A short survival guide for those who go to the beach in Italy

The Italian beach is a theatre.

Very tanned young and old, high-cut bikinis, laughter and tears of children, cries of mothers, harangues of street vendors… All this exists in France but on the other side of the Alps, beach rituals are almost sacred.

With the “economic miracle” of the 1950s and 60s, the Italian August turned into a summer exodus that continues despite changing lifestyles.

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On board the legendary Fiat 500s, whole families packed like sardines, a parasol protruding from the roof, left the cities to reach the Mediterranean or Adriatic coasts.

Rimini, Riccione, Portofino, Porto Cervo, Forte dei Marmi, Capalbio, Ostia, Capri… Names that always rhyme with Dolce Vita.

Get your sun creams and sarongs!

Read alsoIn Sardinia, five confidential beaches on the Maddalena archipelago

Private beach versus free beach

It is difficult to find wild beaches in Italy because more than 50% of the coastline is occupied by private concessions, according to the 2022 report by the NGO Legambiente.

The latter notes that in Liguria, Emilia-Romagna and Campania, private beaches represent up to 70% of the seaside offer.

Approved at the end of May by the Italian Senate, the annual law on competition guarantees the principle of a balance between free and private beaches, requiring the creation of a map of seaside concessions, retaining only quality operations that respect the environment. .

From north to south of the boot, the abusive concessions are indeed numerous.

Entire sections of dunes and vegetation have been destroyed to build paving and sometimes concrete walls, preventing walkers from

This awareness may take several years to be put into practice.

In the meantime, there are more and more initiatives in Italy to promote "greener" beaches with access for disabled people, the implementation of selective waste sorting, the use of alternative energies, organic products and premises in bars, measures to limit noise, smokers... Not to mention the Blue Flag label which concerns more than 400 beaches on the whole peninsula in 2022. Finally for those who swear only by wild beaches, national or regional natural parks are the only territories prohibiting private concessions, such as that of Maremma in Tuscany or the archipelago of La Maddalena in Sardinia.

Read alsoItaly finally tackles the prebends of private beaches

Sand or rock?

There have always been two categories of summer visitors: those who can't stand having sand under their feet and those who curse walking on pebbles.

The first will preferably choose

where the rocks are kings, the

in Puglia, the

but also all the Italian islands from

in Sicily, with its cliffs which descend into fluorescent turquoise water, to

in the Aeolian Islands, passing through

in Lazio, the

in Tuscany… The most beautiful rocky coves are of course those that remain to be discovered.

Lovers of white sand will set their sights on

, which has the longest beach in the boot: that of

, 15 km of white sand turning golden, between the towns of

,

and

, in the heart of the Gulf of the Asinara.

The coves of floury sand surrounded by fragrant maquis of the islands of

or

in the archipelago of La Maddalena, those of the

and the

are all spectacular but you will never be alone there in summer.

Some still unknown regions conceal marvelous and (almost) deserted beaches even in high season.

In Calabria, the

under the promontory of Capo Vaticano is bordered by dazzling celadon blue water, home to a wealth of underwater fauna.

Little

also conceals treasures, including the

near Maratea, a long strip of brown sand, bathed in an emerald sea, dominated by an imposing cliff.

Read alsoPebbles, sand, shells... What are you allowed to pick up on the beach?

Never without my dog

With more than 62 million domestic animals, for barely 60 million inhabitants, Italy is the country of animal kings.

Like their masters, they enjoy taking a dip in the sea and stretching their legs on the sand.

There is no law prohibiting dogs from public beaches, which must remain under their owner's parasol so as not to disturb the neighbours.

Communal or regional ordinances may however limit their access.

There are also “dog friendly” private beaches, which represent around 400 Italian bathing concessions.

Among the regions best equipped for dogs, Emilia-Romagna is a leader with 128 beaches ready to welcome our faithful companions.

The Zampa Vacanza site also lists hotels, bed and breakfasts, restaurants and activities for an ideal Italian holiday with your dog.

Read alsoGoing on vacation with your dog: “Italy is the most dog-friendly country”

The best apps to book your deckchair

As in France, there are more and more applications for booking deckchairs and parasols in advance, ordering pasta alle vongole, paying for parking, etc. The best known can be downloaded from the spiagge.it site.

The Spiaggiami or Cocobuk apps, which have the particularity of offering a comparison of prices and services of nearby beaches, are also well rated.

The Riva booking application allows you to book your entire vacation by the sea, from deckchairs to surf lessons, via the golf course or massage...

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