The jewel in the crown of Italy's natural heritage, and more specifically of the Puglia region, Torre Guaceto is a particularly special park consisting of a marine reserve and a terrestrial reserve managed by a single body.
The Marine Protected Area, established in 1991, and the State Nature Reserve, created in 2000, constitute a system of protected areas that extends for a total of approximately 3,300 hectares and includes an 8-kilometer stretch of coast that goes from the provincial capital, Brindisi, to the territory belonging to the municipality of Carovigno.
The name of the Park itself tells its ancient history and the importance it has always had for the life of both animal and human communities since ancient times. The Italian Torre Guaceto derives, in fact, from the Arabic Al Gawsit, “the place of fresh water”, a term chosen by an ancient Middle Eastern topographer to indicate the presence of springs of water that are the source of life in the place.
Its geological and environmental characteristics have made the reserve the ideal place for everyone.
Crossing Torre Guaceto as a bird's eye view, proceeding from the hinterland towards the open sea, one observes the richness of its perfect ecosystem, the succession of different environments that lend themselves to different harmonies, first the cultivated fields and olive groves, then the coastal mosaic of Mediterranean scrub, the humid zone, the dunes and the shoreline, and finally the sea on whose seabed grow meadows of oceanic posidonia and deeper down the coralligenous. Different environments, but interconnected, protected and at the same time open to man.
Torre Guaceto is a CETS certified destination, European Charter for Sustainable Tourism. A brand assigned by Europarc to areas managed in a virtuous way, both in terms of protection and promotion. As part of the CETS, the Consortium collaborates with the entities of the territories of Brindisi, Carovigno, Mesagne and San Vito dei Normanni, so that the entire district increases its standards of environmental, energy and social sustainability. The operators of hospitality, catering and tourist guides of the four municipalities who demonstrate that they work in a virtuous way, obtain their “CETS Torre Guaceto” brand assigned by Federparchi.
Find out more about the reserve www.riservaditorreguaceto.it
Book your tour https://torreguaceto.azurewebsites.net/
Request information on accessibility and inclusive activities of the protected area 347 8408860

In Torre Guaceto you can:
-Swim in zones C and B, not in zone A. To recognize the zone you are in, look at the signs, or, more simply, remember that the beaches in zone A are the lagoon of the Aragonese tower and the first cove;
-Relax and enjoy from dawn to dusk;
-Walking, running, cycling anywhere except on the dunes and in the terrestrial zone A, always remember to look at the signs to understand which area you are in;
-Practice the following activities: snorkeling, trekking, cycle trekking.
In Torre Guaceto you must ask the Consortium for authorization to:
-Raise a drone (segreteria@riservaditorreguaceto.it);
-Practice sport or professional fishing (the latter only if you reside in the municipalities of Brindisi and Carovigno segreteria@riservaditorreguaceto.it);
-Make professional photographic, cinematographic and television shots, for commercial or profit purposes (segreteria@riservaditorreguaceto.it);
-Go scuba diving (segreteria@riservaditorreguaceto.it);
-Organize guided tours (segreteria@riservaditorreguaceto.it).

In Torre Guaceto you cannot:
-Light fires;
-Bring your pet, its presence would cause harm to the wildlife living in the reserve;
-Remove natural elements: look at the flowers, but do not touch them, admire the animals from afar, do not get closer than 25 meters to Kentish plover nests, do not scare the birds.
animals, do not use nets in the sea, not even for fun, do not collect shells;
- Carry out commercial activities, organize games, recreational events (if you have a valid reason to do so, contact the Reserve Management Consortium and ask to be authorized segreteria@riservaditorreguaceto.it);
-Access with a motor vehicle neither at sea nor on land (if you have a valid reason to do so, contact the Reserve Management Consortium and ask to be authorised segreteria@riservaditorreguaceto.it);
-Improper use of voice diffusion systems and acoustic or sound signals.

Torre Guaceto Nature Reserve

How to reach us
Situated between the cities of Brindisi (the provincial capital) and Carovigno, the protected area is easily accessible from the most important local and international communication routes.
Tourists can reach Brindisi both by sea, in fact the city has a port, and by air, therefore landing at the local airport (the Reserve is located 20 km from the one in Brindisi and 112 km from the one in Bari), or by land, by car or train (the Reserve is located 20 km from the Brindisi railway station, 8 km from the one in Carovigno and 99 km from the one in Bari).
The Reserve's use system is organised into reception services (service areas and parking, intermodal exchanges, sustainable mobility), catering services based on the culture of slow food (Punta Penna Grossa beach) and services for gaining in-depth knowledge of the area (Al Gawsit Visitor Centre, Aragonese Tower museum and activities).
How to get to Torre Guaceto by car: to reach the Al Gawsit Visitor Centre from the SS n. 379 Bari-Brindisi-Lecce, take the Serranova exit and continue towards Serranova; for the Reserve from the SS 379 Bari-Brindisi-Lecce, take the Torre Guaceto-Punta Penna Grossa exit and follow the sea-side bypass until you reach the service area in the area, or from the SS 379, take the Apani exit and continue until you reach the service area in the area.