TORRE GUACETO BEACH – How to Spend a Day at the Nature Reserve’s Spiaggia

Do you want to visit Torre Guaceto’s spectacular beach but feel a little confused about how to reserve it and get to it?

I understand. I looked at photos of the beach at Torre Guaceto for years but always thought it would be too difficult logistically to visit with my three boys.

Why?

You can’t park right at the beach. Instead, you need to park far away and take a shuttle.

There’s not much info on the park’s website about the beach and the beach club.

You can only reserve a few days in advance (not helpful if you want to play ahead).

I finally decided to give it a try and the good news is… it’s not that complicated.

Let’s take a look at how to plan a day at Torre Guaceto beach, step-by-step. I’ve included the following info based on our visit on a Friday in late June:

Private vs. public beach options at Torre Guaceto
When to visit Torre Guaceto beach
How to reserve a spot at the Torre Guaceto beach club (private)
How to get to Torre Guaceto
Where to park and how to catch the shuttle
What you’ll find at the Torre Guaceto beach
Tips for visiting Torre Guaceto with kids
What I’d do differently if (when) we return
What to see and do nearby

I hope this helps you plan your day at Torre Guaceto!

Check out my Puglia beach guides
Torre Guaceto Beach
Torre Lapillo Beach
Lido Stella Maris (at Torre Lapillo)

Table of Contents

Beach Options at Torre Guaceto – Private & Public

Thatched beach umbrellas on the edge of the beach at Torre Guaceto nature reserve in Puglia, Italy. — *Private beach at Torre Guaceto*

The Torre Guaceto Beach is split into two sections – a private ‘beach club’ and a spiaggia libera (free beach). You can see them in the main photo at the top. The private beach is on the left, and the public beach is on the right.

I opted for the beach club because it’s the easier option for me when going to the beach with my kids in Italy.

	PRIVATE BEACH CLUB	PUBLIC BEACH
BEACH CONDITION	Clean, smooth sand, no litter seen	Clean, smooth sand, no litter seen
WATER	Clean, clear, calm, shallow entrance and shallow far out	Clean, clear, calm, shallow entrance and shallow far out
FACILITIES	Toilets, café, wheelchair access, no showers or changing cabins	Toilets (shared with private beach)
TRANSPORT OPTIONS	Park in the nearby lot and take a 5-min train shuttle, followed by 1-min walk to beach; can also arrive on foot or by bicycle	Park in the nearby lot and take a 5-min train shuttle, followed by 1-min walk to beach; can also arrive on foot or by bicycle
COST	We paid €35 for an umbrella + 2 beach loungers for the entire day	Free!
NOTES		Beach is long – the further you walk from the shuttle drop off, the less people you’ll be around; but, you’ll be further from the toilets and café

Good To Know: The beach and water for both were identical. Sometimes Italian public beaches have more litter as there’s no staff to pick it up and trash bins may not be present. We didn’t find that to be the case at Torre Guaceto’s beach – both the public and private areas looked pristine.

When to Visit Torre Guaceto Beach

Boys swimming in shallow water at Torre Guaceto beach in Puglia, Italy. People standing and swimming further out. — *It wasn’t crowded on this late-June Friday*

I wanted to go over this because it’s important to highlight that like many beaches in Puglia, Torre Guaceto gets insanely crowded during the summer months of July and August.

The private beach is a little more manageable because there are only so many spots (umbrellas and beach loungers), but on our visit in June, one of the workers told me it gets extremely crowded and busy.

The public beach gets jam-packed during the July and August.

Crowds may or may not bother you, but it’s important to know what you’re getting into.

What We Do: We avoid Puglia beaches in July and August. We would return to Torre Guaceto outside of these months.

Learn how to Avoid Crowds While Traveling in Italy

Read more about visiting Italy in January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – December.

How to Reserve a Spot at the Private Beach Club at Torre Guaceto

On the Riserva di Torre Guaceto official site, go to ‘Visit Torre Guaceto’ and ‘Booking of Tourist Services.’ Note: If you need to, click on the British flag at the top to get the site in English, but know that not everything will be translated to English.
Click on the link for ‘Torre Guaceto Beach Club’ (or just scroll down). You can see the rates for all day or half day for 1 spot (1 umbrella + 2 sunbeds). We used one spot for our family (1 adult + 3 kids).
You have to check the Terms and Conditions box to see the calendar.
Choose your desired date on the calendar. As I mentioned earlier, you can only reserve your spot a few days in advance. For example, if you’re looking on a Thursday, you can book a spot for Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. If you want to book for Monday, you need to wait until Friday.
Choose your spot on the map (see below). You can pick any of the green umbrellas. The first row is best, but if it’s full, try to book #44. It’s right behind the lifeguard tower – the visibility is great, the lifeguard is right there, and you’re not far from the café and toilets. We booked #44 on our recent visit and were very happy with the spot.
Complete the booking. You’ll need to enter the number of people in your car and then continue to payment. Note: At this time, you pay for your parking when you leave for the day (pay before you go to your car).

Digital map of beach club set up at Torre Guaceto in Puglia, Italy. Green umbrellas show spots that can still be booked and grey umbrellas represent spots that are already booked. — *The map you see when choosing your spot at the private beach club*

Good To Know: When you get to the beach, you’ll need to show your reservation at the café register – on your phone or printed out.

Map for Visiting Torre Guaceto Beach

How to Get to Torre Guaceto’s Beach

Drive to the parking lot. The lot is just of the coastal road, E55. You can see the exact location on the above map. Take a ticket to enter and pay on your way out (in the small building – at the machines or with the parking attendant if he’s there). We paid €8 to park for the day on our recent visit.
Walk 50 meters to the covered area and wait in line for the shuttle. If you need to use a bathroom before you get to the beach, there’s one in the small building next to where you wait in line.
Take the trenino (little train) shuttle to the beach. 48 people can fit on the train. It takes about 5 minutes to get to the beach. If you miss the shuttle, know that it comes right back to pick up the next group, but the official wait time is 20 minutes between shuttles.
If you want to, you can walk the 1.4 kilometer path to the beach (flat, but no shade).
Walk down the path to the beach (both private and public beach access are at the same point).

Here are some photos:

Cars in a dirt parking lot at Torre Guaceto in Puglia, Italy. — *Park in the big dirt lot*

Waiting area for the shuttle at Torre Guaceto nature reserve in Puglia, Italy. Wooden structure shades about 15 people waiting in line. — *Walk to this structure to wait for the shuttle*

People wait in line in a shaded area at Torre Guaceto in Puglia. The shade is made by a wooden structure with cloth coverings on the roof. — *Wait in the shade*

Small, red shuttle train with people sitting inside. It's in a dirt parking lot at Torre Guaceto in Puglia, Italy. — *Take the train shuttle*

People walk down a sandy path with brush on either side. — *Walk the last few meters to the beach!*

Good To Know: There’s a parking attendant who shows you which spot to park in, but there’s no one watching the cars. Don’t leave any valuables in your car.

Read more about
Driving in Puglia
Parking in Italy

What You’ll Find at the Torre Guaceto Beach

Boys walk to the left of the private beach at Torre Guaceto nature reserve in Puglia. To their right are two rows of beach umbrellas and lounge chairs and to the right of those, the beach and clear sea. — *Beach club*

Thatch-roof octagonal cafe at the beach in Torre Guaceto nature reserve in Puglia. People wait in line to buy ice creams, sandwiches, and cold drinks. — *Beach club*

The train drops you off at an intersection. Walk to the left and slightly uphill and you’ll soon reach the turtle rehabilitation center. There are no fixed hours and you can’t call ahead. Occasionally, open days/sessions are listed on the official Torre Guaceto website (the same one you access to reserve the beach club).

Otherwise, at the intersection, walk to the right to get to the beach. Once you arrive at the beach, the beach club is to the left at the public beach is to the right.

At this point, you’ll also see the café, toilets, and an area for wheelchair beach access (spots can be booked for free through the beach club booking website).

Present, professional staff. Everyone we interacted with – from lifeguards to café staff to people emptying trash bins – was so kind, friendly, and helpful. There were also staff members walking through the beach checking to make sure things were ok. Lifeguards were really focused on their jobs.

Good To Know: On our visit, the café was serving cold drinks (all organic, so no typical name brand sodas or juices), ice cream bars and popsicles, and focaccia sandwiches. There are a couple of tables set up in front of the café (standing only) or you can bring your food and drinks back to your spot on the beach.

Tips for Visiting Torre Guaceto Beach with Kids

Three boys play in the sand at the edge of clear, calm water at the Torre Guaceto beach in Puglia, Italy.

Boy eats ice cream in front of umbrellas and lounge chairs set up at Torre Guaceto nature reserve's beach in Puglia, Italy.

Book a spot at the private beach if you have younger kids. It’s really nice to have the basic amenities if you’re taking care of little ones. Also, the beach umbrellas and loungers are close to the water.

Have your kids in their swimsuits before you get to the beach. The only place to change is in the toilets.

Bring some of your own food and buy some at the café. We definitely made a few trips to the café for ice cream bars and popsicles.

If you want to try to see the turtle rehab center, walk up to it when you arrive to see if it’s open or will be open to visitors during the day.

Don’t visit in July or August. I already mentioned this above, but I want to reiterate it for a visit with kids. Bigger crowds means many more people in the water… which makes it difficult to keep track of your kids. For June and September visits, try to avoid the weekends (busier) if possible. Our recent visit was on a Friday in late June and it didn’t feel crowded.

Bring everything you may need with you. It’s a pain to get back to your car if you forgot something.

You may want to read
Puglia with Kids
Best Places to Visit in Italy with Kids
Italy Packing List for Kids

What I’d Do Differently on a Return Visit to the Beach at Torre Guaceto

When we go back to Torre Guaceto, we’ll:

Check in at the turtle rehab center right away. We saved it for the end of the day and the person inside was busy working with the turtles and wasn’t able to open up.
Bring more water. Yes, you can buy cold water at the café, but they’re not big bottles and it adds up (€€€). Next time I’ll bring some and purchase cold water at the café when needed.
Bring an air mattress.

What to See & Do Near Torre Guaceto Beach

Boy in red shirt walking toward famous blue door of Ostuni, Italy. Cacti in pots on either side of door and bicycle on right. — *Ostuni*

You can easily spend all day at Torre Guaceto’s beach, but if you’re staying in the area, you may also want to check out:

And here’s some family-specific info for the area:

And, that’s it! I know it’s a lot of info, but I hope it helped clear things up for you for your Torre Guaceto visit. It’s an easy and gorgeous beach!

Remember:

Book your beach club spot 3 days ahead on the official website.
Park and take the little train shuttle to the beach.
Try to avoid visiting during July/August.
If you’re interested in the turtle rehab center, check in as soon as you get there.

Candice Criscione

Candice, a mamma of three, is an Italy trip planner and travel guide who has been living, traveling, and working in Italy for over two decades. She uses her extensive experience in Italy to help travelers plan their first (or tenth!) trip to bella Italia. She lives in Tuscany with her husband and three boys and when she’s not writing for Mom in Italy or The Tuscan Mom, you can find her cycling the Tuscan hills and exploring Italy with her boys!