Coastal towns
Communes that sit directly on the sea.
59 lists
The best coastal towns you can reach by train in MarcheThe Adriatic railway runs the whole length of the Marche coast, stopping in brick-and-stucco seaside towns where the beach starts a short walk from the platform. Velvet sand, brodetto cooked with local vinegar, and a summer season that stretches into September.
The best coastal towns worth staying overnight in ToscanaThe Tuscan coast runs from the marble-backed beaches of Versilia down through the pine forests of the Maremma to the rocky headlands of the south, and it rewards those who book a room rather than driving back inland at dusk. These are the seaside towns where a guide-vouched hotel makes an overnight stay worth planning around.
The best coastal towns inside a nature park in LiguriaLiguria's protected coastline, where holm oak and maritime pine run down to the water and the fishing harbours sit inside regional nature parks. Coastal towns between the Riviera di Ponente and the Gulf of Poets where the park boundary begins at the beach.
The best coastal towns within 90 minutes of TarantoThe Ionian arc west of Taranto runs through dune pine, citrus groves and long flat beaches, and the coast road keeps going into Basilicata. These are the towns on that water, within easy driving distance of the city, where the sand is wide and the lunch is cheap.
The best coastal towns inside a national park in CampaniaAlong the Campanian coast, national park boundaries run right down to the water: the Cilento's limestone headlands and fig-scented terraces to the south, the black volcanic soil of Vesuvius to the north. These are the seaside towns that sit inside protected land.
The best small coastal towns with a serious restaurant in LiguriaAlong the Ligurian coast, small seafront towns of stacked pastel houses and slate doorframes keep kitchens good enough to draw the strictest guide inspectors: anchovies from Monterosso, trofie with pesto, red prawns from the far west, and white Vermentino from the terraces behind.
The best hidden coastal towns that eat well in PugliaPuglia's coast runs from the limestone cliffs of the Gargano to the low dunes of the Salento, and the towns along it eat well: raw prawns, sea urchins in spring, orecchiette with turnip tops, almond biscuits from the bakery next to the church. These are the smaller seaside towns where a dining guide has named a table worth sitting down at.
The best coastal towns in the province of ImperiaThe Riviera dei Fiori coast west of Genoa, where Imperia's towns stack up in ochre and grey stone above olive groves and pebble beaches. Cervo, Cipressa, Diano, Dolceacqua, Sanremo and Taggia, all within reach of the water.
Alternatives to Positano: every coastal town in Campania and Calabria that is not on the postcardThe complete list of small coastal towns in Campania and Calabria as an alternative to Positano and Amalfi. Cilento, the Sorrento back roads, the Calabrian Tyrrhenian.
Alternatives to the Cinque Terre: the rest of the Ligurian coast, town by townEvery coastal town in Liguria outside the five, from the French border to the Gulf of La Spezia. The same painted houses and terraced vines, without the timed entry.
Alternatives to Taormina: every coastal town in Sicily, in one listThe complete list of Sicilian coastal towns in our catalogue as an alternative to Taormina and Cefalù. The Zingaro shore, the Aeolian faces, the south coast nobody sells.
Alternatives to Capri: every island town in Italy, in one listThe complete list of island towns in our catalogue as an alternative to Capri: the Aeolians, Ponza, Ischia's villages, Procida, the Egadi, La Maddalena, Elba's harbours.
The best coastal towns within two hours of PaduaThe upper Adriatic coast within reach of Padua is lagoon country: sandbanks, fishing channels, eel and clams, salt-air brick towns built low against the water. From the Po delta up to the Friulian lagoon, the sea arrives quietly rather than dramatically.
The best coastal towns within two hours of UdineThe upper Adriatic within driving distance of Udine runs from fishing lagoons and Roman mosaics to Istrian olive terraces, with sardoni, brodetto and bora winds instead of beach clubs.
The best coastal towns within two hours of ParmaParma sits closer to salt water than its ham and Parmigiano suggest: the motorway south through the Cisa pass drops onto the Ligurian and Versilian coast, where slate villages, marble quarries and anchovy boats are all within a morning's drive.
The best coastal towns within two hours of SienaThe Tuscan coast begins where the Sienese hills run out, a drive of pine forest, umbrella pines, salt lagoons and grilled fish south and west of the city. These are the seaside and near-seaside towns of the Maremma and the Etruscan Coast, reachable from Siena in an easy morning.
The best coastal towns within an hour of LecceThe Salento coast either side of Lecce runs from Adriatic limestone cliffs to shallow Ionian sand, with sea urchins in spring, rustico pastries, and towns built from the same pale tufo stone as the baroque city itself.
The best coastal towns within an hour of CataniaBlack lava rock, sea urchins on ice and granita at breakfast: the coast either side of Catania runs from the basalt stacks of the Riviera dei Ciclopi to the citrus plain below Etna and the limestone of the Ionian south.
A 7-day trip through the Tuscan Maremma, based in GrossetoA 7-day Maremma itinerary based in Grosseto, with six day trips down the Tuscan coast from the Etruscan Coast to the Orbetello lagoon. Where to go, how far each one is, and why September is the month for it.
The best coastal towns in the province of GrossetoThe Maremma coast in the province of Grosseto runs from pine forest and lagoon to granite islands, with sandy beaches, fish soup and macchia scrub instead of the resort strip further north. Six coastal towns worth the drive south.
The best coastal towns in the province of MessinaCoastal towns in the province of Messina, from the Ionian terraces above the Strait to the volcanic harbours of the Aeolians, with granita, swordfish and Nero d'Avola along the way.
The best coastal towns in the province of SassariThe northern coast of Sardinia, from the Catalan streets of Alghero to the granite islands off Palau, taken town by town. Beaches, sea walls, lobster and cork oak in the province of Sassari.
The best hidden coastal towns in the province of GenovaCoastal towns in the province of Genova that sit directly on the sea, from pebble beaches under Monte di Portofino to fishing harbours where the focaccia comes out of the oven at breakfast. The smaller stops on the Riviera di Levante, with notes on what to see and how to arrive by train.
The best hidden coastal towns in the province of La SpeziaCoastal towns in the province of La Spezia that sit directly on the sea, from the Magra river mouth at Ameglia to the slate and vine terraces above Framura and Deiva Marina.
The best coastal towns in AbruzzoAbruzzo's Adriatic coast runs from wide pine-backed sands in the north to the cliffs and fishing huts of the Costa dei Trabocchi in the south. These are the coastal towns that sit directly on the sea, with the beaches, brodetto and evening passeggiata to match.
The best hidden coastal towns in MarcheSmall coastal towns along the Marche seaboard, from the white cliffs of the Conero to the low sandy shore north of the Metauro. Where to eat brodetto, swim off pebbles, and stay within sight of the Adriatic.
The best small coastal towns in CalabriaSix small towns on the Calabrian coast, from the Tyrrhenian cliffs above San Nicola Arcella to the Ionian castles of Rocca Imperiale and Roseto Capo Spulico. Sandstone villages, red onions, swordfish and water that stays warm into autumn.
The best small coastal towns in SiciliaSmall towns on and above the Sicilian sea, from tuff-built villages in the hills over the Ionian coast to volcanic islands off the Tyrrhenian. Fewer people go than to Taormina or Cefalù, and the water is the same.
The best small coastal towns in ToscanaSmall towns on the Tuscan coast and its islands, from the pine-shaded shore of the Etruscan Riviera to the granite hills of the Tuscan Archipelago. Sea, sheep's cheese, wild boar and umbrella pines, with fewer people than the resorts north of Livorno.
The 7 best coastal towns in the province of LivornoThe Livorno coast runs from working port quays and Etruscan iron country to pine-backed beaches, holm oak hills and the volcanic rock of the Tuscan archipelago, with cacciucco, Bolgheri reds and sea urchins along the way.
The 8 best coastal towns that eat well in CalabriaCalabrian seafront towns where swordfish, nduja, Tropea onions and tartare of red prawn arrive within sight of the water, each with a table a dining guide has picked out. Ionian and Tyrrhenian coast, best from late spring to the end of September.
The best coastal towns with a serious restaurant in PugliaPuglia's coast runs from the limestone cliffs of the Gargano to the Adriatic ports of the south, and along it sit towns where raw prawns, burrata and grilled scorpion fish are treated with the seriousness of a city kitchen. These are seafront places whose restaurants have been picked out by the most demanding of the guides.
The best coastal towns that eat well in SardegnaSardinian coast towns where the kitchens are worth the drive: bottarga from the lagoons at Oristano, Catalan lobster in Alghero, Ligurian-Tunisian tuna cooking on San Pietro, and guide-listed tables in each of them, all within sight of the water.
The 6 best coastal towns inside a nature park in ToscanaTuscan coast where umbrella pine, dune and macchia are protected land: the sea at Piombino, Pisa's river mouth at San Rossore, the marble hills above Seravezza. Towns that sit on the water and inside a regional nature park at the same time.
The best coastal towns you can reach by train in SiciliaSicilian coast reached along the old single-track lines: black lava beaches under Etna, tuna and marsala in the west, granita and brioche at breakfast, and stations set close enough to the water to hear it.
The best hidden coastal towns you can reach by train in ToscanaThe Tuscan coast runs from the marble hills above Versilia down through the pine barriers of the Maremma, and much of it is served by the Tirrenica railway line. These are the smaller stops on the sea, from umbrella pines and cacciucco to lagoon eels and Sangiovese from the Bolgheri hills.
The best hidden coastal towns that eat well in SiciliaSicilian coast towns where the kitchens are as good as the water: tuna landed off the Egadi, capers from volcanic terraces, red prawns and pistachio, sea urchin in spring, and dining rooms that guidebooks have taken the trouble to name.
The best small coastal towns you can reach by train in LiguriaThe Ligurian railway runs along the sea almost the whole way, stopping at small towns of tall ochre houses, pebble coves and fried anchovies. These are the coastal places you can arrive at with a ticket and a bag, no car and no hairpin road.
The best hidden coastal towns that eat well in ToscanaThe Tuscan coast runs from the marble quarries above Versilia down to the lagoons of the Maremma, and along it are small towns where the sea, the pine woods and the vineyards meet the table. These are the ones with a dining guide behind them and fewer people on the sand.
The best coastal towns inside a nature park within 90 minutes of PisaNorth of Pisa the coast runs into protected land: the Migliarino pinewoods, the Magra river mouth, the marble ridges of the Apuane meeting the sea. These are the towns on that shore where the park boundary and the beach are the same line.
The best coastal towns that eat well within 90 minutes of PisaThe coast between the Apuan Alps and the Gulf of La Spezia eats extremely well: anchovies from the gulf, chickpea farinata, lardo cured in marble basins, tordelli in meat sauce. These are the seaside towns within easy reach of Pisa where a dining guide has named a table.
The best coastal towns you can reach by train within 90 minutes of BariThe Adriatic coast north and south of Bari runs on limestone, sea walls and a railway line that stops in the middle of each old town, from the fishing harbours of Trani and Giovinazzo to the cliff coves at Polignano a Mare. Sea urchins, focaccia barese and swimming off the rocks, all reachable without hiring a car.
The best coastal towns you can reach by train within 90 minutes of PisaThe Tyrrhenian line runs north from Pisa along a coast of pine woods, sand and marble quarries, linking beach towns and inland Versilia in under an hour and a half. Sea, seafood and stations you can walk out of straight into a piazza.
The best coastal towns within 90 minutes of AnconaThe Adriatic coast on either side of Ancona runs from white limestone coves under Monte Conero to long flat beaches of fine sand, with brodetto, moscioli and grilled fish along the way. These are the towns on the water, all within easy reach of the city and its port.
The best coastal towns that eat well within 90 minutes of PescaraThe Adriatic coast either side of Pescara runs long and flat and sandy, with pinewoods behind the dunes, brodetto on the menus and guide-listed kitchens in towns that most drivers pass at speed. These are the seaside places within easy reach of the city where the eating is the reason to stop.
The best hidden coastal towns within 90 minutes of PescaraThe Abruzzo and northern Molise coast within easy reach of Pescara, where pine woods run down to the sand, wooden trabocchi fishing platforms stand out over the rocks, and the sea is edged by towns that stay quiet outside August.
The 6 best hidden coastal towns within 90 minutes of PisaThe coast north of Pisa runs from flat pine-backed sand into the rocky headlands of the Gulf of Poets, with marble quarries visible from the beach and fried anchovies on every menu. These are the smaller places along it, each one sitting directly on the sea.
The best coastal towns within 90 minutes of FlorenceThe Tuscan coast sits close enough to Florence for a day at the sea and back, with pine woods, marble quarries behind the beach and fish cooked plainly along the Versilia and the port of Livorno.
The best coastal towns within an hour of NaplesThe bay of Naples and the coast beyond it, from the volcanic shallows of the Campi Flegrei to the lemon terraces above the Amalfi road, where anchovies are salted in wooden barrels and the ferries run all year.
The best coastal towns within 45 minutes of GenoaThe Ligurian coast either side of Genoa runs to pebble coves, painted seafronts and fishing harbours reachable by regional train in well under an hour, with focaccia col formaggio, fried anchovies and pesto along the way.
The best coastal towns within two hours of BolognaThe Adriatic within easy reach of Bologna runs from lagoon channels and eel fisheries in the north to the low chalk cliffs where Emilia-Romagna meets the Marche, with salt pans, canal ports and pine woods in between.
The best coastal towns within two hours of VeniceThe upper Adriatic runs from the Po delta to the Istrian border in a long line of lagoons, sandbanks and fishing harbours, all of it reachable from Venice in an easy morning. Flat-bottomed boats, grilled eel, moleche in spring and brick campanili standing over reed beds.
Italy's island townsItalian towns reachable only by ferry: the islands. 18 towns shown, drawn from our ferry-only routing list (Pontine, Tremiti, Ischia, Capri, Aeolian, Egadi, Pelagie, Tuscan archipelago, and the Sardinian small islands).
10 lake towns not on Como or GardaLake comuni outside the Como and Garda basins: Orta, Maggiore's quieter shore, Bolsena, Trasimeno and the alpine lakes. 10 towns shown, smallest first.
10 seaside towns that face east: the sunrise coast of the AdriaticAdriatic coastal comuni in the catalogue, where the sea light comes in the morning. 10 towns shown, ranked by recognitions held.
10 coastal towns open in NovemberCoastal comuni whose November is marked open in the visiting calendar, not shuttered for the season. 10 towns shown, ranked by recognitions held.
10 coastal towns near NaplesTen Campania and Cilento coastal comuni within 90 minutes of Naples, picked for the Sorrento peninsula, the Amalfi coast (sparingly), and the quieter Cilento and northern shore. With drive times and what each town does best.
10 fishing villages near GenoaTen Ligurian fishing comuni within 90 minutes of Genoa, covering the Riviera di Levante and Riviera di Ponente. With drive times, what each village brings up from the water, and when to go.
10 Adriatic seaside towns near RiminiTen Adriatic-coast comuni within two hours of Rimini: the Romagna riviera, the Marche coast around Pesaro and Senigallia, and the Po delta to the north. Drive times and what each beach town does well.