Monopoli (Cala Porta Vecchia)

Cala Porta Vecchia sits right beside Monopoli's sixteenth-century defensive walls, a small sandy beach just two minutes' walk from the historic centre. It's a convenient, low-key spot rather than a wide resort beach, with clear water and cafes and restaurants immediately behind it. A nearby alternative, Porto Bianco, offers more open sand a short walk further along the coast.

Cala Porta Vecchia is about as central as a Monopoli beach gets, tucked beneath the old town's defensive walls and reachable in a couple of minutes on foot from the historic centre. The beach is split into two small sandy areas - one slightly raised along the bastion walls, the other at water level beneath Via Portavecchia - both looking directly onto the old town's white stone buildings. There's genuinely no space for facilities on the beach itself, but that's part of its appeal: it's a quick, scenic dip rather than a full beach-club day, backed by a couple of cafes and restaurants just steps away. For more room to spread out, Porto Bianco is about a 12-minute walk further along the coast, a free beach with a larger patch of sand, crystal-clear water and a wheelchair-accessible ramp down to the shore. Parking is easy for Cala Porta Vecchia, with a car park less than two minutes' walk away. Monopoli's own train station is around 1.5 km off, an 18-20 minute walk along Via Cimitero and Via P. De Luca, or a short bus or taxi ride. Cala Porta Vecchia suits anyone staying in or visiting Monopoli who wants an easy swim without leaving town - not a beach to plan a whole day around, but a convenient, photogenic stop between exploring the old town.

Other beaches in Liguria are shown on the map — tap a pin to open its page.