With the term Leukos the Greek sailors indicated the white cliff that gives its name to what we now call Leuca. It will then become Santa Maria di Leuca probably due to the cult linked to the Sanctuary of Santa Maria de Finibus Terrae, the land that forms the border to the lands of the Romans.
In this strip of land you can admire high and jagged cliffs, small golden bays that interrupt the low rocks and the famous karst caves.
This cave takes its name from the legend of the place which tells that the remains of the ferocious animals killed by Hercules were buried here. Furthermore, also in this cave, several bones of non-marine animals have been found; also some ceramics attributable to the Bronze Age (4300-3000 years ago) and a tomb from the early Middle Ages (9th century AD).
