13 of the best beach holidays in Italy

Times

11-05-2025

Everything grinds to a halt in Italy during August, when everyone heads to the beach. This is no surprise given that you are rarely more than a two-hour drive from the coast, of which Italy has some 4,900 miles. If you want to immerse yourself in authentic Italian life, that's the time to go, but clever tourists head to Italian beaches in June and September, when the weather is just as good and you don't have to queue to park the car. Be aware that you have to pay to enjoy many beaches, which are often run by clubs where you hire loungers and umbrellas by the hour or day. However, there is usually an excellent spiaggia libera ('free beach') nearby.
With picks ranging from the high-end glamour of the Amalfi coast to cheaper, family-friendly options on the broad white sands of the Adriatic, here are some of the best beach holiday destinations in Italy.
This article contains affiliate links, which may earn us revenue
This untapped region on Italy's east coast is a favourite with those seeking tourist-free sandy beaches. Of its 80 miles of coastline, the more beautiful southern half is known as 'the Trabocchi coast', named after the distinctive fishing structures on stilts. Take a direct flight from Stansted to Pescara and within a half-hour drive you will reach Ortona, from where you can ride along one of the longest cycle lanes in Europe (26 miles), on a disused railway line linking dozens of unspoilt beaches down to Vasto. The spiaggia di Punta Penna is particularly wild and sandy, and forms part of the Punta Aderci Nature Reserve. It's also one of the few beaches in Italy where you can see the sunrise and sunset, with snow-capped mountains in the distance.
The Baia Delphis resort is a cluster of low, white buildings nestled among olive trees right on the water between the port and town of Vasto. It's a short walk from the small, pebbled cove of Vignola, and also has its own swimming pool and abundant terraced gardens overlooking the sea for days when the wind is up.
• Read our full guide to Italy
Yes, the Sicilian capital of Palermo is undeniably rich in culture, but sometimes all you want is a day by the sea. If so, a taxi costing about €30 (around £25) — or the bus for a couple of Euros — will whisk you 25 minutes to Mondello beach, a perfect bay north of the city which in peak summer is crammed with locals. Don't be put off: the water is blue-green like the Caribbean, the sand soft and shallow underfoot. You can also enjoy street-food vendors selling delicious hot sweetcorn and ice-cold drinks and ice cream for just a few coins.
One of the best hotels in Palermo is the Villa Igiea, a grande dame overlooking the water just next to the marina. It retains an old-world charm, especially in the bar and terrace, where you can watch glamorous Sicilians arrive by speedboat.
Getting to the Aeolian islands requires dedication, but persevere: you will be rewarded with the authentic dolce vita in the slow lane. Of the seven main islands, Salina is not only the greenest and most beautiful, but also has plenty to see and do. The best beach is at Punta di Scario, below Malfa, and is a large, pebbled cove where you can rent two lilos and a parasol for a small fee, and devour a cheap lunch of anchovies and white wine before cooling off in the sea.
The family-run Principe di Salina in Malfa has become something of an institution since it opened in 2017, with many clients returning for the warm hospitality. The addition of two new suites on the roof brings the total room count to 14. Each has a shady terrace with stirring views and use of the large infinity pool. Mr & Mrs Smith offer stays here — and throw in a bottle of complimentary prosecco.
A white-sand beach doesn't spring to mind when you think of Tuscany, yet its coastal Maremma region has some of the best. Russians fly into Pisa for the glamour of Forte dei Marmi to the north, while Roman politicos and celebrities zoom along the Via Aurelia to l'ultima spiaggia ('the last resort' before Lazio) down south. The Antinori family's private beach in Bolgheri is a deserted paradise, while Ansedonia is cheap and convenient for families and has Ristorante La Strega: come here to guzzle spaghetti alle vongole while gazing out to sea.
Check into Hotel Il Pellicano near Porto Ercole, as glamorous now as when it opened in 1965, complete with sunkissed pool and a Michelin-starred restaurant.
• Best hotels in Tuscany
'See Naples and die,' said Goethe, but the Amalfi coast is arguably more sublime, with its cliff-hugging road and soul-stirring views. From the secret but striking towns of Nerano and Praiano to the buzzing glamour of show-stealing Positano and Amalfi, this 30-mile stretch of coast is best enjoyed from the water. Book Ristorante Da Adolfo and pile your plate with fried mozzarella wrapped in lemon leaves before sinking back in a deckchair on its small, sandy beach. Book in advance and they'll pick you up and drop you off from Positano on their own boat for free.
Le Sirenuse in Positano is impossibly sleek with an inviting pool, as well as being within walking distance of the beach.
• Best hotels on the Amalfi coast
Many of Italy's best beaches are on its islands — the only drawback being that they are hard to reach. Giglio is an exception, being just an hour on the ferry from the Tuscan mainland, but with a charming, otherworldly vibe. Visits here were paused after the 2012 Costa Concordia disaster, but a building in the port that was used by rescue workers has now been transformed into a light and airy hotel, opening up Giglio to tourists once again. A string of impressive restaurants line the port, while the white sands of Cannelle and Caldane are just 20 or 40 minutes away by foot.
Many rooms at La Guardia have a sea view — and you'll find a family-friendly beach sitting right on its doorstep.
Italy's second-largest island has two personalities: one is the high-octane glamour of the Costa Smeralda in the northeast, popular with glitzy superyachts in summer. The other is a quieter, more low-key way of life, which sees Sardinians often live to 100. Wherever you go, you will find turquoise waters and jaunty resorts, such as Porto Cervo and Chia. The choices are plentiful and depend on what you prefer — from rocky coves in the east to surfing in the west and soft white dunes in the south. Su Giudeu beach, lying on a spit between a lagoon and the sea, is the one you'll remember most.
The Hotel Cala di Volpe looks more like a village than a hotel, and is spread out along its own bay on the Costa Smeralda. British Airways offers packages with either breakfast or half-board options, including flights.
• Best places to visit in Italy
Italy's heel has become so stylish that many refer to it as the new Tuscany. Famed for its ancient olive groves and first-class gastronomy, the region also offers hill-top towns — don't miss the baroque, honey-tinted masterpiece of Lecce. But of all Puglia's attractions, none trumps the miles of sandy beaches, which stretch all the way round from the Adriatic coast to the bay of Taranto. Hire a boat off the southern tip of Santa Maria di Leuca to explore the rocky grottoes and plunge into dazzling green waters.
The magnificent Castello di Ugento is the ancestral home of the Principe d'Amore (Prince of Love), which has been converted into a hotel with nine coveted suites.
• Most beautiful places in Italy
It's perhaps an exaggeration to say the entire east coast of Italy is one long beach, but it's also not too far from the truth. If it's cheap and cheerful you're after, try the characterful beach resorts of Cervia and Milano Marittima. Take your pick from several large art nouveau hotels overlooking the town's immaculately maintained sandy beaches and, when you want something more secluded, you'll find pine forests and wild bird sanctuaries a short cycle ride away.
The Grand Hotel Gallia is comfortable, spacious, and in the middle of Milano Marittima. It scores extra points for its large pool and excellent service.
Ever since Matt Damon ran into Jude Law in The Talented Mr Ripley, we've all longed to find that Italian beach. Now you can: the location was Ischia, a large island off the bay of Naples, and the beach is Bagno Antonio. The reality is as picture-perfect as the movie, with views towards the Castello Aragonese and a beach club serving outrageously good fried pizza. The island's many seaside towns and buzzing beaches are best explored by scooter — just as Tom Ripley would have done.
The owners of Hotel Il Pellicano (see Tuscany) opened an elegant sister hotel in 2019, Il Mezzatorre, a former Aragonese watchtower on a rocky bay on the north coast.
• What to do in Italy
This bustling city overlooking the Bay of Naples is a year-round winner — unlike many Italian resorts, it stays open all winter. It also has a small but chic year-round public beach, where hardy locals brave the water well into January. After a dip looking out to Vesuvius, head to the family-run trattoria Da Emilia in the old port for lunch by the water, feasting on homemade gnocchi, fried sardines and figs with crushed pistachios.
The best address in town is the Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria, a clifftop grande dame in five acres of private grounds complete with lemon grove, just off the main square. The Fiorentino family have been running it since 1834 and service is impeccable.
The crescent-shaped stretch of coast linking France to Tuscany is known as the Italian Riviera and is fawned over for its dramatic coastal path linking the Cinque Terre ('five lands'). Celebrities and duchesses descend on Portofino but, for a more authentic Italian beach holiday, head for Santa Margherita and explore the dinky coves and fishing villages between the two, each with little beaches or rocks from which to throw yourself into the sparkling sea. Families are drawn to the town's safe atmosphere, while teenagers amuse themselves in bars and cafés along the seafront.
Splendido, A Belmond Hotel, is an institution worth experiencing at least once (or often, if you can afford to live like Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor), with a glamorous pool, lush gardens, and Dior spa. belmond.com
Even the most Instagram-wary find themselves searching for their smartphone when faced with this vast body of water framed by snow-capped Alps. Such is the allure of the Italian lakes, which offer a welcome alternative to the usual bucket and spade beach holidays, and are conveniently located within reach of Milan or Verona. Lake Garda has particularly intoxicating views, and the water is slightly warmer than Como's. Sirmione, a long spit running into the lake, has one of the best beaches with the clearest waters, and the town and castle as a backdrop.
One of the top hotels on Garda is the Grand Hotel a Villa Feltrinelli, a pink and yellow neo-gothic villa with only 20 rooms and suites. Bellini Travel organises bespoke holidays throughout Italy and recommends Villa Feltrinelli when taking in the Lakes.bellinitravel.com
• Luxurious villas in Italy