What to see in Torre San Giovanni

The tower

Torre San Giovanni Marittimo, from which the name of the locality itself derives, is located not far from the coastline, on a hillock that juts out over the sea and bisects the coast. It should not be confused with Torre San Giovanni La Pedata, another tower located not far from Gallipoli. It is also known as the Charles V Tower, it was in fact erected during the 16th century at the behest of Charles V of Habsburg as a defensive lookout measure against Saracen assaults, but over time it was used for more functions until it became above all a lighthouse that helped passing boats to avoid the shallows of very shallow water in which they were in danger of running aground. It is thus a symbol of Torre San Giovanni's ability to renew itself and is also a symbol of the town center.

Its plan has an octagonal base with seven meters on each side and is slightly splayed to the curb. At the top it ends with corbels and a slightly protruding crowning, with the presence of a central machicolation on each side. Very distinctive is today's aesthetic appearance. The tiles arranged in a black and white checkerboard pattern, if on the one hand allow boaters to easily spot it, on the other hand allow the tourist to realize a stronger memory. In the waters near the tower there is a small harbor used for docking both tourist and fishing boats.

Over the centuries it has been greatly transformed by large superstructures and other side buildings added, as well as its original interior has also been distorted. It is accessed by means of a stone staircase built in more recent times, as well as the lighthouse turret itself, which is currently in operation. It was part of the cordon of coastal defensive towers of southwestern Salento, linking on sight with Torre Mozza to the south and Torre Mammolina (now destroyed) to the north.

Near the tower, Messapic walls have been discovered that reveal the very extensive use of the same area as a port at the time of this civilization (6th-5th centuries B.C.) and are also involved in a number of events, such as for the creation of an outdoor nativity scene during the Christmas season. It is, in fact, in the nearby square that the major summer events of theugentino are held.

The beaches

Torre San Giovanni is renowned for its long white beaches of incredible beauty and quality combined with a particularly blue and transparent sea endowed with shallow waters for very long stretches. You won't notice the difference with any renowned Caribbean destination, and the images we offer testify to that!

In particular, the beaches stretch for several kilometers southward once you pass the Tower and the harbor. It is here that tourists from all over Italy gather to enjoy the beauty of this coastline.Symbolically, it is precisely the Tower lighthouse that divides the type of coastline into two parts. On the other side in fact, to the north in the direction of Gallipoli, there are no beaches but low cliffs, which are an excellent alternative for days at the beach. This is because even on the cliff side the water remains rather shallow, in many places access is easy and beautiful natural pools are created, some known by real names such as bagnarola and vasca. There are also some small sandy coves between the rocks, from which you can also see a small island known as Isola di Pazze and it is closer to the town and the course.

The southern side from which the long and beautiful beaches develop, without cliffs, has stretches of free beach alternating with large lidos, the closest of which are Le Dune and Il Molo, and they then continue for several kilometers away from the inhabited center until they reach the nearby center of Torre Mozza and are sometimes incorporated into the area of hotels and tourist resorts. Some areas with cottages sold for rent for the summer season also develop, quite close enough to the sea that it can also be reached on foot or by bicycle through a large pine forest.

On the whole, the beaches of Torre San Giovanni prove to be great little paradises on earth, formed by a clean, clear and intense sea, as well as dunes, pine forests and other shrubs of the Mediterranean maquis.

If, instead of vacationing in the village or in private cottages, you prefer organized vacations tout-court, all you have to do is choose one of the tourist resorts that have sprung up on this side between Torre San Giovanni and Torre Mozza, with peaks of incredible beauty particularly in the Fontanelle locality, which lies between the two aforementioned centers.

Choose your rental accommodation in Torre San Giovanni. You will in any case have all possible facilities to make your choice: cottages, apartments, vacation homes, villas, b&b, apartments, residences and other accommodations. Just as wide and varied is the type of associated services: diving, water sports, but also horseback riding and trekking. Whatever your choices, you will enjoy a sea and beaches of the highest level, enclosed in the Regional Natural Park of the Litoral of Ugento established in 2007 and of which, if you wish, you can also visit some routes.