Porto Cesareo is a town of Ionian Salento, with predominantly sandy coastline with very fine sand. In the “Bacino della Strea”, the water level remains low for several meters from the coast, particularly suitable for children, by this the name (“Strea” in local dialect means little girl). Another feature of the place is the presence of a large number of fishmongers and restaurants, with cuisine based on fish; Porto Cesareo, in fact, owns the largest fleet of vessels throughout the Great Salento (in one street leading to the sea there are 15 fish shops and fish markets are frequent, when the vessels arrive in the port).
Porto Cesareo has recently landed at the BIT in Milan in 2009, with a stand of its own and important is the appreciation of the watch towers (medieval defensive system typical of the maritime republics), who are returning public property, involved in ambitious projects such as the creation of the “Museum of the Sea.”
The town lies on a peninsula at the end of which stands the Torre Caesarea dating back to the sixteenth century, built by Charles V. This peninsula, juts into the sea for about 300m towards the small island known as “Lo Scoglio” or the “Isola della Scogliera.” Parallel to the coast to the south, lies the peninsula of “Strea” and numerous islands detached westward the most important of which is the Isola Grande or dei Conigli. The coastline stretches for 20 km of sandy beaches and dunes, cliffs and coves, its more significant marina is Torre Lapillo.