Porto Cesareo
A white-sand coast within a marine protected area, with shallow, clear waters as transparent as the Caribbean, and the 'Rabbit Island' just offshore that you can wade or paddle to.
Porto Cesareo lies on the northern stretch of the Ionian coast in Salento. The surrounding waters form one of Italy's largest marine protected areas. The long beach slopes gently, and the water is shallow and clear, with several small islands scattered offshore. Among them, Isola dei Conigli (Rabbit Island) can be reached by small boat or stand-up paddleboard. The town harbour has a marine life museum and numerous seafood restaurants, where raw sea urchin and oysters are local specialties. To the northwest lies the white dune beach of Punta Prosciutto. In summer, tourists and holiday homes are concentrated here, and beach clubs and parking are paid. It is about 30 km from Lecce.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Punta Prosciutto
- Porto Selvaggio Nature Park
- Nardò
- Gallipoli Old Town
- Lecce Cathedral & Piazza del Duomo
- Porta Napoli
- Museo Faggiano
- Lecce Old Town