Rocks and cliffs Excellent water Protected area
Porto Miggiano
Santa Cesarea Terme (LE)· Sea: Adriatic
The beach at a glance
Small cove between twenty-metre cliffs, reached by about a hundred steps, below the 16th-century tower.
- Type of coast
- Rocks and cliffs
- Rocks 852 m
- Cliff 1,735 m
- Man-made 257 m
- Length
- 2,845 m
- Seafront
- 331 m free0 m leased to beach clubs
- Water quality
- Excellent · classification 2024
- Off season: latest samples of the 2026 season
- Latest samples:
- Wed 8 Jul: within limits
- Wed 10 Jun: within limits
- Wed 13 May: within limits
- Sun 19 Apr: within limits
- Protected area
- Parco naturale regionale Costa Otranto-S.Maria di Leuca e Bosco di Tricase
- Natura 2000 network
- ZSC Costa Otranto - Santa Maria di Leuca (IT9150002)
About the beach
Just south of Santa Cesarea Terme lies Porto Miggiano, a small cove wedged between cliffs about twenty metres high and overlooked by the 16th-century watchtower, with its unusual U-shaped plan. You go down to the little beach by a path of about a hundred steps; around it, almost three kilometres of cliffs and rocky shore with no beach clubs.
The bay is like a large natural swimming pool: the seabed, mainly sandy, soon drops to two and a half metres and the water is crystal clear. Swimming a few dozen metres to the right of the little beach you enter a small cave. The inlet has been the subject of works against cliff collapses, which in the past led to it being closed to swimming: before going down, check the signs on site. The area is in the Costa Otranto-Santa Maria di Leuca e Bosco di Tricase regional nature park. It is part of the Costa Otranto - Santa Maria di Leuca Natura 2000 site.
There are car parks close to the coast. The cove faces south-east: with north (tramontana), north-east (grecale), south-west (libeccio), west (ponente) and north-west (maestrale) winds it is sheltered, while east (levante), south-east (scirocco) and south (ostro) winds can make the sea rough.
On the map
Stretch of beach
Events nearby
In the coming days within 5 km.
San Vito Fair and Pig Festival
Celebrating the pig in Ortelle, combining gastronomic tradition and local crafts in a festive gathering.
Things to see nearby
Sea and cavesPorto MiggianoPorto Miggiano, with its high cliffs dropping sheer into the sea, offers a
dreamy natural swimming pool, lapped by a sea with wonderful colours. Santa Cesarea Terme very close
Castles, towers and palacesTorre Porto MiggianoOne of the watchtowers located on the Adriatic coast, it was built to
protect the port of Miggiano from the Saracens. Santa Cesarea Terme very close
Sea and cavesSanta Cesarea Terme BeachSpa pools, old quarries and coves: Santa Cesarea Terme offers an ancient
and appealing view by the sea. Santa Cesarea Terme 1 km away
Castles, towers and palacesTorre Santa CesareaAlso known as Torre Belvedere, is one of the many defensive towers, built
in the 16th century, all along the coast of Salento. Santa Cesarea Terme 1.3 km away
Nature and gardensParco BelvedereJust a few meters from the beautiful Adriatic coast, the Belvedere Park
pine forest is a gathering place for vacationers and a location for events. Santa Cesarea Terme 1.4 km away
Nature and gardensRobinson ParkPine canopies provide coolness in Santa Cesarea's Robinson Park, from which
there is a magnificent view a short distance from the sea. Santa Cesarea Terme 1.4 km away
Beaches nearby
- Rocks and cliffsSanta Cesarea TermeSheer rocky shore with steps, natural pools in old quarries and sulphurous thermal waters, below the town's villas.2 beach clubs Excellent water Natura 2000 Santa Cesarea Terme · Adriatic 1.3 km away
Rocks and cliffsCastro MarinaRocky shores to dive from into a sea ranging from green to blue, between the harbour, the Grotta Zinzulusa and the Sorgente.1 beach club Excellent water Blue Flag town Protected area Castro · Adriatic 3 km away
Rocks and cliffsTorre MinervinoHigh rocky coast between Porto Badisco and Santa Cesarea, with no beaches, guarded by Torre Minervino and Torre Specchia di Guardia.Free Excellent water Protected area Santa Cesarea Terme · Adriatic 3.8 km away
Rocks and cliffsCala dell'AcquavivaNarrow fjord between the rocks ending in a small free bay, with ice-cold freshwater springs, at Marina di Marittima.Free Excellent water Protected area Diso · Adriatic 5.3 km away
Sources and licences
The data comes from public sources; before swimming check the signs and the town’s bathing ordinances.
- ARPA Puglia – Monitoraggio delle acque di balneazione (CC BY 4.0)
- Regione Puglia – Aree di balneazione e classificazione 2024 (CC BY 4.0)
- Regione Puglia – Piano Regionale delle Coste (SIT Puglia) (CC BY 4.0)
- © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0)
- Regione Puglia – Ricognizione dei Piani comunali delle coste (A.D. 142/2025, SIT Puglia) (CC BY 4.0)
- Regione Puglia – Parchi e riserve naturali (rev. 11/2022) (CC BY 4.0)
- Regione Puglia – Perimetrazione dei siti Natura 2000 (12/2023) (CC BY 4.0)
- Wikimedia Commons (foto: autore e licenza su ogni foto) (CC0, PD, CC BY, CC BY-SA)
- salentosagreeventi.it – luoghi (foto e testi già pubblicati) (come indicato sulle foto)
- Wind forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0).
- Photos: Paolo Laku · Regione Puglia
- Photos: Photo2021, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Photos: Arcona B&B, CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Photos: Patrick Nouhailler's…, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Photos: Luca Margheriti, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Photos: Luca Margheriti, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Data updated: Sunday, 25 October 2026.