A thermally assisted magnetic head includes a main magnetic pole layer, a near-field light generating layer having a generating end part generating near-field light arranged within a medium-opposing surface, and an optical waveguide guiding light to the near-field light generating layer. The near-field light generating layer has a laminated structure in which a first thin-film metal layer formed in a thin film form along a direction intersecting the medium-opposing surface and a second thin-film metal layer formed in a thin film form and formed using a second metal larger in hardness than a first metal forming the first thin-film metal layer are alternately laminated. Further, in the second thin-film metal layer, a defect part is formed, the defect part is a part smaller in thickness than another part or is a hole part, and a flat layer part other than the defect part surrounds the defect part.