Beaches in Monterosso

Jed,

I've never rented any beach chairs, so can't offer any first hand comments. I don't dare show up in a bathing suit, as someone might call out the harpoon squad.

I believe some areas of the beaches in both the new and old towns are free, while other areas are on a pay basis (and those include the chairs and umbrellas - I don't think the cost is that high). Some parts may be exclusive to particular hotels along the waterfront. I'm sure an attendant will appear as soon as you walk down the stairs to the beach, and will be glad to provide you with a chair and take your money if you want to rent a chair.

Hopefully Roberto will spot this Thread as he related a story last year about the beach chair scammers trying to extort money to sit on a free portion of the beach. As I recall, a threat to call the Carabinieri was made and the scammers slinked off into the sunset.

Regarding the beach in the old town, I believe it used to be somewhat "pebbly" but it was rebuilt after the floods of October 2011, and there may be more sand there now at least in the areas where the chairs and umbrellas are located. The area at the outlet of the storm drains may still be a bit rocky. I'll try to remember to check that on my next visit. The beach in the new town is considerably larger, with many more chairs.

Jed,

I've stayed in Monterosso in the past, but we didn't rent any beach chairs either.

Here's an excerpt from Rick's 2014 Italy book:

If you see umbrellas on a beach, it means you'll have to pay a rental fee; otherwise the sand is free.

Here is more info regarding beaches in the CT & nearby: http://www.cinqueterre.eu.com/en/cinque-terre-beaches

Have a wonderful trip!

If you want to rent chairs and umbrella when you arrive just approach the management of the concession and they will take care of your needs and give you what you need. By law they must post the prices of the various furniture or services you intend to rent, so make sure you look at it.

Sometimes when we were kids we would take some free ones left by departing customers and hope to get away with it. If you do after a while you might see a staff member coming to ask you to leave or pay the rental.

There is no obligation to pay for the rental, or to pay to access the sea. Bathing establishments that have been given the concession must guarantee free access to the sea and the strip of beach within 5 meters from the so called 'battigia' is not subject to the concession and must be free and unincumbered for the free enjoyment of everybody. That is public land. The 'battigia' is the water's edge where the wave s hit the beach. From that point to 5 meters inland, that strip of beach must be left free and must be made accessible. No umbrellas and chairs can be put there, but you can sit there on your beach towel.

Now, there will smart pants (not necessarily affiliated with the concession establishment) who will try to extort money from you even if you just try to access that free strip, or even if you sit down in that free strip. Unless you want to rent their services, just refuse and remind them of the law I just explained. If they insist tell them to call the Carabinieri. Knowledge is power. Once they know you know, they won't bother you.

Occasionally they try with me because they assume I'm an American tourist maybe because my black Puertorican wife can hardly pass for a local. I can't write here what I tell them because this is a family website, but the threat to call the carabinieri is enough for them to disappear from my face the rest of the day.

Also the Liguria Region has established very comprehensive guidelines on how much of a beach can be given in concession and how much must be left totally free. As I understand is 50/50 split, therefore you should be able to see a totally free beach next to the portion given in concession to the bath establishment. In any case even the portion given in concession excludes the 5 mt strip from the battigia (water's edge). Establishments try to cheat on the 5 meters, so be ready for that, it's Italy after all and the Monterosso beach is narrow.

The beach is not white sand like Florida. It's sand or maybe fine gravel type of beach, but not big river rocks and boulders like the other 5terre villages.

Wow, thanks for the detailed info! Am looking forward to being there in 3 weeks!!!

There is a beach concession right in front of Cantina di Miky and Bar Gio in New Town. There is a bar down / restaurant on the beach (don't remember the name) and there will be a table set up with clear signage to rent the chairs/umbrellas. There are changing rooms as well but I am not sure how that works. The beach itself is small pebbles but still a bit rough for my tender feet! :-)

You don't need to rent a "cabina" (changing cabin). Just put a towel around you and change on the beach, or you can use the bathroom. The cabins is something that Italians, especially with kids, rent for their long stays and use primarily to store beach toys, beach mattresses, etc. more than for changing clothes, so that they don't have to take the kids' paraphernalia back to the hotel. But if you are there just for a day, I don't think you will have beach toys to store for the next days.

Despite my American habit of sitting on beach sand for free, I've more than once used the beach rental place closest to the old town in Monterosso (and closest to the big rock). Primary entrance is via a gate, so you will have no trouble spotting the staff right there. I haven't paid more than €10 for the day for one chair and umbrella, same rate that Rick indicated in the book. Going earlier in the day will probably get you a chair closer to the water.

Go to Google Maps, type in Monterosso, then switch to the satellite view of the beach. Everywhere you see umbrellas set up with military precision are the private beaches. Where you see chaos are the public beaches.

Ken,

Can you explain what this means: "I don't dare show up in a bathing suit, as someone might call out the harpoon squad."

Stephen, Ken meant that someone might mistake him for a whale.

Stephen, Ken meant that someone might mistake him for a whale.

However it's not clear if Ken meant that it's because of his body size or if it's because he sprays water from the blow hole on his backside. :-)

Just to clarify (especially to Roberto), I was referring to my portly stature.

lol ok. I thought there was some ban on swimwear or something odd!