Country
Italy
1,969 beaches surveyed and measured. Ten chosen by fame. All ten rated.
10 judged · 1969 surveyed · See on the Atlas →
The 10 best beaches in Italy
Ordered by fame: how often Condé Nast Traveler, Lonely Planet, Europe's Best Destinations and italia.it name them, plus measured size. The order is theirs. The rating is ours. Every number is measured or sourced.
- 1
Cala Goloritzé
WORTH A DETOURThree of four lists agree. A landslide made it, and an app lets you in.
The factUp to 300 people a day are allowed in, whereas 800 people are willing to come in during peak season.
65 m long · 10 m wide · Photo: Carlo Pelagalli, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2
San Vito Lo Capo
WORTH A DETOURSicily's long beach, mostly rented by the umbrella. The free bit fills by nine.
The factIt is almost 3 km long, but roughly 70% of it is private lido and the other 30% is free public access.
1,466 m long · 63 m wide · Photo: Carlo Pelagalli, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 3
Scala dei Turchi
ONLY IF YOU'RE ALREADY THERESicily's famous white cliff now comes with a ticket, a timer and a no-towels rule.
The factEntry to the white cliff is limited to a maximum of 1,800 visitors per day, and sunbathing or laying out towels on it is strictly prohibited.
878 m long · 26 m wide · Photo: philippe.hemmel, CC BY 2.0
- 4
Atrani Beach
ONLY IF YOU'RE ALREADY THEREThe beach is the village's front step. Bring shoes for the pebbles, or for the argument about whether they are sand.
The factThe beach is small and mostly pebbly, and in 2022 two beach chairs with an umbrella cost €40 for the day.
131 m long · 35.1 m wide · Photo: Daria, CC BY 3.0
- 5
San Fruttuoso
ONLY IF YOU'RE ALREADY THERESixty-four metres of beach that no road has ever reached, and the boats keep coming.
The factIt can be reached only by sea or by hiking on steep wooded trails, as no road access exists.
64 m long · 19.4 m wide · Photo: Lucianoro1, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 6
Pescoluse
WORTH A DETOURPuglia's long white beach, with a nickname it borrowed from the Indian Ocean.
The factPescoluse has five kilometers of white sand overlooking the Ionian Sea, and the area is nicknamed the Maldives of Salento.
2,484 m long · 23.2 m wide · Photo: EduardMarmet, CC BY-SA 2.0
- 7
La Pelosa
OVERRATEDThe beach you reserve like a restaurant, then sit on a mandatory mat.
The factDaily visitor numbers are capped at 1,500 people, and between May 15 and October 15 you need a reservation to visit.
417 m long · 34 m wide · Photo: Tommie Hansen, CC BY 2.0
- 8
Mondello
ONLY IF YOU'RE ALREADY THEREPalermo's beach, between two mountains. The city is twelve kilometres and one park away.
The factThe bay is a semicircle about 1.5 km long, enclosed between two promontories, Mount Pellegrino and Mount Gallo.
1,421 m long · 38.2 m wide · Photo: Pietro Columba, CC BY 2.0
- 9
Fontane Bianche
WORTH A DETOURA tiny town, the warmest sea of the ten, and fresh water coming up from below.
The factLonely Planet describes a 3 km stretch of beach with fresh water springs that flow from the seabed.
821 m long · 32.2 m wide · Photo: Davide Mauro, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 10
Chia
WORTH A DETOURA string of light-sand coves with pink birds in the back garden.
The factThe landscape around Chia includes three coastal lagoons, frequented by pink flamingos and other important species.
266 m long · 38.1 m wide · Photo: Carlo Pelagalli, CC BY-SA 3.0
How we rate: we have not stood on these beaches, so the sources decide. A beach starts in the middle. It moves up for something no other beach has, or for a top-three place on the fame list. It moves down when someone has been hurt there, when it is closed or banned, or when a source calls the water dangerous. Ordinary cautions are printed on each beach’s page and leave the rating alone.
Asked about beaches in Italy
- What is the best beach in Italy?
- By how often the lists we read name it, Cala Goloritzé in Sardinia: three of the four name it, and one calls it the most beautiful beach in Italy. We rate it Worth a detour; its daily cap holds it back from the top.
- Do you need to book beaches in Italy?
- Some, yes. La Pelosa needs a reservation from May 15 to October 15, 2026, with 1,500 places a day at €3.50. Cala Goloritzé's walking path needs online registration a day ahead, with 300 people a day (Wikipedia, 2025). The Scala dei Turchi cliff has timed tickets, 1,800 a day, at €6.
- When is the sea warmest in Italy?
- July to September. In 2025 the warmest monthly averages of the ten ran from 26.1 °C at La Pelosa, in Sardinia, to 28.2 °C at Fontane Bianche, near Syracuse.
- Which Italian beaches have no road?
- San Fruttuoso, in Liguria: you arrive on foot from Portofino or by boat from Rapallo or Camogli. Cala Goloritzé, in Sardinia, is reached by boat or a path with a 470-metre drop.
From the blog, on Italy
One Beach, One Story · Cala Goloritzé, Sardinia
Cala Goloritzé, Sardinia: The Beach a Landslide Made, and How to Book It in 2026
In 1962 a piece of the mountain fell into the sea and left Italy one of its most famous beaches. Now you need an app, a QR code and proper shoes to get in.
October 2026 · 4 min
The Rankings · Sardinia
Sardinia Beaches: Cala Goloritzé, La Pelosa and Chia, Rated
A cove a landslide made, a beach you book like a restaurant, and lagoons with flamingos. Three of Italy's ten are in Sardinia.
October 2026 · 3 min
The Rankings · Sicily
Sicily Beaches: San Vito Lo Capo, Scala dei Turchi, Mondello and Fontane Bianche
A beach that is 70% rented out, a white cliff with a timer, Palermo's bay, and springs under the sea. Four of Italy's ten are in Sicily.
October 2026 · 3 min
The Big Board
Beaches You Have to Book: 10 Famous Beaches With a Ticket, a Cap or a Closed Season
Reservations, daily caps, timed slots and months when the gate is shut, from Sardinia to Thailand. Every rule dated to its source.
October 2026 · 4 min
The Big Board
Which Country Has the Most Beaches?
We counted eleven countries the same way, in the same month. Spain names the most beaches. Australia has the most sand. Croatia's, all of it together, covers 4.6 km².
Updated October 2026 · 4 min
Surveyed, awaiting judgment
first 100 of 1,959, widest firstEvery one is real: taken from OpenStreetMap, pinned where it actually is and measured. We have not rated these yet.