The Caribbean beaches of the Ionian Salento
On the Ionian coast of the Salento, north west of Gallipoli, Porto Cesareo is a fishing village turned seaside resort, famous for having some of the most beautiful beaches in Italy. Its sea is protected by one of the largest marine protected areas in Italy, with about 17,000 hectares, which safeguards seagrass meadows of Posidonia, coral formations and a rich marine life, and a string of small islands lies just off the coast, including the Isola dei Conigli, the "Rabbit Island", reachable on foot or by pedalo across the shallow water.
North of the village stretch kilometres of fine white sand, backed by dunes covered with junipers and lilies, and a shallow, transparent sea of turquoise and emerald, which has earned the area the nickname "Maldives of the Salento". The most famous beach is Punta Prosciutto, which strangely owes its name to the shape of the headland, said to resemble a ham: a long arc of white sand lapped by crystal-clear water, regularly voted among the most beautiful in Italy. Inland, the small Palude del Conte nature reserve protects a coastal wetland. In Porto Cesareo, the Museum of Marine Biology tells the story of the local sea.
Tip: in August the beaches are very crowded and parking is expensive; in June and September they are at their best.
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