Beaches | Masseria Giulio Apartments Francavilla Fontana, Puglia

"An infinite sky reflected in clear waters of an impossible shade of turquoise"

Italy Magazine

Our top 5 beaches

With a coastline that extends for over 500 miles (800kms) Puglia is famous for its beaches - over 50 of which have been awarded the coveted Blue Flag status by the FEE (out of 427 for the whole of Italy in 2022). The Daily Telegraph Travel section published a special Italy 2015 supplement in January 2015 and rated Puglia as its number one destination for beaches:

"Some of the best beaches in mainland Italy are in Puglia - particularly in a string of pristine sandy strands south of the historic towns of Avetrana and Manduria...For white sand, translucent water and informal beach-shack lunches, head for the seaside villages of Punta Prosciutto or Torre Colimena."

This is our local stretch of beach (if we head south) about 35 minutes drive away - whilst heading north-east the coast is about 20 minutes away.
Beaches in Italy fall into two categories; public / free beaches where you can turn up with your cool-box of refreshments and towels to enjoy the sea and sand; and private lidos where you typically pay to hire an umbrella and sun loungers (most families hire two loungers) for the day - they usually have toilets, a bar, snack shop and often a play area. Most lidos also have lifeguards on duty.

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Masseria Giulio | Holiday Apartments Francavilla Fontana, Puglia, swimming pool, garden, Salento, Italian escape, hidden oasis, holiday house, Southern Italy, seaside, beach

1. Punta Prosciutto (Ionian)

Punta Prosciutto (Ham Point) is one of the most celebrated beaches in Puglia - and with good reason. A beautiful sandy crescent beach that slopes gently down and into the water makes this a brilliant bay for families. There are also a couple of new bars near the beach for refreshments during the day should you chose not to pay for a sun lounger on one of the lidos. The only downside to this beach is its fame - it features prominently in many tourist guides / travel supplements and therefore is incredibly busy during July and August. Outside of the main tourist season though there are very few places that can beat it.

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2. Torre Guaceto (Adriatic)

Torre Guaceto is a nature reserve / marine protected area covering approximately 1,000 hectares of land along 7 kilometres of coast. There is a visitor's centre with information about the local flora and fauna - although this is not in the same place as the main beach area and is a short car drive away. Close to the main beach there is a separate centre providing information about sea turtles which do breed and lay their eggs on the beach (so please be very careful about any areas roped off when you visit!). Outside the main season, there is a car park about 400m from the beach, but the walk is well worthwhile. In the summer you will be directed to a larger car park slightly further away from where a free bus / land train is laid on to ferry people (and their beach equipment) from the car park to the beach. The beach is stunning with dunes behind and slopes gently into the sea - meaning that it is fantastic for families. As this is a nature reserve, there are fewer facilities available at this beach, even during the peak season.

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3. Torre Colimena (Ionian)

The stretch of coast between Porto Cesareo and Campomarino is littered with fine sandy beaches nestled behind the sand dunes that run beside the coast road. The dunes are formed over old volcanic rock, layers of which are still visible forming some natural wind / sun breaks and providing some interesting rock pools for searching for small crabs, fish and other sealife. The small seaside town of Torre Colimena provides all the necessary refreshment for a day on the beach with bars, restaurants and gelaterias (for those all important ice creams!).

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4. San Pietro in Bevagne (Ionian)

This is on the same stretch of coast as Torre Colimena but San Pietro is slightly bigger than Torre Colimena meaning that in the summer it is a bit more lively with more general activities in the town. Great for slightly older children as it can be a little rockier and the beach slopes away a little quicker than further along the coast.

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5. Pantanagianni (Adriatic)

Nestled between the small towns of Santa Sabina and Specchiolla is this lovely sweeping bay. The beach has a good lido and plenty of “free beach” space too. Plus both towns are within a few minutes walk (or a short drive) and feature several good bars, restaurants and ice cream shops. So it makes for a good day out combining a fantastic beach with some delicious seafood.

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