Has anyone visited either Sirolo or Portonovo just south of Ancona? We want a quaint seaside town to stay in for 3 days before we head to Venice. We don't enjoy large resort towns. We will be traveling by train from Rome, then the "beach" and then Venice. Any thoughts very welcome! Thanks

I suggest Portonovo, the cherry on the pie of Riviera del Conero.
Good hotel is Hotel Emilia at Poggio di Portonovo and a very good and famous restaurant is Il Clandestino at Baia di Portonovo.
Ciao.

Vincenzo

Sirolo is just below Monte Conero. I have stayed at the hotel atop Monte Conero (a converted monastery) a couple of times. Great views and a good kichen. And Portonovo is twenty or so km north with a nice beach (pebbly, of course) and on summer Sundays hosts a goodly portion of Le Marche's population.

I would see both. Portonovo is quieter, probably, but smaller too. Sirolo is really quite beautiful and worth seeing.

when will you be there?