Torre Lapillo is one of the most popular beaches in the Salento: a bay of almost white sand, turquoise water that stays shallow for tens of metres, and a watchtower closing the bay to the north. Here is where it is, what the beach is like, how to get there and where to park.
Where Torre Lapillo is, and how to get there
Torre Lapillo is a village belonging to Porto Cesareo, in the westernmost part of the Salento, towards Taranto. This is the Ionian coast, which many people prefer above all when the tramontana, the north wind, is blowing: with that wind the Ionian is calm. The beach is about 6 km north of Porto Cesareo, before you reach Punta Prosciutto, another famous Salento beach. Torre Lapillo is roughly the same distance from Lecce and from Gallipoli: about 35 km by road from each.
What the beach is like
It is a beach of fine, pale sand, with small dunes here and there. Pale is an understatement: in places the sand is properly white. It is in fact a small bay, about 4 km long. At its northern end stands the coastal tower that gave the place its name, Torre Lapillo: a handsome watchtower, like the ones that dot the whole Salento coast and that were used to defend the land from attacks from the sea. Near the tower there are some rocks too, but low ones.
The tower at Torre Lapillo. Photo: Leonardo d’Angelo.
A long walk in water that stays shallow
Inside the bay the sand is fine and white and the sea crystal clear. The water deepens gently as you go out, so it is an ideal place for families. You have to walk a good way before you are out of your depth, and it is a lovely feeling — and a good excuse for plenty of photos.
Beach clubs or free beach?
Both. At Torre Lapillo there are beach clubs with every service and stretches of free beach, so everyone can do the beach their own way.
Where to park at Torre Lapillo
You can park close to the beach or in the village. There is no restricted traffic zone as there is in Porto Cesareo: you just need to find the spot that suits you. Some car parks have blue lines, which means they are paid.
Torre Lapillo is one of our beaches of the Salento, where you will also find how to choose between the Ionian and the Adriatic depending on the day’s wind.
