Discover the best beaches in Puglia based on my true experience living in Puglia over summer! Puglia is in southern Italy in the region known as the ‘heel of Italy’s’ boot. Puglia has been a famous beach and holiday destination for Italians forever, however, the rest of the world is starting to catch on to all of the delights of the stunning region.
Puglia boasts an impressive coastline which stretches from the Adriatic Sea on the east coast around to the Ionian Sea on the west coast. There is a great diversity of beaches to suit almost anyone’s taste. From long sandy beaches to rocky grottos to small idyllic coves and sparking ports. Puglia is home to some of the best beaches in Europe!
This region is spoilt for choice when it comes to insanely gorgeous beaches with crystal clear waters, cotton candy skies and charming ancient seaside villages.
In 2023, I spent July and August in Lecce, Puglia and I went on a MISSION to find the most beautiful beaches in Puglia – and boy did I find them! In this post, I’m letting you in on my absolute favourite seaside spots in Puglia, particularly in the southern region of Salento.
Keep in mind that not all of these spots are technically beaches – some of them are rocky shorelines, marinas or town coastlines – but they all have one thing in common, incredible blue sea, best swimming in Puglia and epic perches to tan. Also note that all of these beaches are based on my personal preferences which are all about charming towns meeting the sea and beautiful water for swimming. There are some famous sandy beach spots, particularly on the West Coast (like Porto Cesareo) that would usually make a list like this, but I didn’t rate them! In summer they were so crowded and the sea just wasn’t as nice. Each to their own! You will also notice that I strongly favoured the east coast over the west.
1. Castro Marina | Salento
I have to give the top award to Castro Marina from my time in Puglia, even though it technically isn’t a beach. It was very close between Torre dell’Orso and Castro Marina! What I loved so much about Castro Marina was the gorgeous rock formations that meet the ancient town walls and the concrete steps of the marina with the ladders that welcome you into the deep crystal-clear sea. Which was just totally heavenly for swimming in. The town itself is built up onto a hill which creates a stunning view – this is definitely Puglia’s answer to Positano. I went to Castro Marina maybe 4 times while I was in Puglia and I loved it more each time.
If you continue to walk towards the south around the rocks you will find even more secluded coves and rocky places to dive into the water. Perhaps I should have called this post “best rocks to perch on and jump into the water from in Puglia”.
2. Torre dell’Orso | Salento
Torre dell’Orso is a beautiful beach located in the province of Lecce. What makes this one of the best beaches in Puglia is the crystal clear waters and white sand surrounded by striking limestone cliff formations.
Two towering cliffs emerging from the sea, known as Due Sorelle or Two Sisters, are the main feature of the beach!
Torre dell’Orso was probably my favourite beach to just spend the entire day on. I fell in love. It was extremely crowded always but the sea was just so incredible and it was nice to have sand to lie on. Plus it was so accessible to Lecce, that getting there wasn’t a huge mission.
My pro tip is to head to the far southern corner of the beach where there are no beach clubs and umbrellas. This is the end where the Two Sisters Cliffs are. The rock formations and semi-secluded bay are so stunning and also sheltered if it is a windy day! Plus you can walk a few minutes to the nearest beach club for a beer and espresso!
3. Sant’Andrea & Faraglioni di Sant’Andrea | Salento
This beach in Puglia really stole the show for me! Located about 5 minutes south of Torre del’Orsso, this small beach is more of a hidden gem! There is a small sandy beach with restaurants surrounding which is okay, but quite busy. The true magic lies when you walk across the clifftop a little north to Faraglioni di Sant’Andrea. Just prepared to do some rock climbing! This spot is made up of rocks and white rock formations towering out of Powerrade blue water. The only place to perch is on jagged rocks, which is a bit uncomfortable so it’s much better to jump right off the rocks and into the sea!
From the sandy beach, you can also walk south in the other direction and find more rocks perches and cliffy coves to explore. There isn’t really any town here so it feels a bit off the beaten path and more wild, which I loved. I adored this place, don’t miss it!
4. Lama Monachile, Polignano a Mare | Bari
Lama Monachile is THE most famous beach in Puglia and is certainly the most Instagrammable spot in Puglia. My list of best beaches in Puglia wouldn’t be complete without this iconic beach, because this town is totally worth the hype.
Lama Monachile is located in the gorgeous seaside town of Polignano a Mare in the province of Bari, north of Lecce. Lama Monachile is a small cove in the centre of the town. It is surrounded by cliffs with ancient white-washed buildings perched on top. It is a stunning sight to behold!
The cove is small with calm waters (if it’s not windy that are perfect for swimming and also pretty daring cliff jumping. However, it is ultra popular so don’t expect to have the place to yourself! We recommend going as early as possible or later in the evening. Just make sure you stay until sunset because this whitewashed clifftop town is simply breathtaking at sunset.
5. Otranto Marina | Salento
Otranto is another incredible stunning whitewashed seaside town located on the east coast, just a bit further south from Torre del’Orsso. This stunning spot is worth visiting regardless of going to the beach. However, this spot is on the list purely because of how incredible the water was. It was like the most perfect crystal clear swimming pool. Honestly, the quality of the sea along the east coast from Torre del’Orsso to Otranto is perfection, especially because of the sandy sea floor.
My favourite place to swim was just below the dramatic city walls. It’s just a footpath and some rocks right next to the sea, where you can just jump on it to the most beautiful water you’ve ever seen. The water is quite shallow and it is very sheltered making it a very pleasant and safe swimming experience. Plus there are so many bars and restaurants to wine and dine in afterwards. This is for me, as a New Zealander, pure magic that I cannot find anywhere at home!
6. Santa Cesarea Terme | Salento
This is another gorgeous on the South Eastern coast of Puglia – which by the way the stretch of coastline from Otranto to Santa Maria di Leucca is often more sheltered from the northerly winds. This town is yet again a rocky coastline with beautiful quaint buildings lining it, including Palazzo Sticchi which looks like it belongs in Rajasthan, not Italy. However to find the best ‘beach’ if you can call it that, walk towards Cala Porticciolo and find a stairway to heaven, that will lead you down to the beautiful sea. There are beach clubs where you can hire an umbrella and chairs or you can just lie on the rocks and jump into the incredibly beautiful sea.
7. Baia di Porto Miggiano | Salento
This incredible beach is NOT to be missed. Located just south (walking distance) from Santa Cesarea Terme, you will find this incredibly impressive cove. Surrounded by cliffs, you descend to the beach down some stairs, which honestly has the most amazing views. Once you reach the bottom, you can either choose to perch on a concrete platform or rocks. Otherwise, you can continue to walk around the rocks to come to a small sandy beach. This bay is beautiful for swimming in with many cliff caves to explore. Even if you don’t end up going down to the beach just looking at the view from the cliff is spectacular.
8. Cala Porta Vecchia & surrounding coves, Monopoli | Bari
Located in the province of Bari you will find the small seaside village of Monopoli which has one of the best beaches in Puglia at its centre, Cala Porta Vecchia. Monopoli in itself is one of the most amazing towns in Puglia and the fact it has a beautiful beach right in the centre of it is just a bonus. This beach is quite small and crowded but it is picturesque as hell!
One of the most striking features of this beach is its location just below the white-washed old town walls in the city centre. You can walk around the city walls to find a perch on huge concrete retaining blocks in the sea and dive straight in to have a more secluded experience.
If you continue to walk along the main promenade you will find even more secluded coves to relax in more privacy such as Cala Cozze, Porto Bianco and Porto Rosso. A bit further along (12 minutes walk) you will find the stunning Porto Verde Beach and Grotto di Cala Paradiso. I really loved exploring all of these little coves just south of Monopoli, they were stunning. After a long day tanning and swimming, head back to the main town to cool down with an Aperol or Hugo Spritz and you’re in heaven.
9. Cala dell’Acquaviva | Salento
This stunning small beach is located just south of Castro. If you don’t have a car, it is a 30-minute walk or a 5-minute drive. This picturesque bay features a small sandy beach and of course, lots of rocks to climb, perch on and jump off. It also features really cute buildings and a stunning restaurant which really makes the vibe. This little spot is very popular though so be prepared to fight for a spot for your towel!
10. Porto Selvaggio | Salento
This literally translates to wild beach! And it definitely was the wildest beach I visited in Puglia. It is also the only west coast beach I consider worthy of my list! To get to this beach you have to hike down through a forest (it can be a little confusing, just follow the people!). You will eventually find a beautiful peddle beach surrounded by trees and rocks. You can either perch amongst the trees, on the rocks or on the pebbles.
This beach definitely had more hippie, youth camper vibes to it which was really cool with little stalls selling drinks and handmade jewellery. Another cool thing about this beach is the freshwater spring running into the sea! This means in places the water is freezing and then warm.
11. Santa Maria di Leuca | Salento
Santa Maria di Leuca is a stunning seaside town located at the southernmost tip of Puglia in the province of Lecce. This is home to some of the most beautiful beaches and coves in Puglia. The surrounding landscape is also breathtaking and worth making an effort to visit.
What is special about Santa Maria di Leuca is that it is the place where the Ionian and Adriatic seas meet. It’s also home to the southernmost tip of Italy. On a clear day, you can see the different colours of each sea from the Punta Ristola viewpoint.
One of the best ways to explore the surrounding beaches and caves of Santa Maria is via boat or kayak. I can definitely recommend doing a boat trip to the caves, I did this and it was really beautiful the colour of the water was spectacular. The beach in the main town itself is sandy and reasonably nice but not the best.
A note on the wind!
When you go to Puglia, you will quickly learn that the direction of the wind is incredibly important to everyone in their daily life and where they decide to go to the beach. If you want to experience the best beaches in Puglia in the best way, you need to know the wind. When the wind is coming from the north, the west & south coasts are calm and the east coast is windy as hell. When the wind is coming from the south the east coast tends to be calm and the west coast is windy and then you have winds that come from the east and west. The winds can be very high and unpleasant so always have a look at the direction of the wind before making a day trip.
How to get around Puglia
Without a doubt, the best way to get around Puglia is by hiring a car. The public transport system isn’t the greatest and it will be a bit of a mission to get to all of these beaches using buses and trains (but it is possible I did it).
During the peak summer months, you may be able to get away with catching buses to the beaches from main centres such as Lecce City however having a car is preferred.
Plus when you have a car, you have the freedom to explore the hidden coastline where you can find hidden beaches for yourself (we all know these are truly the best ones!!). The downside of having a car is that driving is a bit crazy and parking is incredibly hard to find in summer and also costs quite a lot of money.
I managed to travel to all of these beaches from Lecce via public transport. The beaches in Bari (Polignano a Mare & Monopoli) are easy to access by train and the beaches in Salento are pretty much all accessible via bus from June to the start of September. It is crucial to familiarise yourself with the bus timetable because they don’t come often and you DO NOT want to be stranded. Check Omio app and also Salento By Bus for the most up-to-date timetables. If you aren’t staying in a main town in Puglia with transport links you must have a car.
Where to stay
If you are planning on exploring many of the best beaches in Puglia as opposed to staying in one place, it’s best to find accommodation in a centrally located town or city and travel from there. See which region has the biggest number of places you’d like to go to and stay in the nearest town.
The city of Lecce is a great option as it is centrally located. It is well connected with lots of accommodation options and you can travel easily between the east, west and south coast. Plus Puglia isn’t huge overall so in a day you can see most of the destinations from Lecce from the top of Puglia to the bottom. I can’t recommend Lecce enough as a city, I fell madly in love with it!
If you just want to base yourself in one place and do some small trips from there, pick your favourite beach and search for accommodation in the nearest town!
When to visit
The best time to visit Puglia is between May and October. July and August are the hottest, busiest and most expensive months as the rest of Italy descends on Puglia for a holiday. July and August were extremely hot and also quite intensely crowded, but I honestly loved it. The vibes were so high and so much was happening. Everyone was out and about on vacation and generally just having an amazing time. Plus mass tourism hasn’t found its way to Puglia yet, meaning it has retained all of its authentic charm, even in the peak of the season. However, this may not suit everyone. May to June and September to October will also be amazing but you will need a car during these months to see these beaches.
