Discover some of Italy’s best beaches off the beaten track

But beyond these famous shorelines, Italy is home to myriad equally pristine beaches, some of them in places you’d never expect.

From the Tuscan countryside to the craggy cliffs of Le Marche, you’ll find many spectacular beaches with fewer crowds and a more authentic feel. 

Le Piscine, Sardinia

Sardinia, with its 1800 kilometres of coastline, boasts some of the best beaches in Italy that every year, especially in summer, attract many tourists from all over the world.

If you prefer rocky coves and small bays to long stretches of sandy beaches, Le Piscine, located in the island’s northeast, is the ideal destination for you.

The presence of small coves, crystal clear water and Mediterranean vegetation that reaches almost to the sea, makes this place one of the most picturesque corners of the coast.

The name of Le Piscine, which translates to “The Pools”, derives from the bright colours of the crystalline sea, with its shallow and extremely clear waters.

Sirolo, Le Marche

Photo: Unsplash/Alessio Patron

If you’re looking to avoid crowds and get a true local experience, head to Sirolo in the eastern region of Le Marche.

Sirolo has seven beaches, some of which are only accessible by boat.

Well and truly off the beaten track and boasting picture-perfect cliff scenery, this area is perfect for travellers looking for a more low-key slice of the country.

Located along the coastline is Urbani, a pebbled beach with a backdrop of limestone cliffs and pine trees.

The atmosphere is classically Italian: laidback and full of local families, with an emphasis on eating well and taking things slowly.

The surrounding Adriatic Sea is sheltered and calm, perfect for a relaxing dip in the bay.

Swim out farther to the cluster of protruding rocks for a little cliff-jumping.

The Maremma, Tuscany

Thanks to the attention heaped on Tuscany’s famous countryside, its coastline has remained a secret gem. 

A large area in southern Tuscany, the Maremma is unique because of the variety of its territory: blue sea, long beaches, black rock, hills covered with woods, marshes and flat lands, green hills and natural thermal baths.

This is still largely unknown territory, though the coastal enclaves – Capalbio and Chiarone, with their long, empty beaches – have become quietly popular with more well-heeled Romans.

Enjoy the seaside and its surrounding villages, including Montemerano, Magliano in Toscana and San Martino sul Fiora, which are home to quaint squares and geranium-draped streets.

Sorano and Pitigliano are also captivating, partly for their striking, crag-top locations and partly for their surroundings, which are riddled with remarkable Etruscan tombs and ancient sunken roads.

The Maremma is not just culture and landscapes; it is also a region rich in typical products to be tasted and savoured while drinking a good glass of wine. 

Etruscans inhabited it, Tuscans civilised it, but only foreigners romanticise it.

The Cilento, Campania

Photo: Pixabay/Tiziana Gagnor

The Amalfi and Sorrento coasts, two halves of the same peninsula, are famous around the world for their picturesque fishing villages and pristine beaches, but further south lies the Cilento coast, one of the most unspoiled parts of the Campania region.

This wild and mountainous enclave is home to some fantastic beaches and the great Greek temples of Paestum, some of the best preserved in the world.

Several stunnning villages dot the coastline – Agropoli, Santa Maria di Castellabate and, best of all, Acciaroli, known for its sublime seas (the water is some of Italy’s cleanest).

In this sparsely populated land of mountains and valleys, you’ll come across some of the finest buffalo mozzarella you’ve ever tasted.

Scala Dei Turchi, Sicily

Photo: Unsplash/Davide Ragusa

The chalky, tiered marlstone cliffs of Scala Dei Turchi – or the “Stair of the Turks” – are considered one of Sicily’s greatest natural wonders.

Among all stairways that exist, this is definitely one of the most unusual.

You’ve probably already realised that this is not a real stairway, but a spectacular stretch of coast that thanks to its peculiarity has become an icon of the Sicilian seaside tourism.

This white cliff is located along the stretch of sea between Realmonte and Porto Empedocle.

You’ll need to hike all the way down to its base to access the beach: a long, jagged stretch of bronze sand that locals claim is rich with minerals.

Do as they do and coat your body with the wet, muddy sand, and then rinse off in the warm Mediterranean ocean.

Don’t forget to look behind you; you won’t get a better view of southern Sicily’s spectacular landscape anywhere else.

Vasto, Abruzzo

Photo: Unsplash/Lorenzo Lamonica

With its long stretches of white-sand beaches, Italy’s Adriatic coast merits exploration beyond the popular resorts of Rimini and Riccione.

Well on the way towards the “heel” of the peninsula, Vasto is a charming hilltop town in southern Abruzzo.

It has a medieval centre and many beautiful buildings dating from the 15^th century, and overlooks a striking stretch of unspoilt coastline in the Punta Aderci nature reserve to the north, where trabocchi – traditional wooden fishing platforms – emerge like abstract sculptures from the sea. 

The beaches vary considerably within a few kilometres: you’ll find sand, pebbles, gravel, rocks and cliffs.

The local fishing industry means that fish and shellfish are favourite dishes in Vasto’s many restaurants along with delicious local Pecorino cheese made from sheep’s milk.

Outside of peak season, you can enjoy the coastline and trabocchi and barely see another person.