The coastal landscape is composed of high dunes, Mediterranean vegetation and low cliffs, with crystal clear waters and shallow sea, here and there scattered coves and rocks and a vegetation of juniper, rosemary and thyme.
Along the coast of Taranto that goes from Marina di Leporano to San Pietro and beyond, you can see the coastal towers of the sixteenth century outposts for the defense of local populations, some of them have been restored and can be visited.
Ionian coasts
The sea of the Ionian coasts are known for the incredible clarity that allows you to see with clarity well beyond 10 meters deep.
From the Marina di Leporano to Campomarino there are the best beaches of Taranto: the beach of Porto Pirrone, divided into three basins with crystal clear water; Baia d’Argento; Baia del Pescatore, part of the Marina di Pulsano, where the small fishing boats land at dawn and often sell their catch directly on the beach; the beach of Montedarena, with its very light and fine sand and its clear waters; the beach of Lido Silvana, well known, then the beach of Bagnara up to arrive to Campomarino (Maruggio):
- Piri-Piri/Acquadolce
- Commenda/Conte d’Ayala
- Campomarino (left side of the port)
- Giannarelli
- Monaco/Mirante (coastal road towards San Pietro in Bevagna)
Further south, the marina of the municipality of Manduria, San Pietro in Bevagna, on whose seabed there are some sarcophagi transported by a Roman ship that sank here in the third century AD; then you reach Torre Colimena and the Salina dei Monaci. The rear dune area of Torre Colimena and the Salina dei Monaci are part of the Oriented Regional Nature Reserve of the Eastern Tarantino Coast.
Continuing further south, Punta Prosciutto and the beaches of Torre Lapillo and Porto Cesareo.
Definitely worth a visit the Porto Selvaggio’s bay (direction Gallipoli).
A green pine forest skirts a rocky promontory that looks at a small cove mainly gravel. It is precisely the conformation of the coastline that gives the sea crystalline reflections.
Access to Porto Selvaggio: walking in the pine forest, but especially from the sea, thanks to the boats that shuttle from Porto Cesareo. As we said, very little sand and a lot of rock, but unforgettable colors of the sea.
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Principle image: Francesco Pulieri
