The Chidro River, the most important watercourse along the entire Ionian coast of Puglia, with its 3,000 liters per second and its 500 meters in length. In ancient maps, this freshwater spring is indicated as a place for fishing and water supply.
The legend of origin of river Chidro
According to tradition, the mythical Chidro River was born from the tears that Saint Peter shed for having denied Christ, and which, legend has it, healed Fellone, the king of Felline, an ancient settlement that stood nearby, from leprosy.
A karst riverflow
The spontaneous vegetation that thrives along its banks is typical of river ecosystems, lush throughout its course. It is fed by various karst springs that fill a large crater-like basin, 12 meters deep, from which originates a river with cold and crystal-clear waters. Here, during the Roman era, there was a landing used by passing vessels as a stopover for fresh water supply. In the stretch of sea in front, numerous discoveries have been made, including as many as nine marble sarcophagi, the cargo of a ship that concluded its journey near the Chidro about two thousand years ago.
About five kilometers east of the Chidro River, we can admire the natural reserve of the Salina dei Monaci.
