There is a beach on the west coast of Salento in Puglia, on the Ionian sea, half way between the famous beaches of Porto Cesareo and Gallipoli: it is the white beach of Sant’Isidoro in the municipality of Nardò. It is a particular beach, different from the other beaches in Salento. It is a small beach, about 700m long, a thing of pure beauty!
Where is Sant’Isidoro
Sant’Isidoro is just south of Porto Cesareo at about 5km distance. You can get to it easily along the Ionian coastal road that in this part of Salento is called the SP286 road. To be precise, the place is called Torre Sant’Isidoro: as are almost all the seaside destinations in Salento. It takes its name from the eponymous coastal watchtower built in the past to check possible pirate landings. It is part of the municipality of Nardò, but in reality it is closer to the towns of Copertino and Leverano besides Porto Cesareo.
How is the beach of Sant’Isidoro
It is a small beach about 700m long, composed almost completely of sand. The particularity of this beach is that, according to me, it has one of the whitest and finest sands in all Salento. I am not exagerating, take a look at the photographs that are in this article to realise. Besides, it is a Caraibic corner of our home: with the coastal tower delimiting the southern part of the basin of the beach, an islet in the middle of the sea, shallow water entering the sea. Decisively fantastic! The clarity of the sand is proved by the various photo shots I took during the years in every different climatic condition. The coastal road runs along the beach, therefore I advise you to stop here for a bit even if you are only passing by. In summer a part of this beach is equipped, the other one is free. But, as always, I’m telling you: in August it is packed with people, ok?
What will I find in Sant’Isidoro
Sant’Isidoro is a small seaside location that populates with local people and tourists during the summer. In town you can find all the main services like: equipped beach, holiday villages, B&Bs, room rentals, supermarket, fishmonger, flats and small villas. In case you had particular needs, Porto Cesareo is very close and you can get there in the blink of an eye.
Locations to visit nearby
The previous photo is of the whole sandy inlet of Sant’Isidoro. Sorry if it’s backlit but it gives you an idea of the kind of beach we are talking about all the same (and even backlit shots have their charm …). If you decide to stay in Sant’isidoro, I heartily suggest going to the beautiful beaches nearby: Porto Cesareo, Torre Lapillo and Punta Prosciutto to the north; Porto Selvaggio, Santa Caterina, Santa Maria al Bagno and Gallipoli to the south. Besides, only a few kilometres away you can find lots of typical Salento towns full of events and festivals during the summer season.
If you need information, just ask.
