Taranto: the City of Two Seas
Founded by Spartans and once one of the great cities of the ancient world, Taranto sits on the Ionian coast with a raw old town on an island, a swing bridge that still opens for navy ships, and a museum full of Greek gold. This is not a polished resort. It is a working port with real history, best understood as a half-day culture stop that most visitors overlook, and that rewards the ones who do not.
What to see in Taranto
Let me be honest about the shape of a visit. Taranto rewards curiosity, not a checklist. The pleasure is in three things: the old town on its island, the strange drama of a city wedged between two seas and a museum that quietly outclasses almost everything else in the south. Half a day covers it.
The Città Vecchia
The old town sits on a small island between the two seas, a knot of narrow lanes, weathered palazzi and washing strung between balconies. It is raw and only slowly being restored, so it feels lived-in rather than staged. In its heart stands the Cathedral of San Cataldo, the oldest cathedral in Puglia, begun in the 10th century. Wander it by day, keep your wits after dark, and take it for what it is: the real, unvarnished thing.
The two seas & the swing bridge
Taranto’s nickname is literal: the Mar Grande opens to the Ionian, while the sheltered Mar Piccolo lagoon curls behind the city, its waters farmed for the famous Taranto mussels. The two are joined by a channel spanned since 1887 by the Ponte Girevole, a swing bridge that still rotates open to let navy ships through to the arsenal. Guarding the channel is the Castello Aragonese, the great 15th-century fortress you see on the way in.
The MArTA & the Greek gold
If you see one thing, make it the MArTA, the national archaeological museum. Its Magna Graecia collection rivals Athens and the Vatican for scope, and its glory is the Ori di Taranto: the richest hoard of ancient Greek gold jewellery anywhere, wreaths and diadems worked by the goldsmiths of Taras. It is world class, uncrowded and the single best reason to make the trip.
Ancient Taras: the only Spartan colony
This is what makes Taranto unlike anywhere else in Puglia. It is the only overseas colony that austere, warlike Sparta ever founded, and for a while it was one of the largest and richest cities in the whole ancient world.
The city was founded in 706 BC by the Parthenians, a group of Spartans of disputed birth who were sent overseas to settle rather than cause trouble at home, led by their captain Phalanthus and blessed by the oracle of Delphi. They named it Taras, after the mythical son of Poseidon and a local nymph, shown on the city’s coins riding a dolphin, an image you will meet all over the modern town.
Taras grew into a great power of Magna Graecia, Greek southern Italy, minting its own coins and, by 500 BC, ranking among the biggest cities of its day. That Greek golden age is exactly what fills the cases of the MArTA. Two Doric columns from an archaic temple, traditionally called a temple of Poseidon, still stand near the old town, older than the famous temples of Paestum and Syracuse, a fragment of a city that was ancient when Rome was young.
| Ancient Taranto | In brief |
|---|---|
| Founded | 706 BC, by Spartan settlers |
| Founders | The Parthenians, led by Phalanthus |
| Named after | Taras, son of Poseidon, on a dolphin |
| Peak | A leading city of Magna Graecia, huge by 500 BC |
| Still standing | Two Doric columns of an archaic temple |
The Greek city’s treasures now fill the MArTA museum, a short walk from the old town.
Where to stay in Taranto
My honest steer: Taranto works best as a culture stop, not a beach base. If you do sleep here, choose the Borgo Umbertino, the elegant 19th-century new town on the far side of the swing bridge, with wide avenues, the lungomare and easy reach of the museum. Parts of the old town are being restored and can feel rough after dark, so pick your street with care. Plenty of visitors keep their base in the Valle d’Itria and give Taranto a day.
Compare live prices for hotels and B&Bs in and around Taranto on the map.
Our top experiences in Taranto
The best of Taranto is human-scale: a guided walk through the old town to read the layers, a boat out onto the two seas and an unhurried hour with the Greek gold. The experiences hub links the rest of Puglia.
See live tours and activities in Taranto
Live availability and prices via GetYourGuide, updated in real time.
Getting to Taranto
Taranto sits on the Ionian, at the top of the gulf, and it is an easy hop from the rest of Puglia by train or car. It is a proper rail hub, which makes it simple to reach without driving.
| From | Distance | By car |
|---|---|---|
| Bari | ~95 km | ~1 hr |
| Brindisi airport (BDS) | ~70 km | ~1 hr |
| Bari airport (BRI) | ~110 km | ~1 hr 10 |
| Lecce | ~85 km | ~1 hr 10 |
| Matera | ~70 km | ~1 hr |
| Grottaglie | ~20 km | ~25 min |
By train: Taranto is well connected to Bari and Brindisi, and the scenic FAL line links it towards Matera.
Arriving by air? Both Puglian airports are about an hour away. A fixed-price private airport transfer takes the stress out of the first leg, and an Italy eSIM gives you maps and data the moment you land. For the wider Ionian coast and the Valle d’Itria you will want your own wheels: see renting a car in Puglia.
Day trips from Taranto
Taranto makes a handy base for the western corner of Puglia, where the Ionian coast, the white towns of the Valle d’Itria and the ravine country all meet.
Grottaglie
Puglia’s ceramics town, streets of potters’ workshops · ~25 min · Grottaglie guide
Martina Franca
Baroque Valle d’Itria · ~35 min · Martina Franca guide
Massafra & the gravine
Dramatic ravines and cave churches · ~20 min
All destinations
Best time to visit
Spring and early autumn are ideal for a city that is about walking and museums rather than the beach: May, June, September and October give you warm days without the August heat. The MArTA is a fine rainy-day plan in winter, too. Best time to visit Puglia
Keep planning
Practical guides: Getting to Puglia · Renting a car in Puglia
Taranto: FAQ
What is Taranto known for?
Taranto is the City of Two Seas, sitting between the Mar Grande and the Mar Piccolo on the Ionian coast. It was founded in 706 BC as the only overseas colony of ancient Sparta and grew into a great power of Magna Graecia. Today it is known for its raw old town on an island, the Ponte Girevole swing bridge, the Castello Aragonese and above all the MArTA museum with its Ori di Taranto, the finest ancient Greek gold in Italy.
Is Taranto worth visiting?
Yes, if you come for the history and the atmosphere rather than a polished resort. Taranto is a working port with an industrial edge and an old town that is raw and slowly being restored, but it holds the greatest ancient museum in the south and a setting between two seas nowhere else in Puglia can match. Give it half a day for the MArTA and the Città Vecchia, ideally as a culture stop from a Valle d’Itria base.
What is the MArTA museum?
The MArTA is the National Archaeological Museum of Taranto, one of the most important in Italy. Its Magna Graecia collection rivals Athens and the Vatican in scope, and its highlight is the Ori di Taranto, the most extensive collection of ancient Greek gold jewellery anywhere, made by the goldsmiths of Taras.
How do you get to Taranto?
Taranto sits on the Ionian coast and is easy to reach by train or car. From Bari it is about an hour; Brindisi airport is around an hour and Bari airport a little more. Trains link it to Bari, Brindisi and, on the FAL line, towards Matera. A car helps for the surrounding Ionian coast and the Valle d’Itria.
Where should you stay in Taranto?
Base yourself in the elegant Borgo Umbertino, the 19th-century new town near the lungomare, which is walkable and central to the museum and old town. Parts of the Città Vecchia are being restored and can feel rough after dark, so choose your street with care. Many travellers visit Taranto as a day trip from a base in the Valle d’Itria instead.
Related: Martina Franca · All destinations · Best time to visit · Getting to Puglia · Best towns in Puglia
I grew up in the province of Brindisi and spent 30 years in Puglia. Taranto is the region’s great overlooked city, and I would rather send you to the MArTA than to one more crowded beach. Everything above is checked on the ground; when a place changes, it gets updated. More about who is behind this guide