The Ten Best Beaches to Wear Your Bikini in Italy

Brittany Hoekstra - January 1, 2022

The Ten Best Beaches to Wear Your Bikini in Italy

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Italy is a popular holiday destination with its spectacular cities, ancient ruins, soaring mountains and beautiful countryside. Italy also offers visitors great foods and wines. Italy is sprinkled with more than its fair share of gorgeous beaches which are perfect for wearing your gorgeous new bikini….

The Top Ten Beaches in Italy:

Italy has 7, 600 kilometres of Mediterranean coastline and this includes some of the world’s most beautiful beaches. Many of them have the softest white sands and clearest blue waters imaginable. All are perfect for simply stretching out and relaxing and some offer great water sports. If you choose to head to one of the more isolated beaches, don’t forget to take plenty of drinking water and sun protection and a towel to lie on.

1. Cala Goloritzé, Sardinia

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We are starting the list with Cala Goloritzé as it is one of Italy’s most famous beaches, It is situated at the base of a steep ravine on the north-eastern coast of the island of Sardinia. Cala Goloritzé is beautiful as it has soft tiny white pebbles and is surrounded by craggy limestone cliffs including the Aguglia (148m) - a distinctive needle of rock that is popular with climbers.

The beach is fringed by the azure waters of the Gulf of Orosei and was formed in 1962 by a landslide. The beach shelves steeply, but with perfect visibility, the water is ideal for snorkelling. The water is cooler than in other places as several freshwater springs feed into the ocean at this point. Amusingly, it is not unusual to be stretched out on the sand and to hear numerous goat bells as the local herd heads across the sand to the main spring for a drink! There are boats to reach the beach or for the enthusiastic, it is a good 3.5 km hike along Altopiano del Golgo

2. Spiaggia Rena Bianca

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This large sweeping sandy beach nestles on the northern tip of the island of Sardinia close to the ancient village of Santa Teresa Gallura. It could easily be situated in the Caribbean as the sand is soft and powdery and the beach is lapped by shallow clear waters. The beach is about 200 metres in length and offers good views of the tiny Isola Munnica. The beach is well protected from the winds of the Mistral. There is a small bar on the sands where you can order a long cool drink or rent canoes and pedaloes.

3. Atrani in Campagna

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The pretty little town of Atrani is situated on Italy’s famous Amalfi coast. It nestles on a cliffside and manages to escape much of the hustle and bustle. The town has churches to explore and a charming piazza where you can sit at a café and sip coffee. The beach is situated right next to the town and has impressive cliffs at both ends.

4. Chiaia di Luna in Ponza

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This has to be one of the most dramatic beaches in Italy. The beach is a shallow crescent of shimmering sand that sits at the base of a towering 100 metre high volcanic cliff that is also shaped like the New Moon – which gives the beach its name. Ponza is the largest island in the Pontine Archipelago and is well known for its numerous spectacular beaches.

5. San Fruttuoso, Liguria

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Situated about halfway between the famous fishing village of Portofino and the small town of Camogli on the Italian Riviera is the small cove of San Fruttuoso. The beach is overlooked by the pretty medieval abbey of San Fruttuoso which is famous for its triple-mullioned windows. Both the beach and abbey are surrounded by steep hills with rich vegetation.

San Fruttuoso is appealing because it takes effort to reach. You can either hike along the mountain path from Portofino or you can hop on the small ferry. The effort is worth it as the sand is soft and golden and there is great diving. The Costa family placed a statue known as the ‘Christ of the Abyss’ on the seabed at a depth of 18 metres in 1954 and it is fun to dive down to see the statue for yourself.

6. Baia dei Turchi, Puglia

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This stunning beach is two kilometres of white sand, backed by pine forests and is situated in the nature reserve in Puglia that is part of the protected area of Almini Lakes- one of the most important ecosystems of Salento and Puglia. The beach is fringed by crystal clear waters and has been awarded the prestigious blue Flag. There are two sections to the beach; a municipal part and a privately run section where sunbeds and umbrellas can be rented and there is also a small bar.

7. Spiaggia di Sabaudia

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This fabulous beach is found in the Lazio region between Rome and Naples. It is a wide expanse of soft sand that is flanked by sand dunes and scrubland and stretches for miles. In several areas there are places to hire sunbeds and umbrellas The water is beautiful for swimming, but in the late afternoon the onshore breeze can make it a little choppy. The beach is quite isolated and you will need a bicycle to reach it. If you have a hire car, parking is all along the road behind the beach. There are several little restaurants perched amongst the sand dunes which are perfect for a leisurely lunch..

8. Spiaggia di Sansone

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This pretty beach is on the Tuscan island of Elba and is situated about five kilometres west of Portoferraio. Spiaggia di Sansone is a lovely beach of tiny white pebbles rather than sand and is surrounded by cliffs. Its clear turquoise waters are perfect for snorkelling and are teeming with fish. There a place to rent sunbeds and umbrellas as well as pedaloes and canoes. A steep footpath leads over the cliffs to another really good beach- Spiaggia di Sorgente.

9. Chia Beach near Cagliari

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Highly regarded as one of the best beaches in Europe, Chia Beach (Spiaggia della Baia di Chia) is situated on the south coast of the island of Sardinia, not far from the town of Cagliari. The beach is a 750 metre long stretch of golden sand and is protected from strong breezes. The beach backed by sand dunes topped with juniper trees and Meditteranean maquis vegetation. The beach is up to 90 metres wide in places. As well as being perfect for relaxing, it has a variety of water sports including snorkelling, scuba diving, windsurfing, kitesurfing and kayaking. In early summer the Chia Classic Water Sports events take place there. An added bonus is that it is not unusual to see dolphins swimming in the bay. Behind the beach there is a large lagoon that is an important breeding site for flamingos.

10. Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle, Marche

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Situated on the Riviera del Conero, in Le Marche (the central region of Italy) this is a gorgeous and very secluded beach that can only be reached by boat – either the regular boat service from Porto Numana or by hiring a canoe from Sirolo. The beach is not sandy but consists of tiny white rounded pebbles that have been smoothed over time by the Adriatic. The best views of the beach are as you arrive as the snowy white cliffs of Monte Conero can be seen towering behind the beach.

The name of the beach ‘Due Sorelle’ means ‘two sisters’ and refers to two large rocks that stand not far from the shore. The beach is really beautiful and in 2019 won an award for being one of the top beaches in Italy.