Torre dell Orso

Torre dell’Orso, Puglia – The Magical Beach of Salento

Torre dell’Orso, Puglia, is a resort town and an amazing beach location in the Salento peninsula. It’s filled with tourists each year who want to enjoy the sunshine, feel the sand under their feet, and swim in the crystal clear waters of the Adriatic.

You’ll find the seaside town of Torre dell’Orso in the Melendungo Municipality of Puglia. The town’s beach is also called Torre dell’Orso and many people associate the town with the beach. It’s no wonder as it’s mainly a tourism hot spot.

Let’s take a look at Torre dell’Orso in Puglia and see what’s the fuss is all about. In this free travel guide, we will cover the beach and the resort town as well.

Torre dell’Orso Beach

Overview of the Beach
Psymark, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Let’s start with the main attractions at this wonderful seaside resort. The Torre dell’Orso beach of Puglia. It’s a big stretch of sandy shore where people go to enjoy the water and grab some sunshine.

Although we consider this beach as part of the town in reality there is a very nice patch of trees that separate the two. The whole thing is around 1 kilometer in width and can accommodate a lot of people.

We’ve managed to find free spots even in the high season which is a huge plus. As many people are staying directly in Torre dell’Orso they will be in and out of the beach during their day. This creates a special situation where there are always some free spots as compared to beaches where you have to arrive early in the morning to ensure you have somewhere to sit.

Weather in Torre dell’Orso Beach

If you are planning a trip to this beach in the next couple of days then you can check out the current weather on this useful weather widget.

TORRE DELL’ORSO WEATHER

The usual weather you can expect is your typical Southern Italian weather. Lots of sunshine and a very slim chance of rain. During the summer it’s almost always fine beach weather.

Even when the clouds gather during summer the sea will stay warm and the general temperature rarely drops. It’s a great destination if you are looking for a holiday that’s filled with sunshine.

The weather starts getting warm around mid-April to May. These months already see some days when you can go to the beach if you want, though, expect cold water. For sightseeing, the weather will already be perfect.

Even during winter, the temperature stays above zero celsius for the most part.

Beach Name and Origins

The beach of Torre dell’Orso got its name from the old watchtower overlooking the shore. It was a defensive structure in medieval times and it has the same name as the beach. Or rather, the beach has the same name as this watchtower.

Whenever you are swimming in the water or soaking in the sunshine you’ll be able to catch a glimpse of this ruined watchtower on the northern side of the beach. It’s a great sight and it adds to the environment.

Le Due Sorelle

Two Sisters Rock at Torre dell'Orso
The famous ‘Two Sisters Rock’

There’s another place of interest towards the southern side of the beach. It’s a natural rock formation called ‘Le Due Sorelle’. The name of this rock formation translates to ‘The Two Sisters’.

The Two Sisters rock has an interesting legend attached to it. According to the local folklore, there were two sisters (surprising right?) living in the area. They were working the fields and living inland on the Salento Peninsula.

They’ve never seen the sea and one hot summer day they decided to take a trip to the shore in order to cool off a little bit. They arrived at the cliffside and were amazed by the beauty of the Adriatic. The younger sister didn’t want to hesitate so she jumped in quickly.

The older sister didn’t know what to do and jumped right after her in an attempt to save her younger sister. They couldn’t swim and go caught up in the crashing waves. As the gods looked down upon the scene they took pity on the girls. To save them, they turned them into the two rocks that we can see today next to the beach.

Of course, this is all just legend but it’s a nice addition to the place. Regardless, the two rocks are beautiful and many tourists enjoy taking pictures from all the different angles.

Torre dell’Orso Beach

Dunes of Torre dell'Orso
The dunes that separate the town and the beach

The nice sand beach is one big patch of seashore on the Adriatic. The water is extremely clear and beautiful. It starts out shallow and stays like that near the shore. As such it’s a perfect choice for families. The kids can run around and play in the shallow water.

The fine sand also makes the perfect material for building sandcastles. If you’ve not tried this yet then this is a great opportunity and a good activity to do with children.

You can rent some sun loungers and umbrellas at the beach but we’ve seen most people like to bring their own. There is plenty of space where you can put down a big towel and umbrella for shading.

As for amenities, you’ll get a great selection of bars along the width of the beach. Some of them have their own sun loungers which you can use if you are a paying customer.

You get all kinds of bars from simple bodegas selling snacks and drinks to full-scale bars that serve real food. They are all similarly priced (a tad expensive) and they all have a pretty similar quality. We can’t really recommend one over the other as they are so similar.

Parking near Torre dell’Orso beach is plentiful but you have to pay a fee. The standard rate is 3 EUR for a full day which isn’t horribly expensive. It’s best that you have some small notes or change for this ready.

Torre dell’Orso Attractions

Now that we’ve covered the Torre dell’Orso beach it’s time to take a look at some other attractions in and around town. There is more to see here than just the beach and you can have some great days spent sightseeing.

Grotta della Poesia

Visitors at Grotta della Poesia
People enjoying Grotta della Poesia

Just a few minutes with a car or 20-ish minutes of walking and you can visit Grotta della Poesia. The English name is usually translated to ‘Poetry Cave’ and it’s a natural swimming pool on the rocky coast.

It’s also an archeological area at the same time. You can check out the ruins and then head over to the natural pool to jump into the water. The beauty of this place is almost unparalleled and it’s regularly featured in magazines as one of the most beautiful natural pools in the whole world.

Check out our full visitor’s guide on Grotta della Poesia.

Giardini del Sole

The ‘Gardens of the Sun’ or Giardini del Sole as it’s in Italian is a simple amusement park in the middle of Torre dell’Orso.

It’s mainly for children as many of the amusement park rides are small in scale and can only accommodate them. It’s great for family fun. The kids will definitely enjoy the attractions and the adults can grab a coffee or drink at the bar.

You can find more info and pictures on their Facebook page.

Borgo Rinascimentale di Roca Nuova

North of the Town there is a very interesting piece of history. The Borgo Rinascimentale di Roca Nuova is a medieval town that was abandoned. Somehow, most of the buildings survived the negligence into modern days and you can visit this abandoned village.

It’s a trip back in history. We absolutely loved how great the whole place has been preserved. The village has recently undergone some renovations as well. We’ve found that these renovations were a great addition. They help to further enhance the atmosphere of the place.

We recommend a visit here for people who love history. It’s very close to Torre dell’Orso, Puglia, so it’s super easy to visit.

Riserva Naturale Le Cesine

Not far off towards the North from Torre dell’Orso you’ll find a beautiful nature reserve. The ‘Le Cesine’ reserve is perfect if you want to be a little more active.

It’s a compact nature park which means that you can walk around the trails and enjoy the flora without too much effort. There are watchtowers, birds, cliffs, and nature to discover. If you look hard enough you’ll even stumble across fortifications from the Second World War.

Riserva Naturale Le Cesine is easy to access and easily takes 4-5 hours to visit. It’s a great half-day activity and you can head straight into Melendugno or Lecce afterward.

Melendugno

If you are looking for a half-day sightseeing trip then Melendugno is perfect. It’s very close by so you won’t have to drive ages and it also has the typical charm of inland towns in Puglia.

Old buildings, a great historical center, and countless charming churches. Melendugno is perfect to spend a few hours and stroll around the ancient streets.

Lecce

While a visit to Melendugno is great the main attraction in the area is Lecce. As one of the most famous inland towns of Puglia, it has immense history and an unparalleled atmosphere.

You can easily spend one full day in Lecce and check out the most famous attractions. It even has some Roman ruins which are a rarity in Puglia.

Is Torre dell’Orso the Perfect Resort Town in Puglia?

Even if it’s not it certainly has a place among the best. With the beautiful beach and great hotels, it’s a place that we can wholeheartedly recommend for your next holiday. That is if you visit during the summer. In the colder months, we would recommend some other towns like Ostuni or Lecce.

This charming seaside town is also perfect for families. The sea is shallow and many hotels focus on family vacationers. They provide a lot of activities for the children and relaxing opportunities for the adults.

We hope that you’ve found our guide to Torre dell’Orso, Puglia useful. Hope to see you soon on the beach!

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