Accommodation coastal hotel Italy family seaside hotel B&B beaches front seaside resorts in Italy private beaches free beach residences on the best italian beaches. 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). Around the sole of Italy's boot lies the Ionian (Ionio) and to the east is the Adriatic (Adriatico). A few sections are protected marine reserves, others (particularly in the south) have been spoiled by tacky half-constructed villas.

Traditionally Italian villages were constructed in defensive locations, often in the hills above the sea. And until the first half of the twentieth-century, many coastal lowlands were malarial. 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. 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, over-developed mass-tourism beaches of resorts like Rimini.

If you want to avoid the crowds, avoid August and late July, and weekend afternoons. Italians don't believe in bathing out of season, so during early warm spells (May, early June) independent-minded tourists can find plenty of space. Before the private beaches are up and running, it's often possible to wander through freely (see our Beaches page for more about the paying beach experience in Italy).

The most beautiful seaside resorts and hotels of Italy Charming beaches seaside resorts accommodations sea-side lodgings on the best italian coasts  Top Seaside Hotels of Italy Reservations Book online direct with the owner with secure booking Venere. Seaside Holidays in Italy List of B&Bs, Inns and Holiday Houses by the sea in Italy or Next to the Beach or on the Seashore. residences beachfront accommodation Gorgeous and unique places for Wedding in Italy Gala Dinner and Honeymoon.

Abruzzo and Molise Coastal area Adriatic Riviera Aeolian Islands  Amalfi Coast  Apulia Coast  Argentario and Giglio Island  Calabria and Basilicata Coastal area Capri  Cilento  Cinque Terre - La Spezia  Circeo, Pontine Islands and Gulf of Gaeta Elba island tuscany

Etna  Etruscan Coast  Favignana  Gargano and Tremiti Islands  Gulf of Naples  Ischia Italian Riviera  Lampedusa  Marche Coastal area  Pantelleria Portofino - Golfo Tigullio  Riviera dei Fiori

Riviera delle Palme  Rome Coastal area Salento Sardinia Sicilian Coast and Islands Sicily – East Coast  Sicily – North Coast  Sicily – South Coast  Surroundings of Bari  Ustica Venetian Coastal Area  Versilia tuscany

The best italian beaches

Tuscany Albinia Argentario Cecina Etruscan Coast Isola d'Elba Fonteblanda Isola del Giglio Livorno e la Costa Marina di Massa Pietrasanta San Vincenzo Tirrenia Viareggio Lido di camaiore Emilia Romagna Lagosanto, Po Delt... Lido delle Nazioni... Ravenna and Wonder... Riccione Rimini Liguria Alassio Cinque Terre Genoa Imperia La Spezia Laigueglia Lavagna Lerici Luni Ameglia Portofino Sicily Acitrezza Agrigento Catania Erice Fondachello Isola di Lampedusa Lipari, Aeolian Marsala Messina Modica Noto Palermo Riviera di Palermo S. Alessio Siculo ... Salina, Aeolian San Vito Lo Capo Siracuse Siracusa Taormina Trapani Tyrrhenian Coast Campania Amalfi Baia Domizia Capri Furore Ischia Island Napoli Naples Paestum Positano Procida Salerno Sapri Sorrento Latium Roma Fiumicino Ladispoli Veneto-Venetia Cavallino Mestre Tessera Venice Venezia Friuli Venetia Julia Lignano Trieste Marche Ancona Pesaro Senigallia Abruzzo Montesilvano Pescara Vasto Molise Campomarino Lido Termoli Apulia - Puglia Alessano, Bari Brindisi Gallipoli Melendugno Salento Ostuni Le Murge Otranto Peschici Rodi Garganico Santa Maria di Leuca Taranto Torre Canne Vieste Basilicata Maratea,Potenza Metaponto.

Picturesque coastline
These are destinations whose principal appeal is their beautiful scenery; generally former fishing villages which have been geared for tourism without losing their charm. There is usually some access to the sea, but beaches may be small or rocky.

 
Amalfi Coast - very small beaches, smart resorts and staggering scenery

Cinque Terre - less developed and a marine reserve, the Cinque Terre are five steep villages joined by footpaths

Monte Argentario - a mountainous Tuscan promontory with attractive fishing village resorts

Portofino - tiny harbour nestled into a rocky headland; an exclusive destination

Porto Venere - yet another fishing village which now caters for holidaymakers, in Liguria

Sorrento - a popular seaside destination although it lacks a sandy beach

Taormina, Sicily - high above the sea, but with beaches nearby

Islands
There are lots of small islands off the coast of Italy which offer relaxing seaside holidays and lots of blue sea.

Ischia - an island of pretty beaches and thermal springs, crowded with Italian and German families in summer

Capri - beautiful and expensive island destination close to the Amalfi Coast

Ponza - little island between Rome and Naples, the largest of the Pontine islands

For the beach
These places are primarily seaside resorts, sometimes with a bit of culture thrown in (this is Italy!).

 
Rimini - Italy's most famous beach resort, with a surprisingly interesting old town a little way inland

Venice Lido - uninspiring but extensive stretches of beach

Sperlonga and Terracina - attractive resorts south of Rome

Santa Margherita Ligure - old-fashioned resort near Portofino in Liguria

Lido di Jesolo - purpose-built beach resort near Venice

Chioggia and Sottomarina, Veneto - Chioggia is a fishing town in the Venetian lagoon; its seaside suburb Sottomarina is a busy beach destination

Sanremo - a pretty and popular resort on the Italian Riviera

Cefalù, Sicily - an attractive resort with lots of history

Grado - in the north-east of Italy, Grado sits between a lagoon and the head of the Adriatic. It has a historic centre and is near the Roman ruins of Aquileia.

Pesaro - pleasant Adriatic coastal resort with beaches and a historic centre, and only a bus ride from the cultural destination Urbino

 
Ports and coastal towns
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. Most have beaches in the town or not far away, although they may not be the cleanest.

La Spezia - a naval town close to Porto Venere and the Cinque Terre

Naples - a hectic city, but with ferries around the Bay of Naples

Trieste - port up in the north of the Adriatic, near Italy's border with Slovenia.

Siracusa, Sicily - an ancient town most visited for its architecture and archaeology

Trapani, Sicily - a port with ferries to outlying islands

Anzio - a fishing and ferry port near Rome