European locals avoid overcrowded tourist spots for these five authentic seaside destinations instead

Scottish Sun

31-07-2025

One town's food speciality is a stuffed pizza - halfway between a pizza and calzone
COASTAL GEM European locals avoid overcrowded tourist spots for these five authentic seaside destinations instead
HAVE you ever wanted to holiday as the Italians do? Locals have revealed the coastal town they visit as a holiday gem.
Positano is the colourful town carved into a cliff face on the Amalfi Coast that you see all over Instagram and while the Brits love it, the Italians would rather holiday elsewhere.
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Italians are ditching Positano for other coastal towns instead
Credit: Alamy
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Sperlonga has long sandy beaches
Credit: Alamy
A Facebook post by Heritance Italy revealed the under-the-radar locations that locals prefer over the places Brits love to visit during the summer.
The post said: "You can keep Positano. We're not there. We're in Sperlonga, eating cold pasta salad under an umbrella we've owned since the '90s."
It's no surprise Italian locals choose to stay away from the tourist spots as around five million descended on the Amalfi Coast last year.
Positano is one of the busiest towns in the area as it boasts pretty beaches and houses that sit on the rocky cliff and look out to sea.
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But with streets becoming all the more crowded, especially during peak season, locals will ditch it for quieter places - Sperlonga being one of them.
The coastal town sits an equal distance between Rome and Naples.
It has long sandy beaches, the top on Tripadvisor is Lido Beluga which one person described as an "oasis".
The beaches are generally shallow and good for paddling, so it's a popular spot for families with younger children.
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Sperlonga's old town is classically Italian with whitewashed buildings and narrow winding streets with decorative courtyards.
The seaside town was a popular spot for celebrities too with the likes of Brigitte Bardot being a frequent visitor in the 1960s.
Italy's Most Beautiful Towns
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The Italian seaside town has white wash buildings and pretty flowers
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Sperlonga has winding streets and pretty courtyards
Credit: Alamy
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When it comes to food in an Italian coastal town, you're really spoiled for choice.
The town is known for dishes like linguine vongole, which is pasta with clams, and tiella which is essentially a cross between a pizza and calzone.
Historically, Sperlonga is known for its large cave called Grotta di Tiberio.
The cave is part of the Villa of Tiberius - the remaining ruins of Emperor Tiberius' summer home.
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It's not just Sperlonga that Italians would rather visit. Oother seaside towns they often go to include Vasto, the commune on the Adriatic Coast.
There is also Alba Adriatica, a coastal town with just under 13,000 residents.
And Civitanova Marche is an Italian region in the Province of Macerata which has a mix of sandy and pebble beaches.
Another spot mentioned in the post is Palmarola, an uninhabited island off the west coast of Italy.
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Locals or holidaymakers looking to cool off take a boat out to the uninhabited island and swim in the very blue water.
One Sun Writer visited the tiny Italian towns near Rome that are much cheaper – with huge vineyards and free city shuttles.
Plus, the tiny island that is Italy's best kept secret and you can avoid the summer crowds.
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Italians have revealed the coastal towns they'd rather visit
Credit: Alamy