The Best Beaches In Italy II

Glamorous seaside getaways in pretty coastal towns and bustling cities where the sand is soft and white, the seas are crystal clear and the food is fresh and delicious, are one of the things that best sell Italy as a holiday destination for many. As the country has such a long coastline and several stunning islands, there is endless choice in beaches and seaside locations.

However, there are always some beaches and locations that are going to be more desirable, and have more to offer, than others. In our last article, we discussed two such beaches: the very famous and world-renowned Rabbit Beach, on the island of Lampedusa off the coast of Sicily, and the beaches of Trani, a lovely town known as the “Pearl of Puglia”. There are plenty of others worth mentioning so we have prepared more of our favourite picks to help you plan the perfect coastal vacation in Italy!

The Gulf of Baratti, located between the Tyrrhenian and Ligurian seas, near Piombino happens to have some of the most beautiful beaches in all of Italy. The area was once home to the ancient town of Populonia, an important Etruscan settlement that was a populous and active place for the exchange of goods and for iron-working.

Amazingly, you don't have to pay to use the beach, as you do on many other stretches of the Italian coast but you can still rent lounge chairs and umbrellas readily. With its beach bars where you can grab fresh mojitos and take in live music, hammocks, picnic tables, chilled out atmosphere, palm trees, blue seas and great natural beauty, the Gulf of Baratti reminds of somewhere much more exotic with the added appeal of Italian culture and cuisine. If you want to holiday in Tuscany but are tempted by the azure seas and palm trees of locations further afield, a villa with pool in Baratti is just the thing!

A similarly stunning and almost tropical location is the Lo Zingaro Nature Reserve, located West of Palermo, in Sicily. Stretching 7km along the coast between the lovely little village of Scopello in the east to near San Vito Lo Capo in the west, it covers more than 1600 hectares and is an unspoiled beauty. While this is a popular location for hiking, savvy beach-goers head to Lo Zingaro when beaches in the area are overcrowded in summer. The majestic cliffs of Lo Zingaro are footed by many pocket-sized bays with white pebbles and transparent turquoise water. Punta della Capreria is the first and, as a result, the most popular beach while successive beaches at Cala della Disa, Berretta, Marinella and Torre dell’Uzzo are naturally quieter. For a calmer, more peaceful beach holiday, just find a luxury villa in Sicily and make your way to the hidden gems Lo Zingaro has to offer.

These are yet still only a tiny sample of the amazing number of perfect beaches in Italy. Read on for a selection of some more of our best picks.