Beaches and Shores

Shores to bathe nearest to Masseria Uccio are Tricase Porto and Marina Serra. On this part of the coast there are no beaches but at Marina Serra the sea erosion created a nice inlet that appears as a real natural pool.

* SEARCH FOR AVAILABILTY AT MASSERIA UCCIO *

 

All coastline going North from Tricase Porto along the coast road is rocky and jagged. You may have a bath at Marina di Andrano, with many kiosks fit out to drink a cocktail, listen to good music and rent beach umbrellas and deckchairs on wooden platforms (e.g. Cochabamba is very nice).

Going along the coastline, you arrive in Marittima where there is the fantastic inlet Acquaviva, a gorge reachable though a path made of small steps in the rocks.

Up to Castro the coast becomes higher and arduous with difficult access to the sea. Castro is a small fishermen village on a very nice inlet, where there is the Zinzulusa cave with very ancient origins. A few kilometres away you find Porto Miggiano, a wonderful inlet with a emerald green sea where rubber dinghy and sea bicycles may be rent to enjoy the sea, away from the crowd.

Continuing North, you reach Santa Cesarea with its famous thermal baths and sulphureous water springs. You may go to sunbath on the terrace of “Caicco”.

Before arriving to Otranto, you find Porto Badisco, a very nice natural and narrow inlet, where there is a small beach. It is the perfect place for a greepy break. Those who love sea urchins can eat them in the bar “Carlo De Paola”. Going ahead, there is the marvellous Baia delle Orte, which can be reached walking through a pinewood. The cliff is low here but in some points is high and steep on the sea and full of gorges, small caves and beaches to be discovered. Beach lovers should wait to arrive in  Otranto with its resorts,  e.g. the very nice lido Atlantis with bar and restaurant. The famous and nice Baia Dei Turchi only 10 km away from Otranto, Alimini: a very long and windy sand beach most appreciated by surfers and kitesurfers. Next there is Frassanito, a resort mostly patronized by young people. All beaches around Otranto are crowded in August. You must spend a day on the sea at Torre S. Andrea, a marvellous bay with high stacks around which protect the small beach from the wind. The sea is green – blue. Before reaching the Riserva Naturale delle Cesine, you will find Roca Vecchia with a picturesque cliff on the green emerald sea and the Grotta Della Poesia, a natural basin invaded by the sea where legend says there was a princess having a bath, so pretty to attract all local poets.

If from Tricase Porto you go South, after few miles you reach Funnuvoiere, where the cliff, although not so comfortable, is very nice indeed: the sharpened rocks seem a moon landascape! Today some wooden platforms let you reach the sea more easily than before. If you want to eat or drink something, you may stop at “Scalamsciu”. Not far from  Funnuvoiere, you find Guardiola and Canale del Rio, with high cliff and sea easily reachable after having walked down a long flight of steps.

After a hard return, you may have a drink at the small kiosk on the promontory of  “Guardiola” while enjoying a breathtaking panorama. Novaglie is also very nice, located before arriving at the marvellous canal of Ciolo: you may have a bath in the small creek under the Ciolo bridge (too crowded in August) or in lesser known places with more difficult access to the sea indicated with the names of Mattara, Aspro and Giulicchio. After some kilometres of high cliff, you reach Santa Maria di Leuca. For those who love rocks, they may have a bath at  Punta Meliso or at Porcinara, while only the most agile people may jump into the crystal sea at Ristola: on the promontory of Ristola you find Grotta del Diavolo accessible also via land.

The atrium of the cave becomes narrower and narrower till opening two paths to the sea. If you love comfort, you may rent deckchairs and beach umbrellas on the wooden platforms of Lido Giulia. Going ahead along the coast road, if you wish to jump into the sea far away from the crowd, you may wear sneakers and walk on the rocks of Marcheddhu or take the path from the restaurant “La Fenice” to the sea. Ahead you encounter the stones Spiaggia Ciardo and afterwards Felloniche, a small beach with slightly uncomfortable access to the sea. Finally, where the sand turns into rock, a refined beach club was inaugurated last year: Bagni Marinelli, with white beach umbrellas, sunbeds, cabins, and a bar on wooden platforms.

The charming small bay of San Gregorio is unfortunately too crowded in August, but in June and September the sea is wonderful. You can have an aperitif, lunch, and dinner on the panoramic terraces of the nearby "Bar del Moro". Just a short walk away are the beaches of Torre Vado and Pesculuse with dunes covered in wild lilies and fine sand. The free beach alternates with numerous equipped beaches, the most popular (but for this reason too crowded between late July and August) is the Le Maldive beach, so called for the colors of the sand and sea. Continuing along the coast you reach the beaches of Lido Marini, Torre Mozza and Torre San Giovanni. The Balelido in Torre Mozza is now one of the trendiest equipped beaches: it has only 26 palm trees and guests relax eating fruit and drinking prosecco by the sea (sunbed and umbrella cost 45 euros in August!). In Torre San Giovanni, on the other hand, Lido Cocoloco is a beach bar frequented by young people: at sunset it turns into a real disco until eight in the evening!

In the long bay of Gallipoli, low dunes follow one another between Lido Pizzo (frequented by nudists and loved by VIPs) and Punta della Suina, which can be reached through a dense pine forest: two equipped beaches and a bar with a panoramic terrace, where you can sip an aperitif with background music. In Baia Verde, the equipped beaches Zen and Samara become evening clubs with lounge music. About 10 km from Gallipoli there is Santa Caterina: here the coast is low and rocky and there are coves with crystal-clear green-blue water.

Continuing, a stop at Porto Selvaggio is a must: after crossing a large Aleppo pine forest, you reach a tiny pebble beach and dive into green-blue water. Further on you return to the beaches.Porto Cesareo is a natural harbor. Its coast is characterized by beaches that stretch for 17 km in front of an archipelago of islets. The beach is of very fine and white sand. There are numerous equipped beaches that alternate with the free beach. Among the many, Tabù and Le Dune are crowded beaches where you can have fun (and maybe lose weight!) with some water aerobics to the rhythm of music. The Goa is more exclusive, very popular with young people.

Finally, between Torre Lapillo and Punta Prosciutto (where there is a fried food shop where you can enjoy a fried squid by the sea) there is the enchanting Lido Degli Angeli. A succession of dunes, up to 6 meters high, of the whitest sand.