Spiaggia Le Dune, Sandy beach in Scala di Furno, Italy
Spiaggia Le Dune is a sandy beach in the small coastal locality of Scala di Furno, in southern Apulia, close to Torre Colimena. The beach sits within a nature reserve and runs alongside a system of dunes that separates the shoreline from the coastal scrubland behind it.
The area around the dunes was largely undisturbed until the second half of the 20th century, when the coastline started attracting seasonal visitors. Part of the shore was placed under protection to prevent the kind of building that had changed much of the rest of the Apulian coast.
The dunes behind the beach are part of a protected coastal reserve where low pine trees and scrub grow right up to the shoreline. Visitors who walk along the edge of the dunes get a sense of how the Apulian coast looked before mass tourism.
The beach has a managed section with umbrella and sunbed hire, as well as free stretches for visitors who prefer to set up on their own. Parking fills up quickly in summer, so arriving in the morning makes the visit easier.
The beach lies at Scala di Furno, about 500 km southeast of Rome, on the Ionian coast. The local climate is Mediterranean, with July averages around 31 °C and January around 8 °C, and annual rainfall of roughly 907 mm. Visitors should note that the dunes give the beach its name.
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