8 BEST THINGS TO SEE IN PUGLIA: VISIT GARGANO!
March 18, 2024
In the Gargano there are some of the best places to visit in Puglia. Check out our list of the best places to visit in Puglia and visit Gargano!
In the northern part of Apulia lies the spur of Italy: the beautiful Gargano peninsula. With its bays and coves nestled between cliffs, the Gargano peninsula boasts a beautiful coastline covered in Mediterranean maquis. The beaches of the Gargano have a wild atmosphere and are jewels of our sea. Here are the best beaches in Gargano!
The Gargano peninsula, located in the northern part of Apulia, is a very wild area, where the long white sandy beaches typical of the south of the region are replaced by coves surrounded by cliffs on which rich green vegetation grows. All the Gargano beaches are different and have unique characteristics: some are more easily accessible while others are small paradises that can only be reached by sea or after a long walk on paths winding through the vegetation.
This is why, if you are planning a holiday on the Gargano peninsula, we recommend that you make the most of your time and set off to discover the coves and bays dotted along the coast. In our opinion, the most beautiful beaches along the Gargano coast are those between Mattinata and Peschici, because they are wilder and surrounded by the cliffs and vegetation of the peninsula.
The Gargano Peninsula boasts numerous stunning coves and hidden bays, including Cala della Sanguinara and Cala della Pipa, which are challenging to access by foot. If you want to visit these places, we advise you to make a list of the beaches you want to visit, such as the one we are proposing, and choose one of them as a starting point from which to travel by sea. Choose a ‘base beach’ that is easily accessible on foot and has nearby parking. From here, you can take a stand-up paddleboard or kayak, either your own or a rented one, to explore the hidden caves along the coast or reach magnificent secluded coves.
In this article, we offer you our list of the best beaches in Gargano, which are definitely worth a visit!
Among the best beaches in Gargano is definitely the San Felice beach. San Felice beach is located near the resort of Portonuovo and can be a great starting point for visiting the coast, as it is easily accessible. You can leave your car in one of the dirt car parks along the provincial road that follows the coast and easily access the beach through the adjacent campsite.
The beach at San Felice is both equipped and partly free and is located in a small bay protected by the surrounding high cliffs covered with typical Mediterranean vegetation.
You can take advantage of the bar and restaurant services offered by the campsite’s bathing establishment.
Near this beach is the beautiful Arco di San Felice, a majestic rock arch that rises imposingly from the sea and which you can reach by kayak or stand-up paddleboard. Alternatively, you can admire the arch from one of the viewpoints along the provincial road SP53, which follows the entire coastline, from which you can also enjoy a beautiful view of San Felice Bay. Certainly, the views you can admire from San Felice beach make it one of the Gargano best beaches!
Gargano beaches: San Felice beach
Cala della Sanguinara is one of the best beaches in the Gargano, but also one of the most difficult to reach.
You can reach the beach by following a path that starts from the provincial road and descends steeply along the cliff through the vegetation. To walk along this path, we recommend that you wear tennis shoes or hiking boots and allow at least 20 minutes’ walking time.
The best way to reach the Cala della Sanguinara is by sea with a kayak or stand-up paddleboard, starting from the nearby Baia di Campi.
The Cala della Sanguinara is located in a long, narrow inlet set into the cliffs, which is extremely picturesque and wild-looking. The part of the beach is very small and there is little space to spread a towel. The sand consists mainly of pebbles and rocks. Obviously, you will not find any bars or services at Cala della Sanguinara, so we recommend that you bring along everything you need, such as water and food.
In the Gargano there are some of the best places to visit in Puglia. Check out our list of the best places to visit in Puglia and visit Gargano!
The Baia di Campi is a large bay, located south of the Baia di San Felice and larger than the last one, overlooked by a large campsite. To get to the beach, one has to park one’s car along the unpaved spaces on the provincial road and walk along the path in the northern part of the bay. This path ends at the cliff, where natural steps have formed, so, again, we recommend that you wear suitable footwear.
The beach is very wide and consists of small golden pebbles.
The campsite offers restaurant service and a section of the bay is equipped with parasols and sunbeds, while another portion of the beach is free. On the beach of the Bay of Campi, in the southern part, there is also a stand-up paddleboard and kayak rental.
The Bay of Campi is an excellent starting point to visit some of the famous sea caves along the Gargano coast and to reach the Cala della Sanguinara and is certainly one of the Gargano beaches worth visiting.
Beaches Gargano: Baia di Campi
Beaches Gargano: Portogreco beach
The beautiful Portogreco beach is located in a sheltered inlet and can be reached by following a long path from the provincial road, along which you can find parking. The time to reach the beach is about 20-30 minutes on foot.
The Portogreco beach is small and consists of small pebbles, there are no bathing establishments and it is not equipped with umbrellas and sunbeds but there is only a small bar where you can buy a drink and a quick lunch. For us, it is definitely one of the best beaches in Gargano and also one of the wildest.
From Portogreco beach you can reach other caves on the Gargano peninsula, such as Grotta dei Marmi, Grotta dei Pomodori and Grotta Sfondata Piccola.
The wild coast of the Gargano peninsula hides breathtaking caves and ravines. Discover Gargano and its caves in this article!
Portopiatto beach is located south of Portogreco beach and can be reached either by sea or by land. If you arrive on foot, you will have to walk down the steps from the residence overlooking the bay down to the beach. The route is not difficult but there are many steps to climb!
The Portopiatto beach is fully equipped by the residence’s umbrellas and offers a bar and restaurant service on the beach, while the free beach area is close to the shore.
Unfortunately, Portopiatto beach is the perfect image of the ‘privatisation’ of the Gargano peninsula, where beautiful coves are the exclusive property of residences or resorts. For this reason, we recommend arriving at Portopiatto by sea and stopping for a dip in this beautiful bay.
Pugnochiuso beach is located south of Portopiatto beach and is larger than the latter. As in the case of Portopiatto, this beach is almost completely equipped and destined for the Pugnochiuso resort, but you can find a few stretches of free beach on the sides of the beach, near the cliffs.
To get to Pugnochiuso beach on foot, you will have to leave your car in the car park along the state road and from here walk down to the beach, considering at least a 20-minute walk.
Baia delle Zagare or Baia dei Mergoli is one of the best beaches in Gargano. This incredible beach lies below a very high white cliff and offers a unique view of the stacks of the Baia dei Mergoli.
To get to Baia delle Zagare, you must leave your car along the provincial road and walk down from here. There are several local transporters that will allow you to park your car in one of the private car parks near the beach and then drive you near the path that passes through the resorts and down to the beach.
The beach is equipped but there is also a stretch of free beach. There is a small bar on the beach that also offers a quick lunch service.
The beach is of sand and small white pebbles, with the cliffs rising sheer from the sea. The Baia dei Mergoli is absolutely one of the Gargano best beaches.
Best beach Gargano: Baia delle Zagare or Baia dei Mergoli
Vignanotica beach is located north of Baia dei Mergoli. This beach is accessible via a path that descends from the car parks to the coast, a walk of about ten minutes. There is a bar on the beach with a catering service and umbrellas and sunbeds, which occupy a large part of the beach during the high season, with a small portion remaining free.
Vignanotica beach consists of small pebbles and sand and is topped by a large white cliff, which makes this beach very attractive. In our opinion, it is the best beach Gargano.
From this beach, you can reach the Grotta della Campana Grande, a cave of immense dimensions and truly impressive. You can also follow the coast up towards Pugnochiuso or down towards Baia dei Mergoli.
These three small coves are three paradises that can only be reached by sea from Baia delle Zagare or Vignanotica beach.
They are small, deserted beaches, located below the imposing cliffs, where you can enjoy pleasant moments of relaxation and tranquillity, far from the crowds of tourists.
Gargano beaches
Zaiana beach and Manaccora beach are among the best beaches in the Gargano on the stretch of coast between Vieste and Peschici. They are two large beaches of golden sand located near Peschici. These two beaches, very similar to each other, are divided by a cliff on which you can park your car and then walk down the paths leading to Zaiana beach. Manaccora beach offers parking near the bathing establishments there.
Zaiana and Manaccora beaches are partly equipped and partly free and are very wide and deep. On both beaches there are catering facilities with tables on the beach where you can enjoy a quick lunch or sip an aperitif at sunset.
The Pizzomunno beach is a great place to spend a relaxing day and is one of the best beaches in Gargano.
Pizzomunno beach is located at the foot of the cliff on which Vieste stands and is famous for the huge monolith that stands on the beach, the Pizzomunno. This beach is suitable for families as it has direct access from the seafront promenade where parking can be found.
Along the beach there are many bathing establishments and clubs, also open in the evening.
The beach is very long and is sandy, ideal if you are not a fan of pebbles and cliffs, typical of Gargano beaches.
Gargano beaches: Pizzomunno
Gargano beaches: Zaiana beach
Gargano beaches: Manaccora beach
The Baia di Sfinale is located between Scialmarino Beach and Manaccora Beach. It is a very large bay on which the Sfinale Tower stands. Access to Sfinale Bay is very easy, you can park your car along the provincial road and reach the beach with a very short walk.
The beach consists of golden sand and is partly equipped and partly free.
The Scialmarino beach is located near Vieste. It is a large, easily accessible beach, especially for families, with various parking facilities nearby.
The beach has both bathing establishments and portions of free beach. The absolutely positive aspect of this beach is the ease of access, as it is located in a flat area with various tourist facilities. It is the ideal place to spend a relaxing day but, being more exposed than other bays protected by cliffs, it is also a perfect place for water sports enthusiasts, such as windsurfing.
Gargano best beaches: Scialmarino beach
This is our list of the best beaches in Gargano and, as you may have read, each one is worth a visit for its particular and unique characteristics! In general, the beaches to the south of Vieste are wilder, more difficult to reach, more set in the cliffs and mostly pebbly. In contrast, the beaches north of Vieste are sandy, more accessible and serviced. In our personal opinion, the most beautiful beaches are the former, precisely because of their evocative and wild atmosphere, but, the others certainly offer unquestionable advantages if you are looking for well-equipped and easily accessible beaches.
With this article, we hope we have inspired you to spend a fantastic holiday on the beaches of the Gargano! Stay connected with us via the newsletter and social channels and, as always… trip to try!
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