[July 2026] A summer holiday wouldn’t be complete without a trip to the beach.
We headed to Baia dei Turchi, a beach located about 5.5 kilometres along the coast from Otranto, in the Apulia region of Southern Italy.
There is a parking area well before the beach itself, where we paid a €5 parking fee and a €3 shuttle fee.
The “shuttle” is actually a small, train-like vehicle (*trenino*) that transports beachgoers from the car park to the beach area.
In reality, it didn’t drop us off at the beach itself, but rather in a pine forest—from which we had to walk a very long way.
Fortunately, the path through the woods was shaded, but it turned out to be much longer than expected; by the time we arrived, we were completely exhausted.
The cost for a beach umbrella was a staggering €35.
Since it was already the afternoon, we tried to negotiate a lower price, arguing that we would only be there for a few hours—but they wouldn’t budge an inch.
In other words, whether you stay for the whole day or just a few hours, once you claim a spot, you’re charged €35.
It was frustrating, but with no other options, we reluctantly settled in.
To make matters worse, despite the €35 price tag, my husband reported that the toilet he used was quite dirty.
It was a windy day with a high of around 31°C —not excessively hot—so we were a bit concerned about the water temperature.
However, my husband went for a quick swim and said the water was warm.
So, soon after, I headed into the sea as well.
Once I got past the initial shock, the water did indeed feel warm.
In fact, the air outside felt cooler, making the sea feel almost like an open-air hot spring.
The water was incredibly clear and a beautiful shade of green, though we didn’t spot any fish.
The seabed was sandy and sloped very gradually, so even with my sensitive feet, I was able to walk around without needing sandals.
The wind was incredibly strong, and waves kept rolling in, one after another.
Caught off guard, I ended up getting drenched by waves—right over the head—not once, but three times!
And this happened even though I was wearing my glasses!
Still, I love playing in the waves; it makes me feel like a child again.
Though, I must admit, the cold air hit me the moment I stepped out of the water—I was absolutely freezing!
After that, we did what we always do: sprawled out on a deck chair and just lounged around.
It’s wonderful that you don’t have to feel the slightest bit guilty about just lazing about—after all, that’s exactly what beach life is all about.
