In Italy, the beach is a theater. Lots of tans, young and old, high-cut bikinis, children’s laughter and tears, mothers crying, street vendors haranguing… 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.
Families packed like sardines on the legendary Fiat 500, umbrella sticking out of the roof, left the cities to reach the shores of the Mediterranean Sea or the Adriatic Sea. Rimini, Riccione, Portofino, Porto Cervo, Forte dei Marmi, Capalbio, Ostia, Capri… Names that always rhyme with Dolce Vita. Get your sunscreen and sarongs.
Private Beach vs. Free Beach?
Wild beaches are difficult to find in Italy, as more than 50% of the coastline is occupied by private concessions, according to the Legambiente NGO’s 2022 report. The latter states that private beaches in Liguria, Emilia-Romagna and Campania make up to 70% of the beach offer. Approved by the Italian Senate at the end of May, the annual law on competition guarantees the principle of balance between free and private beaches, requiring the creation of a map of beach concessions, maintaining only quality operations that respect the environment. From north to south of the shoe, abusive concessions are indeed plentiful. Entire swathes of sand dunes and vegetation have been destroyed to make way for paving and sometimes concrete walls, preventing walkers from spreading their towels or even walking along the shore.
This awareness may take several years to put into practice. At the same time, there are more and more initiatives in Italy to promote “greener” beaches with access for the disabled, the implementation of selective sorting of waste, the use of alternative energy, organic products and bar areas, measures to limit noise, smokers. … Not to mention the Blue Flag label that applies to more than 400 beaches across the peninsula by 2022. Finally, for those who swear by only wild beaches, national or regional natural parks are the only areas that prohibit private concessions, such as the Maremma in Tuscany or the La Maddalena archipelago in Sardinia.
Sand or stone?
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 stones. The former is preferred will live where rocks are kings Gargano Peninsula In Apulia, Adriatic coast of Salento but also all the Italian islands Favignana In Sicily, with its cliffs plunging into fluorescent turquoise water, h. Panarea In the Aeolian Islands, crossing Ponza in Lazio, Giglio In Tuscany… The most beautiful rocky coves are of course the ones yet to be discovered.
Lovers of white sand will take a look Sardinia which has the longest boot range Platamona15 km of white sand that turns to gold between the towns Porto Torres, Sassari and: Sorson, in the heart of the Gulf of Asinara. Coves of powdery sand surrounded by fragrant island maquis Asparagus or from caprera In the La Maddalena Archipelago, they Gulf of Orosei and some Costa Smeralda all are impressive, but you’ll never be alone in the summer.
Some still unknown regions hide wonderful and (almost) deserted beaches even in high season. in Calabria, Grotticelle Bay Beneath Cape Capo Vaticano is bordered by dazzling celadon blue water, home to underwater fauna. The little one Basilicata also hides treasures incl Tent beach Near Maratea, a long strip of brown sand, lapped by an emerald sea, dominated by a huge rock.
Never without my dog
With more than 62 million pets, with a population of barely 60 million, Italy is the land of animal kings. Like their owners, they enjoy diving in the sea and stretching their legs on the sand. There is no law that prohibits dogs from public beaches, which must remain under the umbrella of their owner so as not to disturb the neighbors.
Community or regional ordinances may, however, limit their availability. There are also “dog-friendly” private beaches featuring nearly 400 Italian bathing privileges. Among the regions best equipped for dogs, Emilia-Romagna is the leader with 128 beaches ready to welcome our loyal companions. The Zampa Vacanza website also lists hotels, bed and breakfasts, restaurants and activities for the ideal Italian vacation with your dog.
The best apps to book your seat
As in France, there are more and more requests to pre-order awnings and umbrellas, order pasta alle vongole, pay for parking, and more. The most popular can be downloaded from spiagge.it.
The apps Spiaggiami or Cocobuk, which have the feature of offering a comparison of prices and services of nearby beaches, are also well-regarded. The Riva booking app allows you to book your entire beach holiday, from sun loungers to surf lessons, a golf course or a massage…
Source: Le Figaro
