Once we leave the port we will head west, skirting the charming Old Town and less than a mile away the imminent Island of Sant'Andrea a strip of land that extends for about 50 hectares completely flat and with a maximum height that does not exceed three metres. This feature leads the island to be swept by the waves in case of strong winds and makes it unsuitable for hosting rich vegetation. For this reason the Messapians called it Achtotus (dry land). The old Messapian name was forgotten with the conquest of the city of Gallipoli by the Romans (267 BC) and probably took the name of Sant'Andrea only a few centuries later, when the Byzantines built a chapel dedicated to the Saint. The island cannot be visited on foot but once at anchor you will have the opportunity to admire it up close with its imposing lighthouse which takes its name from the island itself and relax in the water for snorkelling and sunbathing.