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According to a survey conducted by Blue Guide of Legambiente and the Italian Touring Club, here is the list of the ten most beautiful beaches in Italy:
1. Otranto (Puglia region)
2. Ustica Island (off northern Sicily)
3. Cinqueterre (Liguria region)
4. Pantelleria Island (off southern Sicily)
5. Pollica (Campania region)
6. Tropea (Calabria region)
7. Castiglione della Pescaia (Toscana reg.)
8. Arbus (Sardinia-Cagliari Province)
9. Tremiti Islands (off Puglia region)
10. Sirolo (Marche region)
Read more about this story (in Italian) in www.cnn.it/viaggi Article posted on May 9, 2002
10 Most Beautiful Italian Beaches
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Thanks for sharing, GAC. Wish my Italian was better than mere basics as would like to be able to read the article. Of those listed, I've only been to the CT. Anyone have firsthand account about the other beaches listed?
I have been to Hawaii. These beaches are not that nice.
Legambiente (literally the "environmental league", the largest Italian association for environmente preservation) and Touring Club make such a survey every year. Their list of the best beaches is based on several different things. In first place they consider how nice is the beach, how good it would be in a perfect situation (no crowds, no pollution etc.), than they compare this perfect situation to the reality, and somehow subtract marks for pollution, presence of disturbing buildings on the beach etc. Each spring the legambiente Goletta verde (a small ship) goes through all the beaches in Italy and the beaches are ranked anew. Than in June Legambeinte releases its "Guida blu" of Italy's beaches. Each Italian beach is ranked from 1 to 5 "sails" (they work just like the hotes' stars). Last yera these ten beaches ranked for five sails.
I have only been to Pollica in recent yras and it is GORGEOUS! Protected by the Cilento National Park, golden sand, in the middle of Cilento, an area with several other great beaches that is unfairly overlooked by foreign tourists who prefer the overcrowded, polluted and beachless Costiera amlfitana.
I will be flying into rome or milan. My wife and I are looking for an upscale resort with easy travel from rome or milan (air travel ok). Of these top 10 beeches which would be easiest to get to and preferably not a kids beach.
Probably Ustica, but Ustica has few "traditional" sandy beaches. It is a mostly rocky island of volcanic origin. Great landscapes and great sea not easy to reach. The best way to get to ustica is the airplane. Not a kids' place.
http://www.isola-ustica.com
For an "upscale" resort, I would suggest that you research the Costa Smeralda area in northeast Sardinia, as well as Forte Village in Santa Margherita di Pula (Cagliari) and Castiglione della Pescaia (Grosseto Province, Tuscany)
Many of the other beaches listed above, while very beautiful, are in "rustic" neighborhoods.
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see similar discussion under message titled "beach resorts in Italy"