Campomarino di Maruggio, better known to local residents and not as Marina di Maruggio, represents the hamlet of the Taranto municipality of the same name that is populated only during the summer period.
The port of this hamlet overlooking the Ionian-Salentine coast represents the only port facility on the stretch of coast from Porto Cesareo to Taranto.
The port of Campomarino di Maruggio is a shelter harbor, protected by a breakwater pier approximately 400 m long and a jetty 230 m long. Inside the harbor, a central pier divides the water into two sections, forming the fishing harbor to the east and the marina to the west.
The entire port area of Campomarino is protected by a breakwater approximately 350 m long and a 250-meter-long inner pier. Access for boats is quite dangerous in winds from the second and third quadrants, especially due to the presence of rocks near the entrance and shoals near the inner quay of the breakwater.
In the immediate vicinity of the central part of the entrance, the water depth is approximately 1.5 m, while on the sides, the presence of several sandbars has reduced the depth to approximately 80 cm. Boats with a draft greater than 1 m should exercise particular caution.
The port of Campomarino di Maruggio can be divided into two areas: on the left side is the fishing port, and on the right side is the Blue dock, the marina that accommodates up to 300 berths for boats up to 20 m in length. Both areas are the same size and are separated by a restaurant that occupies a long wing. The marina serves as the town’s main promenade, along with the nearby Piazzale Italia.
In particular, the pier offers a truly breathtaking panoramic view of the sea. The inner harbor is also a very beautiful place for walks and is even better maintained than the pier.
The marina also features a large open space in front of it that serves as a stage for numerous concerts and performances during the summer. Next to the fishing port, on the other hand, there is a square that hosts a small market during the summer season.
The dock, managed by the company Torre Moline SpA, has several downsides related mainly to the presence of rotting sand and algae that give off a nauseating odor with southerly winds compounded by the need to dredge the seabed.
As early as 2012, the Puglia Region had issued a formal notice to the company to remove the algae and clean the port area; in response to this, the company did not conduct a public bidding process but instead deployed several vehicles in the port area—vehicles that were, however, only to remove sand from the breakwater pier
