Beach vacation in Italy

If you want a beach town on the Adriatic side, up towards Venice, you might look into Rimini. I haven't been there, as I am more interested in Italy's non-beach attractions, but I know that a lot of Italians go there during the summer. On the opposite side of the "boot," there's Viareggio that might be worth a look. It's right by Lucca and Pisa in Tuscany. Lido di Ostia near Rome was fun, but definitely geared toward youth, fwiw. Harder to get to, but very American-friendly according to a friend who goes there a lot, are the islands of Ponza, off the coast between Rome and Naples. Apparently a lot of Italians who emigrated to the US have moved back to Ponza. Happy travels.

Rimini - a lot of people do go there, and it's not exactly relaxing. It's on my summer avoid list. If you are interested in something in Southern Italy, I would suggest Paestum, it's a small town with a beach and a major archaelogical site with a good museum. Most of the hotels have beach-access arrangements; my recommendation is Poseidonia al Mare, they will pick you up at the trainstop, loan you bikes for the archaeological zone, and have a cabana-rental arrangement on the beach. It's a nice way to relax and combine some art and history with a beach vacation (a couple of days here should be enough). A little further north, you could try some places along the Amalfi Coast (Positano, Praiano, Amalfi), or Sorrento.

Let me put this way: - The Adriatic Sea and the Ionian Sea beaches, except for the Promontorio del Gargano (a very nice area by the way), has soft terrain beaches, no mountains on the back, more sand, less stones. It is better for lay down on a chair, swim, take long walks in the sand, and find some less crowded places. - The Tyrrhenian Sea is more rugged (Genova, Cinque Terre, Costiera Amalfitana), has more scenic landscapes but it is not that good for swimming, as most beaches are small (and more crowded), many areas have cliffs, strong currents and stones. - The major islands (Corsica and Sicilia) have the best beach destinations, but that comes with a price tag. But, except at a few places (Corfù, Taormina, Cagliari), beaches are far, far less crowded, and the islands offer a wonderful treasure to explore while keeping a "base" by the sea. Just as a hint, consider some location by the sea in the Southeast part of Sicilia (Posallo, Capo Pesaro, Sampieri, Marina di Modica, Siracusa). From there, you can find a nice beach location and still be at range of relatively short drives to places like Catania and the Etna volcano, the stunning Noto valley with its baroque architecture and wine-tasting, the hill towns of Modica and Ragusa, the Greek town of Siracusa etc. It is a suggestion that leaves you with leeway to decide what to do by the day, without having to pre-plan much, provided you have a nice place to stay by the ocean. Should you decide for such a trip, you'll need a car, and you can rent one from Catania airport (to there many airlines, including low cost ones, fly to). Avoid, thouhg, in any case, very popular youth rendezvous like Rimini (and all the coast from Ravena there), or run-down areas like around Latina.

Got to agree with Andre; the beaches in Sicily are wonderful, and lodging and food can be very affordable. And some of the Sicilian Islands have awesome beaches. We had a great time in the Aeolian islands, and used Lipari as a base to explore the others by hi-speed ferry. We also found the beaches in Sardinia to be fantastic. We used the Lonely Planet guidebooks to plan our trips to areas not covered by Rick.

Carl, As Venice appears to be a major focus of your trip and you've only got two weeks, I'd suggest limiting your visit to the north of Italy. You might consider staying in Monterosso in the Cinque Terre for a few days, as it has a nice sandy beach and LOTS of people were enjoying it in the hot weather. There's a small charge for beach access in some areas (especially in the "New Town"), but there's also free public areas. While in Venice, you could try the Lido Beach. I'm not too interested in "beach activities", but the reviews on Trip Advisor look good. If you decide to limit your trip to the northern part of Italy, you could book return flights to Milan or use open-jaw flights (into Milan or Venice, out of Rome). Check your local Library or Bookstores to see if they have any copies of the Italy Guidebook, as there's a lot of good information there that will help in planning your trip. BTW, you'll be able to manage fine with "rudimentary Italian". Try to learn a few of the usual "polite words" - Please, Thank You, etc. Good luck with your planning!

The Cinqueterre and adjacent areas on the Liguria coast are nice as "oceanfront" destinations, but never as beach destinations IMO: too many stones, too crowded beaches, too expensive fees when applicable, not a great experience if you intended going on the water which, in turn, is 2 or 3 degrees cooler than in Sicilia at that time of year.

Since Venice is on your wish list, instead of trekking all over the country why not stay in the Veneto. Lots to see and do from the seaside to the Dolomites. Vicenza was palladio's base and has lots of examples of his architecture. Bassano del Grappa, Castelfrancoo, Cittadella, and Asolo are all charming towns. further north, you can take the Prosecco road in the foothills of the Dolomites. Or go farther and visit Cortina di'Ampezzo. For beaches, Jesolo has 15 km of lovely beach just east of Venice. Google "Lido di Jesolo" for a bunch of information. our last trip, we stayed for two weeks with a week in Venice and the balance exploring the Veneto.