My advice for today’s trip is: where are the beautiful and best beaches in Porto Cesareo in Puglia, Italy? From the emails and phone calls I receive, this is a recurring question. So much so that I have decided to write an article on the subject to share with all of you who follow me. I will begin by telling you that Porto Cesareo is quite a large district that extends itself along a coastal strip that is kilometres long. Therefore saying Porto Cesareo sometimes means saying everything or nothing. When we say Porto Cesareo we also refer to its seaside resorts of Torre Lapillo and Punta Prosciutto. Locations I name not by chance because it is there that the most beautiful beaches can be found! The following is a question that has been sent to me: “Hello, my boyfriend and I would like to come on holiday to Porto Cesareo in August and we don’t know if a flat or a b&b would be cheaper […] Another doubt is if to choose Porto Cesareo, Torre Lapillo or Punta Prosciutto because in the various forums there are contrasting opinions.. about the cleanliness of the sea or there is who says there are more rocks than sand and viceversa. We are looking for a crystalline and sloping sea with white sand.. in other words a Carabean beach what do you advise? Thank you! Carolina”

Porto Ceasreo in itself, the town, doesn’t have any beaches to advise. It only has one small beach that I wouldn’t suggest because it is the town beach, very small and always packed with people in August. To find the beaches at Porto Cesareo: forget Porto Cesareo and go from Torre Lapillo upwards, towards north, towards the magnificent Punta Prosciutto (we are still in the municipality of Porto Cesareo, ok? Torre Lapillo and Punta Prosciutto are two of its fractions, remember that). The previous image will show you the beaches of Torre Lapillo highlighted in yellow: did you see how big the bay is? There, that area is all a very long beach, kilometres of fine, white sand, yes. As you can see, I have voluntarily left the area of Porto Cesareo and surrounding areas to the side: there there are rocks, then there’s the port.

The other area with lots of sand is the area of Punta Prosciutto, as I see it one of the most beautiful beaches in all of Puglia and certainly the most beautiful in Salento togheter with Torre Lapillo beach (obviously this is a personal opinion). The beach begins from the area of Torre Castiglione towards north with a rocky part that is Punta Grossa. Then, from Punta Grossa to Punta Prosciutto, it is all beach with white sand again with dunes as high as 8 metres. Here there are fewer houses than Torre Lapillo, the area is wilder. In any case, in both Torre Lapillo and Punta Prosciutto you can find holiday homes and villas to rent for the summer (I am selecting them personally …). I specifically answered the previous request with this specification: but what are the forums that talk about this area? Here they are: …

“http://www.tripadvisor.it/ShowTopic-g1069599-i12807-k3627349-Aiutatemi_a_scegliere_meglio-Porto_Cesareo_Puglia.html qua la 3° risposta dice che a porto cesareo centro il mare non è un granchè..(forse perchè più vicino al porto)e che le spiagge sono migliori a torre..
Qua invece dicono il contrariohttp://it.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080326102213AAnwQQ9 cioè che la spiaggia a torre era sporca e i fondali erano piu rocciosi che sabbiosi.
Perciò non saprei..in alcuni siti ho visto foto di punta prosciutto che sembra di essere ai caraibi e in altri ci sono foto in cui sembra che la spiaggia sia decisamente piu scura..sul dorato diciamo..”

Indeed, the two links signalled by a reader say various interesting things. In any case, I will summerise it for you:
– Porto Cesareo town: no beaches
– Torre Lapillo and Punta Prosciutto: yes beaches (we are still in the municipality of Porto Cesareo)
– Clear sea? Wherever there is sand. I think that for absolute clearness, Torre Lapillo is better
– Fine sand: Torre Lapillo first then Punta Prosciutto
– Peacefulness in August: Punta Prosciutto is better
– Holiday homes and villas at less than 200 metres from the sand: both Torre Lapillo and Punta Prosciutto
– Ideal for children: the water in some parts of the bay of Torre Lapillo is very shallow for many metres! But also in many parts of Punta Prosciutto.

I hope I have been helpful to you, in any case you can contact me via email if you need further information!