Amalfi, Puglia, Tuscany…as coastlines go, it’s an all-star lineup. And yet, while holidaymakers’ heads have long been turned by Italy’s cliff-clinging cities and postcard-famous coastal towns, the country’s beaches have flown surprisingly under the radar.
But the tide is turning, with a wave of beachfront boutique hotels giving Italy’s golden shores and picturesque coves their day in the sun. From wave-lapped Amalfi love nests to Tuscan island idylls, swim ahead of the current with our round-up of the best.
Aethos Sardinia
Set in a quieter corner of the Costa Smeralda, Aethos Sardinia acts as a privileged entry point to La Maddalena Archipelago, a protected national park whose spectacular scenery feels overly colour-adjusted, from its baby-pink sands to marbled blue waters.
By contrast, the hotel’s luxury is quiet — elegant rooms bear natural hues and days find a relaxed rhythm in facials by Woods Copenhagen in the spa, cocktails by the infinity pool, boat jaunts and lingering, locally inspired meals.
Nearest beach
For sands with atmosphere, the Spiaggia di Cannigione is a lively spot with soft sands and luminous waters. But head north and you’ll hit several sunbathing stretches some more under-the-radar. Spiaggia di Laconia has small bays and coves to explore, Lido Mannena Beach tends to not get crowded and Spiaggia Le Piscine, which has safe shallows for paddling in.
Dine by the sea
Zaïa Sardinia excels in simple, delicious island cuisine, with honey straight from the hive and cheese fresh from the goat. And dishes such as ancient-grain linguine with sea urchin and yellow cherry tomatoes; red-tuna carpaccio; and salt-baked catch of the day.
Canne Bianche
Puglia
No one likes a show-off, but when you have all of Puglia’s abundance on your doorstep, you’d be a fool not to flaunt it – and at least Canne Bianche has the good grace to share. Beach-facing balconies with floor-to-ceiling windows direct full attention towards the wide blue yonder; and just in case you had any lingering doubts as to where you should be looking, there’s a telescope in the lounge pointing pointedly out to sea.
Nearest beach
A splash in the pool puts you in sea salt-spraying distance, but you may as well sail past it to the private beach — it’s only a few steps further. Days here are spent cycling through a series of romantic settings: the candlelit spa, canopied day-beds and calm Adriatic waters. But, bike along the coast (you can borrow or rent cycles and e-bikes at the hotel) and you’ll find many more stretches of sand and panoramic viewpoints.
Dine by the sea
For the final flourish, Autentico restaurant lives up to its name and puts local produce to lip-smacking use in a menu of Puglian classics. Think fresh seafood, silky burrata and hand-shaped ears of orecchiette. Now that’s the kind of flex we can get behind. Or head north to bohemian beach club Cala Maka (open seasonally from April to September), which has alfresco swings and cushions to hang out on and a sushi menu with a little Apulian flavour too.
La Guardia
Giglio Island
Ordinarily, interiors cut into sea caves, featuring local handicrafts and custom furnishings and curated by an international design team, would be enough to clinch the headline spot at any hotel. But while Giglio might be a small island, it’s no ordinary one; and to put too much emphasis on La Guardia’s interiors would be to bury the lede. Here — as the hotel’s chic but minimalist style ensures — the views are the main event. For all La Guardia’s five-star flair, it’s the island itself that speaks the loudest. But, there are other treats in store: in the open-air spa you can indulge in Zen shiatsu soothing and Ayurvedic massages; and to further boost the feel-good factor, eco-conscious measures and community initiatives are key to the hotel’s MO.
Nearest beach
On the stony beach, sculptural granite juts skyward; there are flashes of ice cream-coloured houses along the harbour; and, always front and centre, the cobalt waters of the Tyrrhenian. For softer sands, beautiful, sheltered Cannelle Beach is a 30-minute stroll or 10-minute bike ride away (the hotel can help with hire), and the larger Campese beaches are a 15-minute drive away on the west coast.
Dine by the sea
At La Guardia, the restaurant’s menu is similarly celebratory of its surroundings, starring heritage dishes (sea bass ‘cannoli‘, ancient-grain spaghetti with prawns, garlic and chilli) from across the Tuscan archipelago, using all organic and locally sourced produce, of course. For sweeping harbour views and very fresh seafood in a friendly environment, try Trattoria Doria and stop by Tuku’l beach bar for a few before-bed cocktails.
Hotel Capo la Gala and Wellness
Amalfi Coast
Look at romantic retreat Hotel Capo La Gala and Wellness as a love letter to the Amalfi Coast. Interiors nail their nautical colours to the mast with bold blue-and-white palettes and oceanic art: a shell here, a model ship there. But this is no case of marine-themed style over substance — rooms gaze seawards, the infinity pool has heart-pattering bay views, and things get steamy in the seafoam-hued spa, where a caldarium, sauna, frigidarium, 32°C pool and sigh-inducing treatments await. And Sorrento is just five miles along the coast, so in the summer months, it’s all about the hotel’s boat to Capri and Ischia.
Nearest beach
To amp up the amore, the rocky beach was the site of secret assignations between two legendary star-crossed lovers, so the locals say. This stretch of the coast is more about dramatic cliffs than powder-soft sands, but there are sections where scenic sunbathing awaits, say at Spiaggia della Marinella on the way to Sorrento. Otherwise head further out to rocky Spiaggia della Pignatella, where the waters are luminously blue, or hop over to Capri.
Dine by the sea
Out on the terrace, fine-dining restaurant Maxi is worth falling for, and there’s the Nerea Sea Tavern mere steps from the shore. But when the sun starts to sink over the Bay of Naples, cosy up in the beach-facing bar with a sip of something Aperol-y. For a Michelin-worthy meal, take a date night in Sorrento for creative plates at Terrazza Bosquet.
Verdura Resort
Sicily
Verdura Resort is the joint effort of hotshot hotelier Rocco Forte and his interior-designer sister Olga Polizzi. It’s fitting, then, that this stylish Sicilian stay has fine-tuned all the fun, frills and five-minutes’-peace sanctums of a luxury family favourite stay. Grown-ups can slip off to the super-scale spa or one of two championship golf courses, while the award-winning Verdùland kids’ club ensures Little Smiths aren’t shortchanged either.
For all its fancy facilities, Verdura has held onto much more hush than your standard sprawling resort. Soothing interiors take the serene setting as their cue, and a seat beneath the orange trees or down by the jetty are just as suited to a spot of soul-searching as they are to sunbathing. For maximum seclusion, plus a full sweep of VIP flourishes, plump for a villa.
Nearest beach
A private pebble-strewn beach and those Med views serve as cross-generational crowd-pleasers. To the north of the resort, Spiaggia di Timpi Russi has a run of golden sand and few tourists (although few facilities too), while further along the coast Lido Sovareto has a few more beach-y bells and whistles.
Dine by the sea
Verdura Resort has seven eateries, all overlooking the water: seafood spot Amare, Sicilian trattoria Liolà, Mediterranean Zagara, Japanese joint Nagori, pasta-pushing L’Osteria, Med-leaning Ondina and laidback breakfasting eatery Buongiorno.
La Peschiera
Puglia
It’s a sad fact, but one we must eventually make our peace with: we can’t all have our own house on the Puglian coast. But before the wind changes and you’re stuck with that pout, let us suggest a stint at La Peschiera as a worthy alternative. There’ll be no fighting for first dibs of the hotel’s 13 rooms, either, as each one has multiple private terraces and uninterrupted Adriatic views.
Here, you set the pace — will it be a wine tasting at a local vineyard, perhaps, or a Vespa ride through the valleys? If you can feel the decision fatigue setting in (you poor thing), seek refuge in refined, seafood-first Saleblu restaurant. As for tomorrow’s plans? Might we suggest the tried-and-true close your eyes and point at the map trick — with so many coves and quaint villages around, you can’t really go wrong.
Nearest beach
This boutique seafront stay has a private sandy beach and seven (oh yes) pools, in an array of sizes and temperatures, some with joint-soothing jets that would leave Goldilocks spoiled for choice. Or, expand your — sapphire blue — horizons by exploring the many beaches and viewpoints along the coast, from sandy Lido le Macchie to rocky Scogliera di Capitolo.
Dine by the sea
There’s no need to guess where the ingredients for Saleblu Restaurant come from: most hail from the great water-y yonder. Catches are used in Apulian dishes such as mackerel escabeche, ravioli stuffed with coastal herbs, and seaweed-and-oyster risotto.
Le Dune Piscinas
Sardinia
In south-western Sardinia, where fragrant Mediterranean scrub runs unimpeded to sun-slicked waters, sand dunes undulate over the landscape on and on, and aside from that — although it’s quite the trove of natural wonders — there’s little more. That’s the point of Le Dune Piscinas, a very remote retreat that encourages you to idle. This former warehouse now bears a modern look and is set for quiet pursuits, with a library, ‘silent’ alfresco cinema, spa, bar and many spaces just dedicated to sitting and looking on in awe.
Nearest beach
It’s right there, steps from your room — in fact, the surroundings feel like a sandy extension of it. It’s private and has deckchairs and sun-beds for each guest. And for more aquatic fun, there’s a pool and an ’emotional shower’ in the spa, too.
Dine by the sea
You’re quite far from the nearest eatery, so there are several on-site to divvy up your dining options. Terracotta-pink Rosso Tramonto faces the dunes and art-clad Il Ginepro has some original features from the building’s former life; for those winning waterside panoramas, Il Maestrale is your pick — try to time dinner with sunset.
See all of our beach hotels in Italy, or — if you’re bringing the friend group, book one of Europe’s best beachside villas
Amy Martin is a writer, actor and travel buff, based between London and Cornwall. When she’s not lurking around a theatre or scribbling in a notebook on the Penzance to Paddington line, you’ll find her at the cinema, on a long coastal walk, or watching Pride and Prejudice (1995 or 2005 is fine).