evening we had our apero in the sheltered little courtyard in front of our door surrounded by the Mediterranean plants! As everyone says Luisa is a sweetheart!