Looking for clear sea you can reach from the low rocks, with an islet to gaze at, or to swim out to, less than 200 metres from the shore? This guide takes you to the Isola Pazze and the Pazze shore, in Torre San Giovanni, Ugento’s seaside village on Salento’s Ionian coast: swimming between rocks and small sandy coves, snorkelling over the posidonia, the dune where people were already living in the Bronze Age, the sunsets over the sea and everything there is to see nearby, with practical tips and local curiosities.
In short
The Isola Pazze, also called Isola di Pazze or Isola delle Pazze and marked on maps as Scoglio Pazzi, is a small rocky islet off the locality of Pazze, in the Mare Verde area, at the north-western end of Torre San Giovanni, the seaside village of Ugento (Lecce), on Salento’s Ionian coast. It is about a hundred metres wide, lies less than 200 metres from the shore and is about a kilometre and a half north-west of the centre of Torre San Giovanni. The coast opposite is low and rocky, with small sandy coves and a dune, and this is where the Litorale di Ugento Regional Nature Park begins. The coast faces south-west: in the evening the sun sets over the sea. The best months are June and September.
What is the Isola Pazze?
The Isola Pazze is a low, flat rocky islet, about a hundred metres wide, rising from the sea off the Pazze shore, in Torre San Giovanni, a hamlet of Ugento. The islet and the locality have the same name: Pazze is a stretch of low, rocky coast with small coves of pale sand, a dune and, behind it, villas, hotels and gardens that have grown up over recent decades. When the sea is calm, good swimmers swim out to the islet; everyone else enjoys it from the shore, especially at sunset.
Pazze is a stretch of the Mare Verde coast, the north-western part of Torre San Giovanni, along Corso Annibale, the road that runs beside the sea towards Posto Rosso. Here the white sand of the beaches south of the harbour gives way to a low rocky shore, broken up by small coves and a dune, and off the shore rises the islet that gives its name to the whole area. In summer it is a lively corner, with beach clubs, hotels and holiday homes; in winter it is almost deserted and all that remains is the sound of the waves on the rocks.
This is not the place for long beaches with shallow sea: here you swim from the rocks and in the coves, the water is clear and lets you see the seabed of rock, sand and posidonia, and the islet is always there in front of you, less than 200 metres away. This is the Salento for those who love swimming, snorkelling and ending the day with the sunset over the Ionian Sea. In this guide you will find how to get there, where to swim, what to see and how to plan your day, nearby too.
Curiosities and atmosphere
The islet and the locality share the same name, Pazze: the islet is called Isola Pazze, Isola di Pazze or Isola delle Pazze, and on maps it is marked as Scoglio Pazzi. The origin of the name is uncertain, but the history of the place is very ancient. On the coastal dune of Pazze, right opposite the islet, an important Middle Bronze Age settlement came to light in 1976-1977; it is now cut through by the provincial road between Gallipoli and Santa Maria di Leuca, and its story is told in the prehistoric section of the Nuovo Museo Archeologico di Ugento. After all, Torre San Giovanni has been Ugento’s harbour since ancient times, as the remains of the Messapian walls at the foot of its tower recall.
Then, for centuries, the coast emptied: the marshes and malaria drove the inhabitants inland, and only after the twentieth-century land reclamation did Torre San Giovanni fill up again, first with fishermen and then, from the 1970s, with villas, hotels and holiday villages. Today the Pazze shore is the north-western starting point of the Litorale di Ugento Regional Nature Park, established in 2007: its beaches run from the locality of Pazze to Lido Marini, for about 9 km, and the Park’s boundary also includes the islet. News and services for visitors are on the website of the municipality of Ugento.
Where it is and how to reach it
The Isola Pazze is on the Ionian coast of southern Salento, in the municipality of Ugento, off the locality of Pazze in Torre San Giovanni, about a kilometre and a half north-west of the centre and the harbour. The islet is about a hundred metres wide and lies less than 200 metres from the shore. Behind the coast runs Corso Annibale, the coast road that leads south-east to the centre of Torre San Giovanni, 2.5 km away, and north-west, past the last houses of Mare Verde, to Posto Rosso, on the Alliste coast, less than 2 km away. The town of Ugento is 8 km away, Gallipoli 26 km, Santa Maria di Leuca 31 km and Lecce about 61 km.
By car: from Lecce take the SS101 to Gallipoli and then the SS274 towards Santa Maria di Leuca, leaving it towards Ugento and Torre San Giovanni; once you reach the sea, follow the coast road north-west, towards Mare Verde and Posto Rosso: about an hour without traffic. You can park along Corso Annibale and in the side streets; check on the spot for no-parking and paid zones and in August arrive early in the morning.
By public transport: national trains arrive in Lecce; the nearest stations are Racale-Alliste, about 10 km away, on the FS Sud Est (Ferrovie del Sud Est) line between Casarano and Gallipoli, and Ugento-Taurisano, about 12 km away: check the timetables and any replacement buses. In summer «Salento in Bus» line 108, Lecce – Gallipoli – Santa Maria di Leuca, stops a stone’s throw from the sea at Pazze, on Corso Annibale at the corner of via Mille (in 2026 from 13 June to 13 September): check this year’s routes and timetables before you set off. The most convenient airport is Brindisi, about an hour and forty minutes away by car.
What to do and what to see
At Pazze the day is built around the sea and the islet: a swim and snorkelling in the morning, when the water is calmest, a trip to Torre San Giovanni or Ugento in the hot hours, the sunset on the rocks in the evening. Here are the experiences not to miss.
1. Swimming between rocks and coves (2-3 hours)
The Pazze shore is a low coast of pale rock, broken up by small sandy coves where it is easier to get into the water. The sea is clear, turquoise over the rock and the sand and darker where the posidonia meadows grow, and in front of you there is always the islet. When the sea is calm it makes for a quiet, beautiful swim: choose the spots where the rock slopes gently down to the water and bring your reef shoes.
2. Swimming out to the Isola Pazze (1 hour)
The islet is less than 200 metres from the shore: when the sea is calm, a good swimmer can reach it in a few minutes, and you can also get there by canoe or on a SUP. It is a rock platform about a hundred metres wide, low above the sea, with a few boulders and a little vegetation in the middle, from which you see the coast from a different angle. Go only when the sea is calm, take a marker buoy and watch out for boats; on the islet move carefully, because the rock is uneven and sharp. It is a corner of the Park: don’t take anything away and don’t leave any litter.
3. Snorkelling over the posidonia (1 hour)
With a mask and snorkel the stretch between the shore and the islet becomes a small aquarium: pale rock, patches of sand and dark patches of posidonia, the marine plant that oxygenates the sea and protects the coast. Swim along the edge of the rocks and around the islet, where the seabed keeps changing, ideally early in the morning, when the water is clearest. In the area there are also pescaturismo (fishing tourism) trips towards the Isola Pazze and the Secche di Ugento, with the fishermen and a tasting of the catch: check operators, times and conditions on the spot.
4. The Bronze Age dune (20 minutes)
Stop for a moment on the dune and look at the islet: it is the same view that lay before the inhabitants of a Middle Bronze Age village more than three thousand years ago, a village brought to light in 1976-1977 right on the coastal dune of Pazze. Don’t look for remains on the spot: the dune is now cut through by the road, and the story of this and the other prehistoric settlements of the area is told in the prehistoric section of the Nuovo Museo Archeologico di Ugento. On the dune, walk only on the paths and boardwalks: it is a fragile, protected environment.
5. Sunset over the islet (1 hour)
The Pazze shore faces south-west, onto the open sea, and in the evening the sun goes down into the Ionian Sea. Sit on the low rocks for the last of the light: the islet becomes a dark silhouette on the water and the sea turns orange. It is the most beautiful moment of the day, and also the quietest, when most of the swimmers have already left.
6. By bike along the coast to Posto Rosso and Capilungo (1-2 hours)
Corso Annibale is part of the Ugento – Racale loop of the Ciclovia del Salento Ionico, the cycle touring route of about 300 km presented by the Province of Lecce in 2024. From Pazze, cycling north-west, in less than 2 km you reach Posto Rosso, where the seafront path for walkers and cyclists of the Alliste coast begins, following the rocks for about 4 km to Torre Sinfonò and Capilungo. On the coast road watch out for traffic, especially in summer, and ride early in the morning or towards evening. Read our guide to Posto Rosso and the Alliste coast.
7. Torre San Giovanni, the lighthouse tower and the harbour (1-2 hours)
2.5 km to the south-east is the centre of Torre San Giovanni, Ugento’s main seaside village. On the small headland next to the harbour stands the sixteenth-century coastal tower, turned into a lighthouse and painted in large black and white checks, with the remains of the Messapian walls at its foot. At the fishing pier the fishermen sell the fish from the Secche di Ugento every day, when they come back into port, and south of the harbour begin the white sandy beaches with shallow sea. Read our guide to Torre San Giovanni and the one on the Torre San Giovanni lighthouse.
Sea, rocks and who it suits
The sea at Pazze is clear and limpid: turquoise over the pale rock and the patches of sand, darker over the posidonia meadows and blue towards the open sea. The coast is a low rocky shore, broken up by small sandy coves, and the islet, less than 200 metres away, is the landmark for every swim. The coast faces south-west: with the tramontana, the north wind, the sea is usually calm and clear; with the sirocco and the libeccio the waves come in and break hard on the low rocks, and swimming and the swim out to the islet should be avoided.
Between winter and spring you will often find dark heaps of posidonia leaves on the shore: they are not dirt, but a natural protection for the coast against erosion.
It is perfect for those who love swimming and snorkelling, for couples, for older children who can get about on the rocks and for anyone looking for a different kind of swim, with an islet to reach. It is less suited to small children and to those who find it hard to walk on rock: for them there are the sandy beaches with shallow sea south of the harbour of Torre San Giovanni, a few minutes away by car.
Free beach and facilities
At Pazze free stretches of rocks and small sandy coves alternate with beach clubs linked to the hotels in the area, one of which also has a swimming pool overlooking the sea: check access, facilities and opening periods on the spot. In some places you go down to the sea along wooden boardwalks over the dune, elsewhere you walk over the rocks. Along the coast road and towards Mare Verde there are a few places to eat and drink; for shops, bars and restaurants, especially in the evening, there is the centre of Torre San Giovanni, 2.5 km away.
Bring reef shoes, a small umbrella and water: there is no shade on the rocks and in the middle of the day the rock is scorching.
Isola Pazze vs other seaside villages of the Ionian coast
Along this coast the villages are very close to each other. Here is a practical comparison to help you choose:
Le Pazze vs the beaches of Torre San Giovanni
- Le Pazze: low rocks, small coves and the islet to swim out to, in the north-western part of the village
- Torre San Giovanni: 2.5 km away, the white sandy beaches with shallow sea south of the harbour, the lighthouse tower and many more facilities
Le Pazze vs Posto Rosso
- Le Pazze: the islet just off the shore, the dune and the sandy coves, where the Park begins
- Posto Rosso: less than 2 km away, on the Alliste coast, with a low rocky shore and no sand, the stone stacks of the Baia dei Pinnacoli and the seafront cycle path to Capilungo
Le Pazze vs Torre Mozza
- Le Pazze: rocks, snorkelling and sunsets with the islet in front of you
- Torre Mozza: 9 km away, a long beach of fine sand with shallow sea, ideal with small children, and the basins of the Park behind it
When to choose Pazze: if you love swimming, like the idea of an islet you can swim out to and prefer rocks and coves to a long beach with facilities.
When to choose somewhere else: if you are travelling with small children and looking for sand and shallow water, look at Torre Mozza or the beaches south of the harbour of Torre San Giovanni.
Practical tips
For swimming and for the swim out to the islet, choose a day when the sea is calm, and the morning, when the wind is lighter and the water clearer. Don’t swim alone, take a clearly visible marker buoy and keep away from boats; if the wind changes and the sea gets up, head straight back to the shore.
Always wear reef shoes: the rocks are low, but near the water they can be slippery and sharp, and on the islet the rock is uneven. In July and August arrive early to park and find a spot in the coves, which are small. Respect the rules of the Park: don’t walk on the dune off the paths and boardwalks, don’t pick plants and don’t leave litter, either on the shore or on the islet. And always check for any signs and bans posted on the spot.
Useful practical information
| 📍 Where | Locality of Pazze, Mare Verde area, Torre San Giovanni (Ugento, Lecce), 2.5 km from the centre of Torre San Giovanni, 26 km from Gallipoli and 61 km from Lecce |
|---|---|
| 🚗 Parking | Along Corso Annibale and in the side streets; check the no-parking and paid zones, in August arrive early |
| ♿ Access | Into the water from the low rocks or the small coves; the islet, less than 200 metres away, can only be reached by swimming or by canoe |
| 🏖 Beach | Low rocky shore with small sandy coves; free stretches and beach clubs |
| 🌊 Sea | Clear, with a seabed of rock, sand and posidonia; suitable for those who can swim |
| 👟 What to bring | Reef shoes, mask, marker buoy, umbrella, sun cream and water |
| 🍴 Food | A few places to eat and drink along the coast road; more choice in the centre of Torre San Giovanni |
| 📅 Best time | June and September; the morning for swimming, the evening for the sunset |
Where to stay near the Isola Pazze
We have no houses in Torre San Giovanni, but along the same Ionian coast, between Lido Marini and Torre Pali, about 12 km from Pazze and less than twenty minutes by car, you will find our Le Secche Suite & House – 3, La Secca di Spriculizzi: 3 guests, 1 bathroom with a shower and 45 m², with a sea view, air conditioning, a modern fully equipped kitchen with a dishwasher, a living room, an equipped terrace, a garden, Wi-Fi and free private parking. Small dogs are allowed and the sea is less than 1 km away.
The house is part of Le Secche Suite & House, a small complex of six units completed in 2024, with other options for 3 or 4 guests, some with a private pool: you will find them all on the page holiday homes in Lido Marini. From here the sandy beaches of Lido Marini and Torre Pali are a few minutes away, and you can combine the rocks and the islet of Pazze and the shallow sea of the Ugento coast in the same holiday.
Would you like advice on dates, getting around or other houses in the area? Contact us: we will help you choose the right option.
When to go and how much time to plan
June: the sea is already pleasant, the coves are quiet on weekdays and the days are very long, with the latest sunsets of the year.
July and August: it is high season. The sea is warm and the coast fills up; the parking spaces and the best spots on the rocks go early, so go to the sea early in the morning or in the late afternoon. In August, in Torre San Giovanni, there is the feast of the Madonna dell’Aiuto, with the procession at sea.
September: the best month, in our opinion. The sea is still warm, there are far fewer people and the swim out to the islet, when the sea is calm, is a pleasure.
April, May and October: the ideal time for cycling along the coast, walking in the Park and visiting the museum and the old town of Ugento; swimming is for those who don’t mind cool water.
November to March: Pazze is almost deserted and many houses are closed. In heavy seas the sight of the waves on the low rocks and on the islet is impressive, but it is best watched from a distance; on 22 January, in Ugento, there is the feast of the patron saint, San Vincenzo.
Events and festivals (indicative dates, check them every year on the Ugento municipality website and on SalentoMe):
- Patron saint’s feast and fair of San Vincenzo in Ugento: 22 January
- Sagra di ciciri e tria (chickpeas and pasta) in the old town of Ugento: July or August
- Feast of the Madonna dell’Aiuto in Torre San Giovanni: August, around the second Sunday, with the procession at sea
- Feast and fair of the Santi Medici in Ugento: 26-28 September
How much time to allow: half a day is enough for a dip and the swim out to the islet; a whole day if you add Torre San Giovanni and the sunset. With three or four days you can combine Ugento, Posto Rosso, Torre Mozza, Gallipoli and Santa Maria di Leuca. A typical day:
- 8:30: a swim and snorkelling opposite the islet, when the sea is calmest
- 10:00: swim out to the Isola Pazze, if the sea allows
- 13:00: lunch in Torre San Giovanni
- 16:00: Ugento, with the Nuovo Museo Archeologico and the old town
- 19:00: sunset on the rocks of Pazze
- 21:00: an evening stroll between the harbour and the lighthouse tower of Torre San Giovanni
Surroundings and extra ideas
Pazze is well placed for exploring the Ionian coast of southern Salento, with its rocky shores, coastal towers, sandy beaches and inland villages. Distances and driving times are approximate.
Mare Verde and Posto Rosso (1-2 km, 1-2 minutes): just to the north-west the houses of Mare Verde, the last stretch of Torre San Giovanni, come to an end and Posto Rosso begins, on the Alliste coast, with the low rocks, the stone stacks of the Baia dei Pinnacoli and the seafront path for walkers and cyclists. Read our guide to Posto Rosso.
Torre San Giovanni (2.5 km, 4 minutes): Ugento’s main seaside village, with the harbour, the black and white chequered lighthouse tower, the remains of the Messapian walls and, south of the harbour, the sandy beaches. Read our guide to Torre San Giovanni.
Torre Sinfonò and Capilungo (3.5 km, 4 minutes): the round sixteenth-century coastal tower, the Baia dei Diavoli with its slightly higher rocks and the low rocky shore of Capilungo, full of small inlets.
Ugento (8 km, 12 minutes): the town Torre San Giovanni belongs to, a town of art, with the Nuovo Museo Archeologico, the copy of the Zeus of Ugento, the castle of the d’Amore marquises and the cathedral.
Torre Suda (9 km, 11 minutes): the seaside village of Racale, with the sixteenth-century tower in the garden by the sea and the piazzetta from which to watch the sunset.
Torre Mozza (9 km, 13 minutes): the 1565 tower, the long beach of fine sand with its shallow sea and the basins of the Park, full of birds. Read our guide to Torre Mozza.
Lido Marini (11 km, 16 minutes): a long sandy beach that alternates with low rocks towards Torre Pali, near our houses.
Gallipoli (26 km, 32 minutes): the old town on an island linked to the mainland by a bridge, the sandy beaches and the liveliest evening scene on the Ionian coast.
Santa Maria di Leuca (31 km, 32 minutes): the lighthouse, the de Finibus Terrae sanctuary, the seafront with its nineteenth-century villas and the boats to the caves.
Local tip
Go to Pazze early in the morning, when the sea is still: from the shore you can see the seabed almost all the way to the islet, and the swim is more beautiful and safer. If you don’t feel up to going all the way, swim along the coast: among the rocks and the posidonia there is already plenty to see.
In the hot hours leave the sea and head up to Ugento, a quarter of an hour away by car: in the Nuovo Museo Archeologico you will find the copy of the Zeus of Ugento and the section on the prehistory of the area, which also tells the story of the Bronze Age village on the Pazze dune.
In the evening go back to the rocks for the sunset, with the islet in front of you, and then take a stroll at the harbour of Torre San Giovanni, beneath the black and white chequered tower.
FAQ
Where is the Isola Pazze?
On Salento’s Ionian coast, off the locality of Pazze, in the Mare Verde area of Torre San Giovanni, in the municipality of Ugento (Lecce), about a kilometre and a half north-west of the centre of Torre San Giovanni, 26 km from Gallipoli and 61 km from Lecce.
Is it Isola Pazze or Isola di Pazze?
Both forms are used, and also Isola delle Pazze; on maps the islet is marked as Scoglio Pazzi. The locality on the coast opposite the islet is called Pazze, or Le Pazze, and is part of the Mare Verde area. The origin of the name is uncertain.
Can you swim out to the islet?
Yes, when the sea is calm and if you are a good swimmer: it is less than 200 metres from the shore. Take a marker buoy, watch out for boats and don’t go when the sea is rough. You can also get there by canoe or on a SUP.
Is there a sandy beach at Pazze?
There are small sandy coves between the low rocks and a dune, but no long beaches. The sandy beaches with shallow sea begin south of the harbour of Torre San Giovanni, a few minutes away by car, and continue towards Torre Mozza and Lido Marini.
Is the Isola Pazze suitable for children?
With care: the coves are small and to swim you often have to move about on the rocks, which can be slippery. The swim out to the islet is not for children. With little ones the sandy beaches of Torre San Giovanni and Torre Mozza are easier.
Is Pazze part of a park?
Yes: the Litorale di Ugento Regional Nature Park begins right at the locality of Pazze and runs as far as Lido Marini, and its boundary also includes the islet. Don’t walk on the dune off the paths, don’t pick plants and don’t leave litter.
What was there on the Pazze dune?
A Middle Bronze Age village, more than three thousand years old, brought to light in 1976-1977 on the dune opposite the islet. Today the dune is cut through by the road; its story is told in the prehistoric section of the Nuovo Museo Archeologico di Ugento.
How do you get to Pazze without a car?
In summer on «Salento in Bus» line 108, Lecce – Gallipoli – Santa Maria di Leuca, which stops on Corso Annibale at the corner of via Mille, a stone’s throw from the sea. The nearest railway stations are Racale-Alliste and Ugento-Taurisano, on the FS Sud Est lines, 10-12 km away.
When is the best time to go?
June and September, when the sea is already, or still, warm and there are fewer people. For the swim out to the islet choose a morning when the sea is calm.
Where to stay near the Isola Pazze?
Between Lido Marini and Torre Pali, less than twenty minutes away by car, there is Salento Prime’s Le Secche Suite & House – 3: 3 guests, a sea view, an equipped terrace and private parking. You will find the other houses on the holiday homes in Lido Marini page.
Conclusion
The Isola Pazze and the Pazze shore are the rockiest side of Torre San Giovanni: a rocky islet less than 200 metres from the shore, low rocks and small coves, clear sea over the posidonia, a dune where people were already living in the Bronze Age and, in the evening, the sunset over the Ionian Sea. Choose June or September and a day when the sea is calm, bring your reef shoes and, if you are a good swimmer, push on as far as the islet.
If you want a convenient base for exploring this coast, between Lido Marini and Torre Pali you will find our Le Secche Suite & House – 3: 3 guests, a sea view, an equipped terrace and private parking, less than twenty minutes from Pazze. You will find our houses in the area on the page holiday homes in Lido Marini.
Discover the available accommodations with Salento Prime. To best organize your base and transfers, contact us here or start a chat on WHATSAPP.
Cover photo: Patrick Nouhailler, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
