Best Beaches in Puglia

Here is our chart of the top 10 best beaches in Puglia that we visited during our holiday this year. Do you have your own hidden treasures? Please share these with us!

10. Spiaggia di Torre Pozzelle

This beach can be described in two parts. The first more populated part is a small bay ending at a small sand beach. what is peculiar is that the sand on the beach feels not as natural, but rather as industrial sand. Also the layer of the sand is thin as well. So it is actually not very comfortable to lay there. The water was with green muddy color due to the clay on the bottom of the sea. Another negative thing were the few cliffs on the sea bottom, where you could easily hurt your leg if you are without swimming shoes.

Just a few meters away (near the Torre Pozzelle itself) you find yourself in a totally wild and very beautiful seashore. There is no sand beach but some people prefer to lay on the cliffs and admire the wild nature. The sea water is stormier there so do not expect to see the crystal clear color of the water. Nevertheless, the walk along the seashore passing by the Torre Pozzelle is really recommended. 

9. Spiaggia di Marina di Lizzano

A nice medium size beach narrow in width, but with a very fine sand and great still water. The sea water is clear but not that bright blue. The beach is quite popular as it is right in the center of the town. Good for families and kids. 

8. Spiaggia di Porto Sàturo

Amazingly fine sand and crystal clear water. Bright blue. For many meters into the sea the water is still under your chin. 

Do not go to the private club nearby if you want more wild experience. Besides, the club is located on the cliffs. Go along the path to reach out the sandy beach. 

Amazing beach, just too overcrowded in August. This was literally the only beach where we did not find place for our umbrella and towels. 

7. Marina di Ginosa

Getting to the beach itself is quite a challenge, because the closest car park is overcrowded at most times. You can easily park on the street for free but then you have to cross the railway and make your way for a few minutes through the hot sand and some bushes. But when you reach the beautiful beach itself you definitely feel it was all worth it. The beach is couple of kilometers long, significantly wide, and having a fine sand. Most of the beach is wild, which makes it very easy to find the perfect spot for your towels and umbrella in solitary. The water itself was very clear but with greenish hue. The sea bottom is very soft and consist only of sand, but, due to the morrow yellowish-green color of the sand the whole sea has an overall green color. Almost no wind which is really surprising for Puglia. Only few fishes are to be seen, compared to other places. Also, on the way to the beach it is quite a lot of man-made garbage. 

6. Spiaggia di Torre dell'Orso

Very big beach with a lot of private parts and fewer free public beaches. The private parts offered umbrella and two sunbeds for 30+ EUR per day, which was quite expensive. The sand is relatively fine, clean, but due to the popularity of the beach it is quite overcrowded during the season. Water is crystal clear in blue shade and sea bottom is sandy and soft. There are quite a lot of cafes and beach bars for your convenience just a few meters away. 

5. Punta Prosciutto Beach

Fine white sand, translucent waters, wide and long beach. It is often quoted as one of the greatest in Puglia and it would have been rated better in our chart if we visited it outside of the peak season. It was just overcrowded. This beach is very family friendly and you will see many italian families visiting it all the time. No negatives except for the crowd and the traffic jams to get there. 

4. Spiaggia di Pescoluse (Maldive del Salento)

Fine sand, kilometers long and turquoise waters. A true piece of paradise in Salento region. The water is light blue, the sand is very fine and white in color and this amazing beach gives you the feeling of being on a distant exotic island. The crystal clear water gives you the chance to see many fishes, even without snorkel. The beach is many kilometers long and sufficiently wide. There are enough sections of private and public parts as well. Near the shore there are a lot of restaurants and beach bars. The only negative thing is that due to its popularity in the high season the beach is so overcrowded that there is very few free space both in the water and on the sand and quite significant waiting times in the nearby restaurants and bars. As one of our favourite beaches we will definitely visit it again, this time outside of the high season - maybe in September or May. 

3. Campomarino of Maruggio Beach
The region is popular protected area with rich vegetation and interesting birds. The sand is fine, water is crystal clear and shiny blue. The beach is not overcrowded and you have enough space to enjoy the sun and water. Good place for snorkeling.

2. Spiaggia di Punta della Suina

Nice long beach hidden behind a pine tree forest. The beach itself is sandy, where the bars are. Still, a bit to the north, the landscape changes - cliffs covered with soil and sand that are not overpopulated. You can secure your umbrella on the cliffs with some stones and enjoy the beauty of this amazing place. To get into the water you need to go through some cliffs. But just a few meters away you are astonished by the soft sand bottom of the sea which spreads over kilometers. The water is not very deep so you can go far in. There is a lot of fish, beautiful mussels, crabs and shells. This is definitely a must try beach and we strongly recommend it. 

1. Torre Colimena beach

This is a protected sand dunes area, thus the beach feels very wild. Not only the nature around is amazing but also there is a small river flowing into the sea from the nearby lake. One could enjoy not only the crystal clear blue sea water but also the ice cold transparent river water. The contrast between the sea and the river is amazing and it is great that one could enjoy both at the same place. Both in the sea and in the river there is a lot of fish and you could admire the beauty of the different species. 

The sea bottom was very soft and entirely sandy. 

The beach itself is long but not very wide. Nevertheless there is sufficient space for everybody who wants to enjoy this wild paradize. Another amazing thing is that the sand is medium fine and inside you can see millions of tiny shells of which the sand is composed. 

It is real enjoyment to lay on your towel and to look for the many different shapes of sea life in the sand. 

(the river)

(the beach)

The above is our personal best beaches list. Do you have your own favorites that I have missed? Let me know in the comments!