Adriatic Sea with a difference: On the 600 km long coast, there are still many unknown beaches to discover beyond the famous seaside resorts such as Rimini, Caorle and Bibione. We present the seven most magical – from the north to the heel of the boot.
They are all on the east coast of Italy, on the Adriatic. But not all of them are as well known as the regions of Veneto with their seaside resorts Bibione and Caorle or the Emiglia-Romagna with Rimini and Cesenatico. This makes Friuli-Venezia Giulia, the Marche and Abruzzo, Molise and Puglia the perfect areas for explorers who want to move away from mass tourism.
We show seven beaches on the Italian Adriatic coast, ranging from small rocky bays to miles of gold beaches to white dunes.
1. Trieste: The wild side of the Adriatic
Rocks, cliffs, cliffs: The upper Adriatic near Trieste is quite unusual for the wide, kilometer-long and gently sloping sandy beaches that follow only a few kilometers further west. Most holidaymakers think that the rough coastal landscape means that you cannot swim here anyway and continue to Slovenia and Croatia. But there are wonderful places to swim around the port city with its 200,000 inhabitants.
However, most of them cannot be reached by car, but have to walk a bit. Such as the Sirena bathing establishment, which is located near the Miramare castle perched on a cliff and offers breathtaking views. The wild beach at the small port of Santa Croce is guaranteed not to be overcrowded. It can only be reached by a short hike via the coastal road and the Ristorante Tenda Rossa.
2. Grado: The classic with that certain something
Admittedly, Grado is no longer an insider tip. Very long. The first bathhouses were built in the former fishing village as early as the middle of the 19th century. Soon afterwards, the Habsburg Emperor Franz Josef Grado named it an imperial seaside resort because of its mild climate, fresh sea air and mineral-rich sand.
Despite the enormous rows of deckchairs and parasols, Grado still has a magical appeal. This may be due to the location in the lagoon, where fishermen are still in colorful boats today and lay their nets in the harbor to dry. Or at the cozy street bars in the old town. But especially on the beautiful sandbars in the lagoon.
The three main beaches of Grado are connected by a promenade. The Costa Azzura at the western tip is further away from the city and who walks to the end will find peace and a fascinating beach landscape only 400 kilometers from Munich.
3. Comacchio lagoon: flamingos and seven golden beaches
The lagoon city of Comacchio is halfway between Venice and Rimini. It has seven beaches that are strung together like pearls – the Lidi di Comacchio. Over a length of more than 20 kilometers, they fall flat into the sea, with golden-yellow sand and very different characters.
For children there is the "Beach of Miracles", for water sports enthusiasts the "Lido delle Nazioni", for nostalgics the beach of Punta Maistra with its lighthouse and dog owners can take their favorites to the beach. Completely different animals also feel at home in the salt flats of the lagoon: flamingos. They nest here in spring and some stay here all year round. The best way to explore the nature reserve is on foot, by bike or on horseback.
4. Senigallia: velvet beach, star chef and Jamboree Festival
Most tourists rush past here – a serious mistake. Senigallia is around 30 kilometers north of Ancona, the port where many holidaymakers take the ferry to Greece and have neither before nor after. But in Senigallia the “Spiaggia di velluto” trumps – the velvet beach. It is white, of the finest sand quality and stretches twelve kilometers along the azure Adriatic.
There is something for everyone here: places for those looking for peace and quiet who want to listen to the lapping of the waves, beach bars with live music and cocktails, simple fish restaurants or star kitchens. Michelin chef Moreno Cedroni runs two restaurants in Senigallia – pure seduction for gourmets.
5. San Benedetto del Tronto: Sea of palm trees with a blue flag
You don't know exactly who counted them, but there are said to be more than 7000 palm trees that make the city in the extreme southeast of the Marche region so special. Her name "Queen of the Seas" says a lot about the meaning, which is exactly explained in one of the museums of San Benedetto del Tronto. Bougainvilleas, oleanders and lush green vegetation surround the wide beaches of the medieval city.
The highlight for bathers is the eternally long city beach made of the finest sand. If you want even more sandy beach, get on your bike and cruise a few kilometers north along the coast. In Grottammare, a five kilometer long sandy beach awaits him, which has been awarded the blue flag, the quality mark for beach quality.
6. Vasto: High peaks in the back, soft sand in front of the nose
Every real estate agent would rub their hands here: location, location, location! The medieval town of Vasto lies on a hill on the coast, with the Apennine mountains almost 3000 meters high behind. Excursions to the mountain range of the Majella with its summit of Monte Amaro, which sounds like herbal liqueur, are the perfect contrast to beach life.
Apropos: The beaches around Vasto are in a nature reserve, which is why they can shine with a well-preserved dune landscape and rare plants such as straw flowers and robinia forests. You can dive, sail, surf and kayak on the manicured sections of sand. If the children are not exhausted after building sand castles, then they should do so in the water park, Aqualand from Vasto.
7. Otranto: Maldives feeling at the bottom of the heel
The road to southern Puglia is long, but it's worth it: at the bottom of the heel of the Italian boot is the 6000-inhabitant port town of Otranto on the Salento peninsula. On the other side of the sea, only about 140 kilometers as the crow flies, the Greek island of Corfu rises.
North of Otranto, Alimni Beach attracts enthusiastic comments from visitors. "Like in the Maldives", for example, says the Tripadvisor rating portal, because white dunes separate the light blue and turquoise sea from pine forests.
South of Otranto, which is surrounded by a mighty city wall, the beaches look completely different: rock formations form a wildly romantic cliff with small bays and hidden sandy beaches. The sea shows itself from its most beautiful side and rewards everyone who makes it to the southeastern tip of Italy.
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