Description:
<div>Surrounded by water on all sides, Italy has a unique coastline with nooks and crannies that create quiet swimming coves and picturesque seascapes. Italy participates in the Blue Flag Programme, so travelers can easily identify beaches that are safe for swimming by the distinct blue flag.<br />Want to head to the beach in Italy? Great idea: with more than 5,000 miles of coastline, Italy boasts hundreds of beautiful beaches.<br /><br /></div>
Italy's beaches are most crowded during July and August when Italians join the throngs of foreign tourists heading to the beach to escape the heat. Whether you're searching for an upscale resort or a secluded seaside village, there's a lounge chair on the sea just waiting for you.Italy is surrounded by the Mediterranean and has a long and varied coastline. The sea (il mare, il Mediterraneo) takes different names around the coast: to the west of Italy is the Ligurian Sea (Mar Ligure), and south of that is the Tyrrhenian Sea (Tirreno). <br /><br />Around the sole of Italy's boot lies the Ionian (Ionio) and to the east is the Adriatic (Adriatico). <br />A few sections are protected marine reserves, others (particularly in the south) have been spoiled by tacky half-constructed villas. <br />Traditionally Italian villages were constructed in defensive locations, often in the hills above the sea. <br />And until the first half of the twentieth-century, many coastal lowlands were malarial. <br />Often nowadays you'll find a historic town centre inland or up a hill, with a modern beach suburb along the sea. Historic fishing ports, although situated on the sea, favour rocky natural harbours and defences. <br />Consequently these more attractive destinations usually lack long beaches, and often the rocky coastline hasn't permitted much space for development. So many of these, like Portofino and Positano, have become picturesque and exclusive destinations, a million miles away from the long, heavily-developed mass-tourism beaches of resorts like Rimini. <br /><br />Picturesque coastline <br />These are destinations whose principal appeal is their beautiful scenery; generally former fishing villages which have been geared for tourism without losing their charm.<br /> There is usually some access to the sea, but beaches may be small or rocky. <br />Vernazza, in the Cinque Terre <br />Amalfi Coast - very small beaches, smart resorts and staggering scenery <br />Cinque Terre - less developed and a marine reserve, the Cinque Terre are five steep villages joined by footpaths <br />Monte Argentario - a mountainous Tuscan promontory with attractive fishing village resorts <br />Portofino - tiny harbour nestled into a rocky headland; an exclusive destination <br />Porto Venere - yet another fishing village which now caters for holidaymakers, in Liguria Sorrento - a popular seaside destination although it lacks a sandy beach <br />Taormina, Sicily - high above the sea, but with beaches nearby <br />Camogli, Liguria - authentic fishing village with a couple of boutique hotels <br /><br />Islands There are lots of small islands off the coast of Italy which offer relaxing seaside holidays and lots of blue sea. <br />Ischia - an island of pretty beaches and thermal springs, crowded with Italian and German families in summer <br />Procida - alongside Ischia; a small and picturesque island with some good sandy beach <br />Capri - beautiful and expensive island destination close to the Amalfi Coast <br />La Maddalena - rocky cluster of islands off the coast of Sardinia, with fantastic beaches and turquoise sea <br />Ponza - little island between Rome and Naples, the largest of the Pontine islands <br /><br />For the beach These places are primarily seaside resorts, sometimes with a bit of culture thrown in (this is Italy, after all). <br />Rimini: the beach out of season Rimini - <br />Italy's most famous beach resort, with a surprisingly interesting old town a little way inland <br />Venice Lido - uninspiring but extensive stretches of beach <br />Sperlonga and Terracina - attractive resorts south of Rome <br />Santa Margherita Ligure - old-fashioned resort near Portofino in Liguria <br />Lido di Jesolo - purpose-built beach resort near Venice <br />Chioggia and Sottomarina, Veneto - Chioggia is a fishing town in the Venetian lagoon; its seaside suburb <br />Sottomarina is a busy beach destination Sanremo - a pretty and popular resort on the Italian Riviera <br />Cefalù, Sicily - an attractive resort with lots of history <br />Grado - in the north-east of Italy, Grado sits between a lagoon and the head of the Adriatic. <br />It has a historic centre and is near the Roman ruins of Aquileia. <br />Pesaro - pleasant Adriatic coastal resort with beaches and a historic centre, and only a bus ride from the cultural destination <br />Urbino <br />The sea below Taormina Ports and coastal towns <br />These busy ports and larger towns on the Italian coast are not ideal locations for a seaside holiday, but they do make bases from which you can take boat trips and explore the nearby coastline. <br />Most have beaches in the town or not far away, although they may not be the cleanest. <br />Genoa - vibrant port city with lots to do and beaches nearby. <br />La Spezia - a naval town close to Porto Venere and the Cinque Terre <br />Naples - a hectic city, but with ferries around the Bay of Naples <br />Trieste - port up in the north of the Adriatic, near Italy's border with Slovenia. <br />Siracusa, Sicily - an ancient town most visited for its architecture and archaeology <br />Trapani, Sicily - a port with ferries to outlying islands <br />Anzio - a fishing and ferry port near Rome.<br /><br />Italy is one of the best beach destinations, with so many beaches it may be hard to pick one. After all, every one of them are beautiful with a lovely coastline and natural scenic beauty. Most beaches in Italy offer calm and serene surroundings, which can be a welcome break for people living in crowded urban areas. <br />More importantly, most of the italian beaches are clean, offering safe bathing spots. <br />Many tourists come to visit these beaches every year and enjoy the wonderful landscape of the region.<br /><br />
<h2><strong>Selected guides for italian beaches and Italy's coast charming coastal towns</strong></h2>
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