Italy's most overrated beaches to avoid (and where to go instead)

Guide lists of the best beaches to visit in Italy and stunning social media shots of Italian coastlines have created hotspots of overcrowding.

Some of these coastal spots are in danger of being destroyed by the hordes of holidaymakers that descend each summer season, while at others it can simply be a chore to find a patch of sand big enough to lay your towel.

Instead of following the top beaches lists, which often repeat variations on the same top ten in each area, you can try one of the hundreds of gorgeous and environmentally sound spots throughout Italy by checking out the Bandiera Blu (Blue Flag) map.

Plus here are the beaches that we would say are best avoided in busy periods, with alternative suggestions for a more relaxing Italian seaside getaway.

Puglia

The southern Italian region of Puglia has a coastline that could give the Maldives a run for its money, with the waters consistently ranked the cleanest in Italy. As a result, it’s one of the most popular holiday destinations among Italians. It’s also soared in popularity among international tourists in recent years.

Unsurprisingly, this means it’s hard to find a beach in Puglia that could be described as peaceful at the height of summer

Despite the enormous number of beautiful beaches along Puglia’s particularly long coastline, a handful of names tend to crop up again and again on lists of ‘must-see’ or ‘most beautiful’ beaches in the region - meaning a lot of visitors tend to pack into the same areas, and some beaches are more crowded than others.

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While all of the below beaches are stunning, often featuring breathtaking rock formations surrounded by turquoise waters, most are located in tiny cale, or coves, and space is very limited. In summer you’ll need to get there at dawn in order to enjoy them before the hordes descend.

Baia dei Turchi - Lecce

Torre Lapillo (Porto Cesareo) - Lecce

Torre dell’Orso - Lecce

Punta della Suina - Lecce

Punto Prosciutto - Lecce

Torre Guaceto - Brindisi

Lama Monachile (Polignano a Mare) - Bari

Here are some alternatives that are lesser-known, at least among international tourists: 

Porto Selvaggio - Lecce

Punto Pizzo - Lecce

Torre Vado - Lecce

Spiaggia degli Alimini - Lecce

Spiaggia delle Conchiglie - Lecce

Torre Canne - Brindisi

Baia delle Zagare - Gargano

Sardinia

Visiting Sardinia can sometimes be a double-edged sword. Yes, it has world-class, astoundingly beautiful white sand beaches and crystal turquoise waters, but because of that, it draws in huge crowds in peak season.

Some beaches and stretches of coastline face severe environmental pressure - and don't make for an enjoyable day out when you have to get there for 6am to grab a parking spot and a space to pitch your umbrella.

Here are some beaches in Sardinia that are probably best avoided:

La Cinta - San Teodoro

Cala Brandinchi - San Teodoro

La Pelosa - Stintino

Where you can go instead:

Spiaggi Di Li Cossi

Cala Romazzino

Spiaggia Rudargia

Spiaggia di Cala Cipolla

Sicily

The incredible island of Sicily is a favourite destination for both Italian and international holidaymakers for good reason. Plus it has a longer summer season than the rest of the country, so there's more time to enjoy the beaches outside of August. Still, as in other popular parts of the country, visitors are often directed to the same few spots all summer long.

The island has no shortage of stunning natural beaches, and those who venture off the beaten path will be richly rewarded - even if this means packing a picnic and forgoing sun loungers.

READ ALSO: Why Sicily’s archipelagos are the best part of Italy for island-hopping

While the following famous beaches deserve their top-ten spots on all the ‘most beautiful beaches’ lists, they’re likely to be extremely crowded in July and August:

San Vito lo Capo - Trapani

Scala dei Turchi - Agrigento

Mondello - Palermo

Cefalù - Palermo

Spiaggia dei Conigli (Rabbit Beach) - Lampedusa

Here are a few to try instead - though most have fewer services around, they're arguably just as beautiful.

Spiaggia dei Francesi - Palermo

Baia di Santa Margherita - Trapani 

Lascari (next to Cefalù) - Palermo

Punta Bianca – Agrigento

Spiaggia dell’Asinello - Agrigento

Torre Salsa (nature reserve) - Agrigento

Sampieri - Ragusa

Veneto

Veneto is not exactly the best place to go if you’re looking for crystal-clear waters and picturesque beaches girdled by rocky cliffs. In fact, the region’s beaches are for the most part narrow strips of fine sand with generally shallow seabeds and fairly decent waters.

But Veneto is still an incredibly popular destination for beach-goers. Why? The città d’arte (art cities) located just a few miles away from the coastline, the large number of seaside resorts, and the relative proximity of both Austria and Germany all make Veneto a very appealing haven for holidaymakers.

So it isn’t rare for the region’s most famed beaches to be packed during the summer months. Here are a few of the busier places that you might want to avoid:

Lido di Jesolo - Jesolo

Lido di Venezia - Venice

Spiaggia di Sottomarina - Chioggia

Spiaggia di Ponente - Caorle

This is where you might want to go instead:

Spiaggia di Cà Roman - Pellestrina

Spiaggia del Bacan - Venice

Spiaggia di Scano del Gallo - Rovigo

Spiaggia della Brussa - Caorle

Tuscany

With over 500 kilometres of coastline, Tuscany is the Italian region that offers the greatest variety of beaches of all. From narrow strips of white sand encircled by maritime pine groves to remote cale (coves) hidden away between cliffs and headlands, the region has it all.

READ ALSO: What are the rules on wild camping in Italy?

The deep blue of Tuscany’s waters and the bonanza of nightlife venues skirting the coastline, especially in the famed Versilia area, prove irresistible to hundreds of thousands of both Italian and international tourists every summer. As a result, certain beaches in the region tend to get very crowded very quickly in July and August. 

Here are some of the region’s hotspots: 

Cala Violina - Maremma

Marina di Chiarone - Grosseto

Cala del Gesso - Monte Argentario

If you're looking for somewhere quieter, consider heading to:

Cala Martina - Grosseto

Carbonifera - Piombino

Cala di Forno - Maremma

Buca delle Fate - Populonia

Emilia Romagna

The Romagna riviera is incredibly built up, with beach services offering hundreds of sunbeds and umbrellas that cover swathes of the wide and flat sandy beaches there.

Although not known for its crystal clear waters like other parts of Italy, it's a popular area with tourists due to the convenience of back-to-back bars, restaurants, children's playgrounds and lifeguards.

Some beaches get more packed out than others such as Rimini and Riccione, thanks to being popular with families for the former and being known as party central with youngsters for the latter.

Here are the most overcrowded beaches in Emilia Romagna:

Riccione Centro-Sud

Cattolica

Rimini

Cervia-Pinarella

Milano Marittima

Where you can go instead:

Some of the 'lidi' further north can be quieter, still with beach services in places, but not as packed as the beaches above.

Lido di Volano

Lido delle Nazioni

Casalborsetti

Campania

The Amalfi Coast draws vast numbers of visitors to Campania every year - but while its rocky cliffs make for an impressive backdrop, its tiny, overcrowded beaches aren’t necessarily the best place to set up a sunbed.

Nor is the shore around greater Naples, where the sea is so often polluted that swimming is officially banned - though this doesn’t deter large crowds of bathers from taking a dip every summer.

Due to crowding, pollution, or both, some of the beaches you’ll likely want to steer clear of are:

Baia di Trentova

Spiaggia Calanca

Spiaggia di Minori

Spiaggia Lannio

Instead, consider heading to:

Cala Bianca

Spiaggia libera Lentiscelle

Spiaggia del Lago

Baia di Ieranto

Spiaggia le Saline

Calabria

Though perhaps not quite as popular a beach destination among foreign tourists as the likes of Sicily, Sardinia or Puglia, the Calabrian coastline still holds its own when summer hits, attracting large crowds to its shores.

Some of the most popular beaches to avoid:

Spiaggia di Falerna

Le baie di Grotticelle

Beaches to go to instead:

Spiaggia di Copanello di Staletti

Spiaggia Paradiso del sub

Spiaggia Del Tono

Spiaggia Di Michelino

This list is of course not exhaustive. Do you have a top beach tip to share with other members of The Local? We'd love to hear from you in the comments below.