Porto Cesareo


Porto Cesareo

The town of Porto Cesareo, between Torre Lapillo to the north and the marina of Sant"Isidoro to the south, overlooks the Ionian Sea. It has several beaches of fine white sand and stretches of free beaches alternate with bathing establishments. In the southernmost part of Porto Cesareo, the rocks take over from the sand.


11 spiagge di Porto Cesareo


Salento beaches
Elios Lido

Salento, Porto Cesareo: The Lido Elios is located in Porto Cesareo in a natural inlet between white sand and low cliffs. The stretch of beach is wide and well-kept and the blue sea is quite shallow, so let your children play in peace. The Elios Lido is equipped with a bar service, beach umbrellas, sun beds and everything you need to make your stay relaxing and comfortable. From the Elios Lido you can also admire the island of Malva and the Torre Chianca, part of a complex of 16th-century coastal towers typical of the entire Salento coastline. The Lido Elios is well equipped and excellent for spending your summer holidays here!


Salento beaches
Scalo di Furno

Salento, Porto Cesareo: The free beach Scalo di Furno is a stretch of beach located between the lido Le Dune and Hotel Blu, about 15 minutes from the centre of Porto Cesareo. The first stretch of beach we encounter is called Primo Ponte by the locals because of the presence of a small bridge that then flows into a fairly visible gully used for reclaimed water. This channel then ends in a stretch of rock called Scalo di Furno. The golden sand and the crystal-clear sea offer the right combination and make Scalo di Furno a wonderful place for your holiday, very popular in the height of summer the sea is quite shallow at the beginning, ideal for families with children and therefore relaxing and a good time.


Salento beaches
Isola dei Conigli

Salento, Porto Cesareo: Isola dei Conigli or Isola Grande is a small island located a few metres from Porto Cesareo. With its uncontaminated environment and an ecosystem that deserves all our attention in addition to due environmental protection, Isola dei Conigli remains a popular destination for hundreds of tourists who visit it every year in the height of summer in search of a quiet corner of green nature in a mix of golden beach and wide cliffs. Isola dei Conigli can be reached by the various boats on the Riviera di Ponente (near the Jousts), which provide a boat service to the island, or, for the most daring (I"ll let you in on a little secret - don"t hold it against my friends in Porto Cesareo, who provide the "boat service to the island" every summer), the island can also be reached on foot, going down into the water from the Lungomare di Ponente side (opposite the ice-cream parlour Il Principe), where the water remains almost shallow.At most it will reach up to your navel for a relaxing walk to the island. So... let"s take this short virtual tour, also because I don"t seem to have seen the Google machine on the island lately for a quick mapping. Once we arrive at the small jetty where the various boats moor, we get off and through the pine forest continue to the left for a few dozen metres. The first beach we come across is just a few metres long, the sand is soft and the water shallow for several metres. The island has this name because years ago there was a large group of rabbits there, and after years of absence, someone decided to repopulate the island by introducing a few pairs of these graceful animals, so it will not be difficult to spot some. Continuing along the left-hand side, after the small beach, the open sea with a low cliff comes into view... watch out for the waves if you decide to dive in, the sea soon becomes deep. After this stretch of reef, we find an inlet with a beach a little longer than the previous one, which is quite popular with tourists in the height of summer. The sand is soft, with perhaps a few small stones, and the water is shallow at first and becomes deep after a few strokes, with a seabed worth visiting. On the way back through the central pine forest, you will not fail to come across a small pool of water... attention for the more curious, looking in the sand for some clams you may come across strange types of green crabs that are a little aggressive. Rabbit Island is a paradise on earth, take care of it if you visit, bring back your rubbish bags... nature will thank you.


Salento beaches
Torre di Porto Cesareo

Salento, Porto Cesareo: The Torre Cesarea is a sixteenth-century tower in Porto Cesareo that is part of a complex of coastal towers that are a striking feature of the entire Salento region. With its quadrangular shape, it has two communicating floors and stands out with all its beauty in the centre of Porto Cesareo in Piazza Nazario Sauro. Currently home to the headquarters of the Porto Cesareo Guardia di Finanza (Customs and Excise), it has been debated in the past whether it should be used for the Porto Cesareo Marine Biology Museum or for other activities aimed at relaunching its strong tourist vocation. However, the Torre Cesarea remains an important historical testimony of coastal defence in past centuries as well as an impressive tourist attraction worthy of note. The Torre Cesarea is waiting to be photographed... enjoy your stay in Porto Cesareo!


Salento beaches
Spiaggia di Porto Cesareo

Salento, Porto Cesareo: The Porto Cesareo beach is a stretch of free beach in the centre of Porto Cesareo, hence the name of the beach. Located to be precise between the restaurant L"Aragosta da Co and the Hotel Paradise, the beach is soft in places and in some places small stones mixed with sand stand out. If you do not have a parasol, you can seek some shade under the two tall pine trees that stand in the middle of the beach. The sea is clean and transparent, quite shallow for long stretches, and after a while large expanses of posidonia will begin to caress our feet, and for the lucky ones snorkelling you will occasionally come across small seahorses. The beach, as mentioned, is right in the centre, so it is not difficult to reach the nearest bar to enjoy a cool drink and refreshment. Much frequented by locals, perhaps a little reduced in the presence of tourists, it is nevertheless a place worth visiting.


Salento beaches
Lu Culacchiu

Salento, Porto Cesareo: The free beach of Lu Culacchiu is located at the entrance to Porto Cesareo coming from Sant"Isidoro. I do not know the etymology of the term, from a brief search the name would refer either to the hind end of some animal or, by extension, the end of a salami or the bottom of a bottle, or even a rambling and far-fetched tale. Name aside, the beach is of fine sand mixed with the presence of the ever-present rushes, but no less relaxing and attractive for that... guarding the beach stands tall the now disused ancient lighthouse of Porto Cesareo. The sea is quite shallow and clean only in some places are flat, low rocks, ideal however for families with children as the water remains constantly shallow. A popular destination for locals living in the vicinity for its convenience of being reached on foot, a practice that is not exactly legal is the permanent presence, even at night, of beach umbrellas and markers aimed at reserving a portion of the beach during crowded hours. As refreshment facilities behind the beach there is a supermarket with an adjoining bar for your needs. Worth a visit!


Salento beaches
L Approdo

Salento, Porto Cesareo: L"Approdo is a free beach located in Porto Cesareo, east of Torre Chianca and bordering Lido Tabú. L"Approdo is so called because it stands on a small inlet that seems ideal for mooring boats and this stretch of coast is home to both Lido Sofia and Circolo Nautico L"Approdo. The sand is fine and white and the seabed is stepped so that as you move away from the shore after a few metres the water becomes deep. This stretch of coastline is popular with those who love snorkelling, admiring the beauty of the seabed, but also renting a kayak to reach the nearby heart-shaped islet called La Malva and located just opposite Torre Chianca. Diving enthusiasts can admire the Roman columns lost during a shipwreck just a few metres from the coast; the area falls under the protection of the Porto Cesareo Protected Marine Park. The sea retains that classic blue colour and is inviting for a healthy swim; the place is very popular in the height of summer with both tourists and locals. Have a good summer at the Approdo.


Salento beaches
Spiaggia libera delle Dune

Salento, Porto Cesareo: The free beach of Le Dune is that stretch of beach between the two bathing establishments of Le Dune and Tabú in Porto Cesareo in the province of Lecce. This stretch of free beach evokes many memories when, as children, we used to come here on our mopeds and then, having parked our two wheels in some corner, we would climb up onto these beautiful dunes and race to the bottom to see who could reach the sea first. Memories aside, years later this place has maintained all its beauty and charm thanks mainly to the high sand dunes that have been almost swallowed up by the typical Mediterranean scrub. The Spiaggia libera delle Dune (Free Beach of the Dunes) has a peculiarity that makes it unique compared to the other beaches of Porto Cesareo in that its width is somewhat reminiscent of the beaches of Valencia or Barcelona. The beach is beautiful, worth a visit, the sand is soft and deep, and the sea, especially on days when the north wind blows, maintains that freshness and transparency that make this part of Salento unique. The Spiaggia libera delle Dune (Free Beach of the Dunes) is as crowded as ever in the summer because it is not very far from the nearby town and during the week it is easy to find a car park. For those who do not want to spend a fortune at a bathing establishment, this is the most popular beach and it is very convenient because to the right is Lido Tabú and to the left Le Dune, easily reached for a drink or to listen to some music in the company of nice people. The undisputed queens of this stretch of coastline are the high sand dunes. In the past, they were often targeted by human neglect, as people camped there with tents and umbrellas of various kinds, leaving rubbish everywhere. It is fine here, and you certainly have to be lucky to find the right time of year, since in the height of summer this stretch of coast is completely taken over by that mass tourism that you never get used to. Perhaps June or mid-September is the best period if you do not like confusion to visit this marvellous sea with its picture postcard beach. Take only your beach towel and a few coins for a cool drink, and for the rest enjoy the sun, that soft wind that pleasantly caresses your body, and those wonderful holiday sensations that only the Spiaggia libera delle Dune (Free Beach of the Dunes) can transmit... have a good summer at Porto Cesareo.


Salento beaches
Lo scoglio della Malva

Salento, Porto Cesareo: It looks like an atoll in the Pacific, certainly heart-shaped from the images invading the web in an age of drones and multimedia photos, whatever we want, but the beauty of this simple rock called the Malva that presents itself live to our eyes goes beyond the very boundaries of the simple imagination that a photo conveys. We are in Porto Cesareo, on the western side of Salento, along a stretch of coastline washed by the Ionian Sea and characterised by stretches of soft white sand alternating with high sand dunes engulfed by the green Mediterranean scrub; the sea has colours that change according to the different times of day and range from turquoise to deep blue to emerald, changing according to the different types of sea bed and the reflections of a sun that beats down hard in the middle of summer. The Scoglio della Malva (Mallow Rock), the smaller brother of the nearby islet also known as the Malva (Mallow Island), is the first arrival point for many tourists who swim from the nearby Tabú Lido and decide to reach it to dive and enjoy the unique pleasure of resting on a strip of land surrounded by unspoilt nature. This stretch of coastline is a true piece of paradise, and only by experiencing it at first hand can one realise and gather the emotions that a natural landscape of rare beauty can convey. The area around the Scoglio della Malva is quite busy in the height of summer, and many people go there even on classic pedal boats in search of a corner where they can relax and sunbathe wildly lying along small stretches of beach and covered in salt. Unique beauties that only the Salento can offer, happy summer from Porto Cesareo.


Isola della Malva

Salento, Porto Cesareo: Isola della Malva (Mallow Island) is a tiny islet located in Porto Cesareo in the province of Lecce; we find ourselves along a beautiful stretch of coastline characterised by stretches of fine white beach and a crystal-clear blue sea, and the Isola della Malva rises a few metres from the nearby Torre Chianca. Isola della Malva (Mallow Island) owes its name to this plant that grows wild all over the islet and characterises its beauty along with all the natural aspect that this wonderful islet represents. Isola della Malva (Mallow Island) is easily reached by swimming from the nearby coastline and looks like a corner of paradise on earth; this strip of land offers a few sandy spots alternating with stretches of fairly low and practicable cliffs, as well as the green of the typical Mediterranean scrub that grows wild almost everywhere along this islet, and the mallow that gives it its name. At first glance, the whole environment represents the classic deserted island lost in an azure sea, with its unspoilt nature, white sandy seabed and the ever-present herring gull, the undisputed owner of this picturesque island. If you should ever drop in, motor boats pass just the right distance from the Isola della Malva, the sea is shallow for some stretches and the seabed lends itself marvellously to snorkelling so that you can discover the exciting play of light reflected in this beautiful sea. The stretch of coastline in question is quite busy in the height of summer; we are talking about one of the most populated places in the Salento summer with a massive concentration of lidos, accommodation facilities, docks and boats of all types. Wonders, however, of a Salento all to be visited and photographed for a magical summer. Happy holidays.


Salento beaches
La Strea

Salento, Porto Cesareo: Trekking enthusiasts can easily walk from Torre Squillace to the La Strea peninsula, a strip of land characterised by rich Mediterranean scrub vegetation, part of the Regional Oriented Nature Reserve also known as Palude del Conte. La Strea is also called the land between two seas precisely because on one side it overlooks the coast road that connects Sant"Isidoro to Porto Cesareo and is characterised by the presence of a small stretch of golden sand and the sea is shallow, making it ideal for families with children, while on the other side it has a wide cliff that faces directly onto the open sea and the water soon becomes deep. The Strea is a beautiful experience both for its unspoilt nature and for a habitat that contains different species of birds of rare beauty and sees the proliferation of a fauna thanks to the lack of accessibility of the place and the maintenance of certain environmental balances; a surprising peace and tranquillity reigns here. Walking along some stretches of these suggestive paths among the rushes, the dry stone walls and a long wooden fence marking out the various areas, you will be surprised by how the only human presence is represented by traces of mountain bike wheels or horse dung that have marked their passage; for the rest, only a few small green lizards will cross your path, ignoring you completely. In the past, man"s neglect meant that on the Strea access was also gained by car, thus defacing much of this earthly paradise; today this area has been fully recovered and returned to nature. Thanks to the establishment of the Marine Protected Area, bathing is absolutely forbidden in some places, and the flora that characterises this beautiful stretch of the Salento coastline includes various species of wild plants including myrtle, sea lily, sea onion, thyme and mastic. The only way to reach the La Strea peninsula is on foot from Torre Squillace, or by boat. Visiting this wonderful place you will realise for yourself that you are in the presence of an unspoilt environment take care of it!


Accommodation near Porto Cesareo



Bed and breakfast Caribia

Via Sebastiano Caboto, 36 Torre Lapillo
+39.333.70.92.930


Agriturismo Il Pavone

SP359, 73048 - Boncore, Nardo’ (Le)
+ 39 334 225 9712


Hotel Conte Salentino

Contrada Abate Cola, 73048, Porto Cesareo (Le)
+39 0833 182 0530



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