The Romagna Riviera
A hundred and thirty kilometres of sand, the highest concentration of campsites in Italy and a sea bed that shelves gently.
The riviera begins at the Comacchio lidos and ends at Cattolica, and for almost its whole length it is an unbroken line of beach clubs, hotels, campsites and promenade. This is where Italians invented the mass holiday, in the nineteen sixties, and it shows: the machinery is well tested, the prices are clear, all the services are there.
For anyone travelling with small children the real reason is the sea bed. The water stays shallow for tens of metres and warms up early: you can already swim in June. The campsites are large, often under pines, nearly all with a pool, and many have direct access to the beach.
Stretch by stretch
The Ferrara and Ravenna lidos are the widest and the quietest, with stone pine woods behind them and the Cervia salt pans as a boundary. From Cesenatico to Bellaria the landscape narrows and the canal ports give the towns a real centre. From Rimini to Cattolica it is continuous, with a seafront rebuilt in recent years and theme parks not far away.
The other side of it is August: you book months ahead, the beach is packed and the coast road jams. June and September offer the same sea at half the price and without the queues.