Which beach?

Tramontana or Scirocco?

The Adriatic or the Ionian Coast?

WTF is Adriatic and Ionian?

The Adriatic is the sea on the north side of Puglia, the Ionian (sometimes mixed up with the Mediterranean, the Ionian is basically a part of the Mediterranean) is on the south side of Puglia.

Adriatic Sea vs Ionian Sea, which is best?

Well…I like the Ionian best. But my best friend here likes the Adriatic. So it’s not that simple! Most of my friendship group live somewhere in the middle and go to whichever coast they feel like on whichever day (and the ones who grew up here always think about the wind, read on for more about that). Here are some things you might like to think about when deciding where to go…

Sunrise/Sunsets

- The sun rises over the Adriatic Sea, so for an early sunrise head to the Adriatic coast

- The sun sets over the Ionian sea, so for a spritz on the beach whilst watching beautiful long sunsets head to the Ionian coast (especially with a light Tramontana wind).

Sandy Beaches

For golden beaches on the Adriatic San Cataldo is easy distance from Lecce, but also Torre Rinalda, Spiaggia Bella, Torre Chianca, Torre Specchia down to the nice seaside towns of San Foca and Torre del Orso. The sea is calmer here with wind from the south.

On the Ionian side, Punta Prosciutto, Torre Castiglione, Torre Lapillo, down to the town of Porto Cesareo have beautiful sandy beaches (for my money, the best in Salento, but they get very busy). Near Gallipoli, there is also Rivabella and Baia Verde, which are both easy distance from Lecce too. The sea is calmer here with wind from the north.

Rocky Coast and Cute Seaside Villages

On the Adriatic side, Otranto is the largest seaside town, but there are also lovely villages such as Porto Badisco, Castro, Santa Cesarea Terme, Tricase Porto and Marina di Novaglie. These places do NOT have sandy beaches though (or if they do they are very small), so you swim by climbing down from the rocks (or if you get a sunbed at a lido they usually have stairs you can climb down). Great for snorkelling and super fresh clean water! Not great for small kids…

On the Ionian side, Santa Caterina and Santa Maria al Bagno are my favourite two villages (and again, both are mainly rocky with tiny sandy beaches).

Wind in Salento

First of all, before I knew anything about wind in Salento, it didn’t hamper my happiness/holiday experiences. In fact, I was probably happier the first few years I came not knowing anything about wind, as endlessly calculating which is the best beach to go to for perfectly flat sea is annoying (and having come from the UK where we just don’t care about that kind of stuff, I was happy wherever I was).

However, if you’re one of those people who wants to know-their-stuff then (in third place after speaking the local dialect and knowing about the local food/festivals) being able to talk about wind is relatively important.

There are generally two dominant winds in Salento: Tramontana (from the north) & Scirocco (from the south), which you can hear being talked about (especially amongst the older generation) obsessively. Understanding these winds is key to knowing where to go and when. Many Salentini will only visit a beach once they’ve looked at the wind and worked out where the sea is perfectly flat. If (like me) you’ve come from the UK and are used to choppy seas you might not care about this (even when it’s windy the sea is rarely as lively as in the UK)…but if you do care, here’s the info.

Firstly you can check the wind/weather at il meteo here. Wind arriving from the north will appear with a N and wind arriving from the south will appear with a S. NB in Italy, the letter refers to where the wind is coming from, not its direction (which is different to some countries). Next to the letters will be a number:

0-10 = nothing, to breezy

10-20 = breezy to windy

20-30 = windy to very windy

30-40+ = very windy to windy AF

Tramontana is a wind that arrives from the Alps and the Apennines and blows south. It’s a fresh, cold wind that is a saviour in the summer. A 33’c day in August with a light tramontana breeze can be one of the most wonderful days you’ll ever experience, especially if you watch the sunset on the Ionian coast. In the winter, tramontana is not so pleasant, it can catch you in the face with its cold bite, so wrap up warm with scarves and hoods.

Scirocco (pron. Shirroku) is the opposite of Tramontana, it comes up from Africa and the Middle East blowing over the seas and is hot and humid. Clear days in the summer with a Scirocco wind are generally when you’ll see the mercury rocket up to 40’c (+ it will feel muggy and humid) and you’ll definitely want to have your AC on. In the winter, Scirocco brings warmth and can be pleasant (though humid), and in April/early May or late September/October it can be lovely to visit the Adriatic coast with a little Scirocco wind.

Scirocco pretty much always brings humidity, in the winter the roads can be wet and slippy, and in the summer (especially in the night time) very light long sleeves & trousers can be a good idea to keep the water off your skin.

NB In late June/July/August/early September high temperatures and scirocco can make being out and about in Lecce unbearable. Although the beach is not the best on these days, it’s definitely better than being out and about in Lecce. If you’re at the beach make sure you cool down in the water often and drink plenty of water, or I would advise using these days to visit indoor & air-conditioned museums/venues/the shopping centre not too far from your Airbnb/hotel (or just relax in your airbnb/hotel). AVOID constant temperature changes.

Which wind for which coast?

- Tramontana & Easterly winds (N, NW, NE, E) cause a lively Adriatic sea, so for calmer waters head to the Ionian coast (the Adriatic is still lovely, but will have waves)

- Scirocco & Westerly winds (S, SE, SW, W) rile up the Ionian Sea slightly, so for calmer waters head to the Adriatic coast.

There are a few beaches that defy the rules and you can read about them on this detailed wind guide here.