The best beaches in Puglia for families: sandy kid-friendly beaches and lidos you’ll love

Curated list of the best beaches in Puglia for families with kids for sandy beaches, clean water, services and an all around great beach experience in Puglia.

Puglia is home to some of the best beaches in Italy and many of them are kid-friendly!

The beaches of Puglia are stunning and very different from those you find in many other parts of the country.

Here, you find large beaches with soft, light colored sand, crystal clear waters, gently degrading sea access and landscapes that reminiscent of those in faraway lands.

Did you know one of the beaches here is called Maldive del Salento (Salento’s Maldives)?

The comparison may be a bit if a stretch but really: the beaches here are nothing like the small pebbly coves of the Amalfi Coast and they are so beautiful, it is actually worth traveling form abroad for them!

If you are not convinced, let me tell you this: I am not a beach person, yet I love Apulian beaches!

They are beautiful, easy, flat and for kids they are a true paradise as they can spend ages making sandcastles, wading in and out of the sea and meet other kids, in large part local!

They are among the very best beaches in Italy for families but also in general. Only Sardinia can compete with them!

Writing a list of the best beaches in Puglia for families is a daunting task as there are too many and too much variety in terms of style (free vs equipped; informal vs upscale; etc) for such a list to be exhaustive.

So instead of an infinite list, I am sharing my shortlist of favorites, based on our experience during our trips to Puglia with kids and my research.

I have chosen these beaches for the presence of soft sand, gently degrading seafloor, child friendly atmosphere and ease of access (no long walks, infinite steps etc)

The best beaches in Puglia for kids that I believe will be worth a drive for a beach day as a family. I hope you find it useful!

Good to know: to reach most of the best beaches in Puglia you need a car. You can read here >> How to rent a car in Puglia + tips for driving here

Best Kid-friendly beaches in Puglia: map

The best beaches in Puglia for families: our shortlist

Torre Lapillo / Porto Cesareo

Torre Lapillo is probably my favorite beach in Puglia of all for kids. The beach is simply stunning and huge.

The sand here is fine and super soft and it has a light, almost white color. The water is clean, shallow, crisp and kids can run in and out to their heart content.

For the most part, this is a free beach so you need to bring your own equipment for shade and food but it means you don’t have to pay an entry fee or be tied to a specific spot.

The beach gets very busy in summer: come early morning to secure a place and the best experience.

In terms of lidos, you may enjoy famous Stella Maris which has loungers, umbrellas, restaurant, and life guard. You can reserve a spot here.

The town of Porto Cesareo here is a popular destination for families and has family friendly lidos and beaches should the crowds be a problem

Punta Prosciutto

Close to Torre Lapillo and with a lot in common with it, Punta Prosciutto is one of the most famous in Puglia as it is stunning and free.

The beach is sandy and soft, the water is clear and shallow and there are lovely sand dunes and bushes surrounding it, which give it an even more pleasant appearance.

Like Torre Lapillo, this is mostly a free beach.

This is also a very popular beach and, in July and August, sees significant crowds.

Marina di Pescoluse

Marina di Pescoluse (green flag beach) is also known as ‘Maldive del Salento’, a name that gives away the look and feel of this stunning stretch of Italian coast.

Yes, here you find light colored sand, blue waters and a true exotic feel!

The area has generous stretches of free beaches but is also equipped with lidos/ beach clubs, so you can get umbrellas, loungers, access to restrooms, changing cabins and cafe restaurant.

Some you may like are:

Lido Le Cinque Vele (upscale) https://lecinquevele.com/en/

Lido Maldive del Salento https://www.maldivedelsalento.com/lo-stabilimento-maldive-del-salento.html

Gallipoli beach clubs

Gallipoli is one of my favorite towns in Southern Puglia as it has a fab historic center, easy access to beaches nearby and the Splash water park.

Like many Apulian coastal historic towns, Gallipoli has a beach in the town but to get large expanses of sand you need to go immediately outside of the ancient center.

Lidos you may enjoy here are:

Lido le Canne: beach club with a large sandy beach equipped with umbrellas and loungers and cafe/ restaurant on site. Online booking available here

Lido San Giovanni: beach club with a soft sand, fur rows of umbrellas and loungers, and pizzeria and restaurant on site and cafes. Photos and contact details her

Capitolo (Monopoli)

On the Adriatic Coast of Puglia, so on the other side of the region, from the beached above, you find the lovely beaches of Bari / Monopoli / Fasano area.

Monopoli town is one of my favorite home bases in Puglia for a holiday that mixes sea, sun, and sightseeing, yet in the town itself only has a small sliver of sand.

To find the very best beaches you need to go a little further south, to the area of Capitolo.

Capitolo is a long stretch of wonderful sandy beaches and some of the top beach clubs in the area (as well as some free stretches).

This area has been discovered by upscale international tourism and has facilities to match.

Famous Le Palme Beach Resort, part of the Torre Coccaro family, is the place to be if you want a day on the beach in a resort that feels like a five star hotel beach club. You can book here.

Fasano area

In the area of Fasano you find, Torre Canne, a long stretch of soft sand, free beaches and lidos.

The area is on of the very best for kids since it also has the Fasano Safari and Aquapark Egnazia, kids’ favorites in the region.

A good lido / beach clubs for kids in this area is Lido Morelli which has loungers, umbrellas, kids play area and a restaurant on site.

Fasano is among the areas awarded the green flag for kid-friendliness.

Laghi Alimini / Baia de’ Turchi / Torre dell’Orso (Otranto)

In the area of Otranto:

Baia dei Turchi / Laghi Alimini: a wonderful stretch of coast with sandy beaches, crystal clear waters and gently degrading seabed.

The area has some free areas (spiaggia libera) and equipped lidos. Lido Spiaggia Azzurra is family friendly and has a kids’ play area.

Torre dell’Orso / San Foca area: a very popular, stunning sandy beach area north of Otranto with many equipped lidos with umbrellas, loungers and even activities. Depending on the vibe you prefer, you can go to the free beach or have a look at I Caraibi del Salento, Lido La Sorgente for a lido experience.

Green Flag beaches – the best beaches for kids according to pediatricians

Italian families love beach holidays and Italy even has a system that rates beaches for family friendliness.

The system awards a green flag (bandiera verde) to beaches that are approved by pediatricians for being good for kids, according to the following criteria:

• Clean waters
• Gently degrading sea floor from the shore
• Soft Sand
• Lifeguards
• Kids’ facilities
• Lidos with umbrellas and loungers

This year, the the beaches that won this award are: Polignano (Cala Fetente, Cala Ripagnola and Cala San Giovanni), Fasano, Ostuni, Gallipoli, Melendugno, Otranto, Porto Cesareo, Marina di Pescoluse, Marina di Ginosa, Marina di Lizzan, Margherita di Savoia, Rodi Garganico and Vieste

I hope you enjoyed this quick list of kid-friendly beaches in Puglia and helped you plan wonderful days out during your Puglia stay. Safe travels!

The best beaches in Puglia for kids – pin this