Elephants in Salento?

Is it really possible to see elephants in Salento?
You won’t believe it but it’s absolutely true! It is possible to observe them freely in the so-called “Valley of the Elephants“, near the Crypt of San Pantaleone on the Fano Canal, a district in the Salve countryside in the province of Lecce.
But let’s explain carefully, these are not real elephants but an expanse of majestic olive trees completely wrapped and covered in leaves, which take the shape of elephants. Olive trees, dried by Xylella and subsequently invaded by morning glory, a weed (but objectively very beautiful) plant that has completely invaded the valley and incorporated the remains of the olive trees until they take on the shape of elephants.
Ipomea indica is a climbing herbaceous plant, with beautiful flowers in the shape of purple bells, which in certain conditions (mild climate and abundance of water) can grow significantly to the point of covering everything in its surroundings. And this is what happened in the Fano canal where the morning glory, favored by the richness of water in the area, grew so much undisturbed that it managed to cover everything that could be seen, from the branches of the olive trees which look like large ears, to the trunks and roots, which look like the legs of a pachyderm: all hidden by a uniform green mantle.
They called it the “elephant nature reserve“, and in fact this evocative scenario is precisely the result of an absolutely natural evolution of the vegetation which offers an unexpected spectacle to the eyes of passers-by.
Unexpected, also because it is not easy to get there (you can try independently or rely on some local associations). Follow a short route through the countryside and the Mediterranean scrub of the area, you cross a kind of reed tunnel, until you reach a point, half hidden and the spectacle of the Valley of the Elephants appears suddenly, generating amazement and wonder. You will feel like you are not in Italy but in a surreal place: trust me: an experience absolutely worth trying.. Easily accesible from Corte Manfredi.
Oops! From 1 February 2024, following cleaning and disinfection works in the Fano area, unfortunately, the Elephant Valley no longer exists..