Stupid question alert: are there nice beaches in Italy?

[LowLevelWhingeing]

I know there must be...

Is a lot of the coastline cliffy though? We'd like to book a massive villa for a couple of families and it would be great to be near a beach, but I don't know where to look!

Any advice?

Bumpio (as they say in Italy I think)

The best Italian beaches are in Sardinia in my humble opinion, but you will find nice Sandy beaches all over the place. The Amalfi coast is cliffy, as it part of the Ligurian coast. Puglia and Calabria will have lovely beaches aplenty.

In my experience (very bitty and a long time ago, also more to the north) Italy is not actually the place for a beach holiday, largely because in the places i have been there seem to be a lot of private beaches for hotels, and the public beaches are tiny.

I suppose if you can afford a hotel, that solves that problem! But you don't get the big sweeping beaches that you get in places where the beaches are all public.

I bow to Portofino's knowledge though. Clearly the south/islands are better.

Thanks for that, I'm starting to think that maybe we'd be better looking at France or Spain then. It wouldn't matter for me, but having a beach makes it so much easier to entertain pre-schoolers.

Have look here

Oooh, Sardinia looks lovely....

I need a big place though so it says we have to ring them to discuss our Big Group Needs. I want to book NOW!

Agree, Italy is not the best place for beaches.
The ones there are have masses of sunbeds in rows and are really crowded and expensive. Some you have to pay to get on to the beach.

I know there is a company called Just Sardinia too. We must go back.....

We stayed near Alassio (between Nice and Genoa). Beautiful beach - but as has been said before the public bit of beach is small (although when it is hot it is good to have sunbed and some shade).

We aren't particularly beachy people though so 1 or 2 days over the week is enough for me.

The Area around Alassio is really beautiful but not for the faint hearted driving (ie me!)

Ooh remembered the password for the Flickr photos.....

Sundew - have been there too. Ceriale and Loano and Deiva Marina/Lerici on the eastern coast. Liguria is lovely. Bet you can't guess how I got my MN name?

When dd was a toddler we went to Juan Les Pins - the beach there is lovely. My MOST favourite beach is Gigaro, near to La Croix Valmer/St Tropez. A villa there will set you back a few quid though!

Portofino, GORGEOUS pics!

I should really do some work...

Only 2500 quid a night!

It IS very nice though! . We are not loaded. We spent 2 weeks with Pierre et Vacances one time, then another week at Pampelonne Plage in a mobile home. That part of France is NOT cheap though.

Italy has plenty of fantastic, sandy beaches.
As Portofino said the most beautiful ones are in Sardegna (google Santa Teresa di Gallura or Pula, Baia Chia etc), Puglia (google Gallipoli, or Salento) or Sicily (google Riserva dello Zingaro or San Vito Lo Capo).
Sardegna tends to be incredibly expensive, especially if you are going in July and August. Sicily and Puglia are more reasonable places to holiday.

Great beaches to be found in Tuscany (Punta Ala, Isola d'Elba, Castiglione della Pescaia) and Le Marche (Grottamare, San Benedetto del Tronto... these are more touristy than Sardegna, less scenic, but cheaper and perfect for a family holiday).

cheers Franca! I'll get googling.

Ah, btw, it is true that lots of beaches you have to pay to get access to (which is a national scandal, btw).
In southern Italy, there are (or there used to be) wider areas of "spiagge libere", where access is free.

Bear in mind that many Italian families prefer to go to "spiagge attrezzate" (where you pay), as you get a big umbrella for the shade and 2 sun chairs/beds. They also have toilets, showers and toys for the children.
"Spiagge attrezzate" tend to be extortionate in places like Liguria, some places of Sardegna and Tuscany, but are cheaper in Le Marche (and have great facilities... I'm quite fond of Le Marche, possibly because I spent many summers there... bear in mind though that the sea there is not as nice as in Puglia, Sardengna etc)

Have you thought about Corsica?
I keep going back there as the beaches are truly fantastic.
(It's not in Italy though)

I have thought about Corsica, but I have a perception that it's £££ am I wrong? Looks ace though.

I'm looking for a big place for maybe 10-15ish people so that narrows down my options really.

Would consider anywhere really except Portugal which I didn't like at all last year. Too much egg and chips.

Your perception is correct - ££££££. I would have moved there otherwise The Languedoc is also much more reasonably priced than the Riviera. And the beaches are pretty nice there too.

I have done Corsica cheaply.
Fly to Nice on Easyjet then get the bus down to the Ferry port. Get the ferry over to Calvi and there's a car hire place right by the Ferry port. Then we stayed in a Eurocamp (caravan type thingy) Was lovely and cost about £1000 for 2 adults and 1 child altogether including flights travel and car hire! (that was the first week of September)

We've been to Lido do Jesolo nr Venice and we really liked it. We were on half board deal which normally wouldn't do, usually go s/c, but was v nice, hotel had own bit of beach with sunloungers and umbrellas, Venice a short bus ride away, main street fab in the evening with everyone doing their 'walk' and stopping for coffee/ice cream. Think we probably went in either early summer or autumn, it would likely be very busy in summer.

portofino.. you have just brought back all my childhood memories.. those beaches in France near la croix valmer is where we used to go as kids.. my grandparents had a mobile home near there.. ahh thanks for joggin my memories

We've found a few places in Puglia...anyone been there?