Enjoying the beach in Italy

 

Let’s Talk About…

 Enjoying the Beach in Italy

Whether your Italian vacation takes you to a stunning seaside resort
or simply one of the many public beaches along the crystal clear Mediterranean sea,
knowing Italian beach etiquette and some basic Italian phrases will allow for a day of relaxation and fun.  The  more Italian you know, the easier it will be to enjoy “la dolce vita” this summer!

Which Italian region has the Best Beaches in Italy?

A quick search of the approximately 7,600 miles of coastline along the Italian peninsula and its islands yields at least one beach (spiaggia), and often several, along the perimeter of every coastal town.  Which leads to the question: If you want to “andare al mare” or “go to the sea” like the Italians do for a “vacanza al mare,” or “beach vacation,” how do you chose the best beach in Italy for you?

One place to start is by exploring the regions of Italy.

For 2025, Italy has 487 beaches designated as “the best beaches” for clean water, safety, and preservation of the coastal environment.  This list was compiled by the Foundation Environmental Education (FFE), a Danish non-profit company that is committed to protecting the environment. If you are planning a beach vacation in Italy, the most pristine beaches in Italy, namely those given the “blue flag” designation by the FFE, can be found on the site blueflag.global.

Of Italy’s 20 regions, 18 regions have designated blue flag beaches for 2025, in this general order: Liguria has the most, with 33 beaches — it is no coincidence that this coastline is known as “the “Italian Riviera” — followed by Puglia, Tuscany, Calabria, Campania, Abruzzo, Le Marche, Sardinia, Sicily, Lazio, Veneto, Basilicata, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Molise, and Emilia Romagna. Several beaches on the lakes in the regions of Trentino-Alto Adige, Piemonte (Lago Maggiore) and Lombardy (Lago Garda) are also blue flag beaches.

In contrast, in the United States, there are only 3 blue flag beaches listed for 2025.  It is no wonder Italy has attracted beach lovers from around the world for years! *

What are the Beaches in Italy like?

Of course, the Italian coast varies along the peninsula and islands, and therefore so will your beach experience.  Some Italian beaches are known for their unique vistas and glamour, such as those on the Italian Riviera in Liguria (Riviera Italiana), the Amalfi coast in Campania (Costa Amalfitana), the town of Taormina in Sicily or the Emerald Coast (Costa Smeralda) in Sardinia. But there are many smaller, more laid back beaches along the less populated towns in Italy for the traveler who wants a relaxing beach experience.

Another consideration: most beaches in Italy are lined with pebbles (sassolini), although sandy beaches (spiagge sabbiose) can be found on some Ligurian beaches and along the southern coast of Sicily. In recent years, Puglia has become popular with Italian and foreign beach-goers for its unique, white sand, cove-style beaches. So if you think of a beach as a wide swath of soft sand, similar to many in the United States, an internet search may be helpful to discover the perfect Italian beach for you.

 

*In the interest of fairness, it should be mentioned that participation in the FFE blue star program is voluntary, and beaches in the United States did not start participating until 2019; most European countries have participated for many years, while this has been only a recent phenomenon in the US. In 2025, Spain was awarded the most blue star beaches, with Greece in second place, Turkey third, Italy 4th and France 5th.

 

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Choosing a Beach in Italy

Free, Public Beaches in Italy

The Italian coastline is government property by law, and therefore technically all Italian beaches are owned by the people and open to the public. But only some beaches are free.

If you are on a tour of Italy, and only have a few hours to spend exploring a nearby beach, you may want to try a free Italian beach, or spiaggia libera. These beaches will generally have a sign at the entryway along the road, and that’s it! No one at the gate to monitor entry, no lifeguard, no bathhouse, and no refreshment bar. These beaches are great for a lovely walk at sunrise or sunset.  If you want to stay and relax, simply bring a towel, lay it out on your chosen spot on the beach, and enjoy the sun and the view. 

It should be noted, though, that in the more populated areas, the public beaches tend to be smaller, get crowded quickly during the day during the beach season, and generally are not located in the most scenic locations of the shoreline.

Swimming is allowed on all Italian beaches, at any time of the day, as long as there is no sign or red flag on the beach to signify “no swimming.” If you see a sign that says, “vietato nuotare” for “no swimming,” it is not safe to swim that day. Also, be warned that Italian beaches may have jellyfish (meduse).  Beach goers may yell out, “Medusa!” to alert others if a jellyfish is spotted in the water. Most beach clubs have first aid kits for those who are unfortunate enough to be stung during their encounter (see next section).

Beach Clubs in Italy

If you want to spend a day or more at the beach, consider one of the many Italian beach clubs, known as i stabilimenti balneari, or i bagni. These beach clubs are generally aligned along a boardwalk (una passerrella) at the seafront (il lungomare) and  pay a fee to the Italian government to occupy their place on the shoreline. The bagni are responsible for keeping their section of the beach neat and clean and provide beachgoers with amenities that are not available on the  free beaches.

Since all beaches in Italy are technically on public land owned by the government, the Italian government also requires that these clubs set aside a small strip of their beach for free entry. In fact, many clubs themselves are adjacent to a completely free beach.  But, a fee must be paid to take advantage of the amenities that the beach clubs offer and to have the most scenic views.

In general, beach clubs provide bathrooms and sometimes showers for the entry fee, and usually have a bar for the purchase of simple refreshments like water (l’acqua), soft drinks (le bevande gassate), and ice cream (il gelato). Many beach clubs also have a pizzeria or a restaurant. 

It’s easy to spot an Italian beach club by its uniform rows of beach umbrellas (gli ombrelloni) and matching reclining beach chairs (le sedie a sdraio* / i lettini), all in the same, distinct club colors, aligned along a particular strip of beach.

* From sdraiare (to lay down, for a thing) or sdraiarsi (to lie down, for a person).

 

How much does a day at an Italian beach club cost?

Quanto costa affittare un ombrellone e due lettini?
How much does it cost to rent an umbrella and two beach chairs?

The fee to a rent an umbrella and its two adjacent beach chairs is usually between 20 to 30 euros per day, with the charges (le tariffe) varying by region, type of establishment, time of the season and even time of day. Expect to pay more during the high season (la alta stagione) vs. the low season (la bassa stagione); for instance, approximately 20 euro/day in June, 25 for July, and 30 for August. The cost per day is also greater for a place in the line of beach recliners closest to the water, or “la posizione in prima fila.” The price decreases slightly for la seconda fila, is a bit less  for la terza fila, and even less for la quarta fila and beyond. Late in the afternoon, it may be possible to get a discount from the day rate if you ask.

According to the Italian newspapers, charges for a day at the beach rose dramatically post COVID, and price increases (i rincari) have continued each year since then, albeit at a lower rate.  Some “high end” establishments (usually with an exceptional view of the coast and restaurant) may charge100 euros a day.

If considering renting a place at an Italian beach resort, or uno stabilimento balneare, for one week or more, it is usually possible to book ahead of time online, via email, or by phone. When booking ahead, make sure to secure the spot you prefer. Once a particular umbrella and beach chairs have been reserved, they will be available upon your arrival any time of day, for the entire time booked. Of note: the spots with the best vistas are often reserved ahead of time, and many families have been visiting the same beach club for many years!

Various rates are offered according to the time requested for a place on the beach, and longer stays may be discounted from the day rate. Of course, there are passes for una settimana (one week), due settimane (two weeks), as well as un mese/mensile (one month/monthly). Un bisettimanale allows access twice in one week. 

 

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Enjoying a Day at the Beach in Italy

Italian Beach Etiquette

Renting a place: There are certain unwritten rules that Italians follow for their day at the beach. The most important is always to ask about renting an umbrella and chairs — don’t just walk to an open chair and sit down to wait for someone to help you. If there is no one at the entrance, a worker will usually be nearby and they will let you know the price for the day and then escort you to an available chair.  As noted in the last section, many chairs are rented by the week or month, and although they may look available, they have been paid for in advance and are reserved.

 

What to wear: For the pebbly beaches in Italy, beach shoes (scarpe da spiaggia) are essential. On some of the touristy beaches, vendors may line the path to the beach selling flip flops (le infradito) or other beach shoes (le ciabatte da spiaggia), but it is best to bring your own. (It is technically illegal to buy from them by Italian law since they don’t provide a receipt for tax purposes.)

All bathing suits (costumi da bagno) are acceptable on an Italian beach. But remember to bring a cover-up if planning to go off the beach proper to purchase food or drink at the bar or to dine at the beach club restaurant.

Sunglasses (occhiali da sole) may be available from vendors who walk up and down the beach, but again, it is best to bring your own.

 

What to bring: A beach towel (telo da mare), sunscreen (crema solare), and a hat (cappello). Purchase sunscreen at an Italian drugstore or bring it from home; most Italian beaches will not have sunscreen for purchase. Fruit, water/drinks and snacks brought from home are allowed on the beaches.

 

What do Italians do at the beach?

1. Relax!              Rilassarsi!
2. Sunbathe.      Prendere il sole.
3. Read a magazine or book.     Leggere una rivista o un libro.
4. Play cards.     Giocare a carte. 
5. Play games online on a cellphone.   Giocare online sul cellulare.
6. Listen to music.             Sentire la musica.   
7. Make a sandcastle.      Fare un castello di sabbia.
8. Collect sea shells.         Raccogliere le conchiglie.
9. Take a walk along the beach.           Fare una passeggiata sulla spiaggia. 
10. Swim (but not right after eating!)   Nuotare. / Fare il bagno.

A Beach Vacation in Italy

Non vedo l’ora di andare al mare ogni anno in agosto!
I look forward to going to the beach every August!

È molto costoso in agosto perché è la stagione alta.
It is very expensive in August because it is the high season.

Ma, alla mia famiglia piace andare in vacanza al mare durante Ferragosto.*
But, my family likes to go for a beach vacation during Ferragosto.

Infatti, siamo andati al mare a Ferragosto per tanti anni, allo stesso stabilimento balenare!
In fact, we have been going to the beach for Ferragosto for many years, to the same beach resort!

Ogni anno, vado online per affittare gli ombrelloni e  le sedie a sdriao nella posizione in seconda fila per tutta la famiglia.
Every year, I go online and rent the umbrellas and beach chairs in the second row for the entire family.

Mi piace molto rilassarmi sulla spiaggia e prendere il sole.
I really like relaxing on the beach and sunbathing.

Ai miei figli piace fare i castelli di sabbia e fare il bagno nel mare.
My children like making sand castles and swimming in the sea.

Quando andiamo a fare il bagno, dobbiamo indossare  le ciabatte da spiaggia perché la spiaggia è composta da molti sassolini.
When we go to swim, we have to put on beach shoes because the beach is made up of pebbles.

Devo portare molte cose per un giorno sulla spiaggia: gli occhiali da sole, la crema solare,  i teli da mare, l’acqua, la frutta, e i panini. 
I have to bring a lot of things for a day at the beach: sun glasses, sunscreen, beach towels, water, fruit and sandwiches.

A noi piace comprare il gelato e qualche volta la pizza al bar.
We also like to buy ice cream and sometimes pizza at the bar.

Prima di partire la spiaggia, facciamo una passaggiata per raccogliere le conchiglie.
Before we leave the beach, we take a walk and collect sea shells.

È un buon giorno per tutta la famiglia!
It is a nice day for the entire family!

*Ferragosto is an annual summer holiday celebration in Italy that began during Roman times. Ferragosto has become a church holiday celebrated on August 15th, with Italian family vacations planned for one to three weeks around this day at the beach or in the mountains.

 

Remember a few Italian customs
and phrases about the beach
to enjoy a Beach Vacation in Italy
like the Italians do!