Porto Cesareo is one of the most important and famous tourist centres of the Salento: its coast is wonderful and the sea is clear and crystalline. It has got two small  islands too called "dei conigli" (that means  "of the rabbits") and "della scogliera" (that means "of the rock"). On the coast you can see the ancient towers built in the XVI century to defend the territory from the attacks of the enemies. In the historical centre there is the first small church of Porto Cesareo, built in  1880. In the past, on the high altar,  there was a very beautiful canvass representing the Holy Virgin Mary with the Child. The Mother Church, dedicated to the Madonna of the Perpetual Help, was built in 1950. The main façade is very linear; inside you can admire three altars, and a wooden crucifix on the high altar,  probably made in the XIV century. Outside  the urban centre you can visit some interesting and ancient masserie as Console Masseria and Trappeto Masseria, both dating back to the XVI century. he most ancient is Zanzara Masseria built in  1470. At Porto Cesareo there is  a station of sea biology of the University of Lecce, in which a lot of types of flora and fauna are observed and studied.  The protectress of this small centre  is the Madonna of the Perpetual Help, that r is celebrated on the last Saturday of June.

The nickname of the inhabitants of Porto Cesareo is "piscaturi" that is, "fishermen." This is a dialect word that makes reference to the fact that the inhabitants of this place have always been above all fishermen. What is more there is no embarrassing nickname about their reputation.