Sea & where to stay in
Salento

 

Sea in Salento

Salento — is a part of Puglia with best sea and has a lot of different beaches. You can choose white sand beaches on western coast like Maldives, or rocky, stony and with also magnificent color water, but with bright deep emerald and blue tones — mostly on eastern coast. If you would like have a quite private vacation, you may take a car and stay in every place you like and enjoy the sea along all the coast.

• Western coast & Taranto, Nardò, Galiololi, beaches mostly with white sand  
• Eastern coast & Otranto, Santa Cesarea Terme, mostly rocky beaches

 

 

 

Some beaches in Salento western coast with beautiful sea color and white sand:

• Spiaggia Ufficiali MM faced to the south — it is a beach to the south from historical center of Taranto (12 km.23 min ride) It is the best beach nearby Taranto looks like all best Salento beaches. But the beach belongs to Navi and the first. who will be served here. would be navi. It’s better to come here off season and not for a long time.
• Taranto it is one of great main cities of Salento. Main sights in order for best route:
  • National Archaeological Museum 8:30 to 19:30, Sunday 9:00 to 13:00, 15:30 to19:30 Monday closed museotaranto.beniculturali.it
  • Chiesetta di San Francesco da Paola al Borgo with old but beautiful interior
  • Palazzo degli Uffizi, Castello Aragonese, Tempio di Poseidone
  • Chiesa di Sant’Agostino, Chiesa Sant’Andrea Degli Armeni
  • Duomo di San Cataldo 7:30 to 12:00, 16:30 to 19:30 cattedraletaranto.com
  • Chiesetta Santi Medici with luxury interior
  • Chiesa di San Domenico Maggiore 9:00 to 13:00, 17:00 to 20:00
  • Chiesa di San Nicola della piazza (Torre Dell’Orologio)
  • Monastery of St. Mary of Justice (6 km from Chiesa di San Nicola della piazza)
• Grottaglie — old ancient picturesque town nearby Taranto (23 km, 23 min ride) on a hill
• Punta Prosciutto faced to the south — it is known shore, has 1,5 km-long of beaches, faced to the south
• Torre Lapillo Bay faced partially to the west — it is quiet next 1,5 km-long line of beaches, (nearby Porto Cesareo 6 km to the south — from beach center to Marine Biology Museum)
• Porto Selvaggio beach — is a little 50 m long, in a picturesque bay between cliffs (it’s not sand, it’s the pebble beach.) To the beach leads very pleasant path through a forest,- it is Nature Reserve Park Porto Selvaggio. Parking lot is located in 2,2 km from the beach. A shuttle goes to the beach from the parking (2 euro per person). There is very pleasant and picturesque place for hiking and snorkeling in the park.
  • Oltremare Diving Center nearby (1,8 km from the park) oltremarediving.com
• Villa Cristina Dei Personé Santa Caterina — on the way to Nardò (1,8 km from the park) it is museum now, contacts: +393404727451
• Nardò — it is one of great main cities of Salento, like Lecce, and was Puglia cultural capital. (7 km from the park, 11 min ride) Main sights in order for best route:
  • Chiesa Parrocchiale di S. Francesco da Paola, Il Castello Acquaviva
  • Chiesa di San Giuseppe
  • Chiesa della Madonna della Rosa — ascetic but graceful, (Also eye enjoys architectural proportions of Chiesa di San Gerardo Maiella building)
  • Chiesa dell’Immacolata, Chiesa di Santa Teresa, Chiesa del Carmine
  • Basilica cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta
  • Chiesa di San Trifone, Chiesa di Saint Dominic — but… the backside, it is only a wall, but there Fontana Del Toro was placed (Salandra square)
  • Chiesa della B.V. Maria del Monte Carmelo cattedralenardo.it
  • Chiesa di Sant’Antonio da Padova diocesinardogallipoli.it
• Padula Bianca faced to the west (nearby Galliopoli, 6 km to the north ) 2 km-long, faced to the west
• Gallipoli — one more great city of Salento. Main sights:
  • Basilica Cattedrale di Sant’Agata beautiful pu glia baroque cathedral,
  • Castello di Gallipoli mediaeval castle and mediaeval historic center,
  • Chiesa di Santa Maria della Purita modest outside luxury inside church,
  • Chiesa di San Francesco d’Assisi a Gallipoli — with unusual proportions facade
  • Chiesa di San Domenico al Rosario — graceful church with different color tone bricks
• Baia Verde faced to the west beaches — to south from Gallipoli huge 10 km-long line with road along it up to historical center. It’s recommended to rent a bike to enjoy everything — and the sea, and the interesting beautiful city. As variant — to stay here for several days to enjoy and the sea, and exploring Gallipoli and neighborhoods, just on the beach: Hotel Grand Hotel Costa Brada «»»». private beach, SPA. outdoor. indoor pools, 19 sq.m, 230 euro, 49 sq.m, 480 euro (from Gallipoli — 7 km 11 min ride, bicycle — 20 min, by foot — 5 km. To Taranto — 1 h 40 min 111 km) BOOK
• Torre San Giovanni faced to the west beaches — to south from Torre San Giovanni 3 km-long line
• Pescoluse faced to the south beaches — quite next 3-km line of beaches, with the most famous Maldive del Salento (Attention! There is a pebble sea floor on ‘Maldives’, so it’s better to use swimming shoes.)

 

 

Eastern coast & Santa Cesarea Terme

• Alimini beach faced to the east— 3 km-long sand beach, narrow in north part, wide in south part, with famous Baia dei Turchi at the southern end. There is forest green area along the shore and salt Alimini lakes are nearby, it is protected nature area.
  • Alimini Surf Club is located on the beach,- it is good place for surfers.
  • Noleggio Waterbike Alimini Grande — you can rent a waterbike to enjoy lakes nature beauty. (The Grand lake is 3 km-long)
  • Hiking — you can walk, coming trough the forest to different parts of the beach. As variant — to stay here for several days to enjoy and the lakes. and the sea. and nature in whole. A quiet nature vacation — Aparthotel Residence Altair — Serra Degli Alimini 3***located in the forest area above the beach (1,5 km to the closest beach, shuttle service — 10 times per day from 9:00 to 18:00) An outdoor pool, 30 sq.m 68 euro. BOOK,
• Otranto — an ancient great town, UNESCO world heritage. The town has a beautiful color sand beach, not large, in the bay, and one — to the north, Lido della Staffa, sand beach too. Otranto main sights:
  • Castello Aragonese and historical center
  • Church of San Pietro remarkable oldest Byzantine church with great frescoes remains of 9-10th centuries (opens 10:00 -13:00 and 16:30 — 19:30)
  • Cava di Bauxite — lake with red steep shores, nearby Otranto (2 km), — the lake is blue, shore walls are red, plants nearby are green, so you can see spectacular color views
• Porto Badisco a little pleasant sand beach Porto Badisco is in a bay,
  • Canoe Club Badisco — just in the bay, +39 349 147 6135
  • As variant to stay here — there is very nice looked bed & breakfast hotel right here — Il Rifugio del Navigante*** (25 sq,m 100 euro)BOOK

• Santa Cesarea Terme — thermal bath resort with springs from four caves since 16th century. Rich people came here and now you can see noble palaces. Now the springs are in use of therapeutic Spa treatment (respiratory, ear, dermatological, gynecological, rheumatic problems). …I had a mistake to think ‘thermal’ means ‘hot. warm’ — as I used to think after Ischia thermal parks. So I chose Santa Cesarea Terme to explore Salento — to have a warm water for swimming like on Ischia — as usual I prefer travelling out high season, when is not so hot and so crowd. The warm water was only in a building in a paid bath, it was one kind of therapeutic Spa treatment .…In Santa Cesarea Terme and nearby all beaches are rocky, some — with a good entrance, but everywhere one needs to go downstairs. Sights and beaches:
  • Palazzo Sticchi -noble palace-landmark, visit card of Santa Cesarea Terme. Now there is Bathing establishment Caicco in the building.
  • Bathing establishment Caicco paid beach — in closed rocky area with shallow depth — just fine for children. (With all infrastructure. With well equipped sea stoned entering)
  • Sulfur Cave Santa Caesarea —free descent to the sea near paid Sulfur pool (with well equipped stoned sea entering)
  • Baia di Porto Miggiano bay with free Porto Miggiano beach and paid Bagno Marino Archi with umbrellas and lounges, It is antient port and you can see picturesque rocky remains.(Both beaches have comfort stoned sea entering)
  • Parco Belvedere — great panoramic views of Santa Cesarea from medieval fortification remains on the hill
  • Torre del Belvedere — one more medieval tower with great views
• Grotta Zinzulusa — known great cave in Castro, from Porto Miggiano bay to the south (4 km), with paid entering and getting by long stairs. Strongly recommend to visit out of high season. There are several caves too nearby
• Cala dell’Acquaviva — just next cute little beach (1,5 km from Castro), in a picturesque bay (with comfort stoned sea entering. Parking is just here too, in two steps.)
• Tricase Porto
  • Chiesa di San Domenico and Piazza Pisanelli
  • Tricase port museum
  • Villa Maria — a landmark like Palazzo Sticchi in Santa Cesarea Terme
  • Tricase Porto Grotta del Carmine
  •  Mount Tabor oak, (Quercia Vallonea)
• Beach and Natural Pool of Marina Serra spectacular beach among rocks, a bit to the south (4 km from Tricase port museum)
• ,Grotta Matrona — to the south 500 m from the previous beach (by sea), it’s recommended to swim inside on sunrise for more effect and off season, because of a lot of visitors and motorboats polluting

 

 

What to see & where to stay in Salento check on a map 

Some hotels in Salento:

• Le Capase Resort Salento ****5 km from Santa Cesarea Terme
• Hotel Aurora Benessere****Santa Cesarea Terme
• Hotel Grand Hotel Costa Brada «»»». Baia Verde. 7 km from Gallipoli, private beach, SPA. outdoor. indoor pools, 19 sq.m, 230 euro, 49 sq.m, 480 euro BOOK
• Il Rifugio del Navigante*** Porto Badisco. Bed & Breakfast 25 sq,m 100 euro BOOK
• Serra Degli Alimini 3***Alimini beach, outdoor pool, 30 sq.m., 68 euro BOOK
  

 

 

Le Capase Resort Salento ****

Approximately price per 2 adults with breakfast:

 

 

 

Hotel Aurora Benessere ****

Approximately price per 2 adults with breakfast 15 sq.m 120 euro sea view, with balcony