# Italy's coast and beaches, by the numbers

> Italy has over 8,300 km of coastline and 3,400 km of it is beach. Where that sand actually sits, what a 2026 Blue Flag certifies, and what it does not.

URL: https://myitalia.it/themes/coast-and-beaches
Last updated: 2026-09-02

Italy has more than 8,300 km of coastline, of which 3,400 km is beach, 41% of the total, and more than two thirds of that beach surface lies in the south and on Sicily and Sardinia rather than in the places the coast is famous for.

## The 41% that is actually sand

The ISPRA census processed in 2024 puts Italian beaches at 3,400 km, 41% of the coastline, covering 120 sq km with a mean width of 35 m from the waterline inland. The rest of the shore is rock, cliff, port and defense works.

The coastline figure itself moves with the method. ISPRA gives over 8,300 km; ISTAT uses a different shoreline for statistical work, and we could not read its 2026 technical note, so only the ISPRA number appears here.

## Calabria has more beach than the postcards suggest

Calabria alone holds 20% of Italy's beach surface, and the south plus the two large islands hold over two thirds of it. That is the opposite of where the images come from.

Width varies more than length. Emilia-Romagna averages 72 m of beach and Veneto 67 m, against 26 m in Liguria and 22 m in Sardinia. A wide Adriatic beach and a narrow Ligurian one are different products with the same name.

## What a Blue Flag means in 2026

In 2026 the FEE awarded the Blue Flag to 257 Italian coastal municipalities, covering 525 beaches and 87 marinas, in the 40th edition of the program. That is 11 more municipalities than in 2025, with 14 new entries including Rimini, Limone sul Garda, Monte Argentario, Lipari, Ispica and Teulada, and 3 that were not confirmed: San Felice Circeo, Patù and Castrignano del Capo.

The award runs on 33 criteria across four areas, from bathing water quality to lifeguard services, and it is given to a municipality, not to a stretch of sand. Since 2026 the certification lasts two years, aligned to the European standard.

Liguria leads with 35 municipalities, then Puglia and Calabria with 27 each.

## Where access is capped or protected

Italy has 30 established marine protected areas plus 2 submerged parks, together covering 231,000 hectares of sea and 711 km of coast on the ministry's figures. Inside them, zoning decides what you may do: some zones ban anchoring, fishing or swimming altogether.

A few individual beaches now run on a booking system. La Pelosa at Stintino takes 1,500 people a day at 3.50 euro from May 15 to October 15, 2026, with checks from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm and no booking needed under 12. More capped sites are listed on [where a daily cap decides your day](/plan/crowds-and-caps).

## Seaweed on the sand is not dirt

The 2024 ISPRA census found deposits of stranded plant biomass, mostly posidonia, on 53% of Italian beaches, with strong seasonal variation. It builds up after storms and in autumn.

Those banks hold the sand in place through winter, and beaches that remove them lose material. If you arrive in June and find a brown line along the waterline, that is what it is.

## FAQ

### How long is the Italian coastline?

Over 8,300 km on the ISPRA measurement processed in 2024. The figure depends on the scale of measurement and on what you count as coast, so ISTAT publishes a different length for statistical purposes. ISPRA also puts beaches at 3,400 km of that shore, a rounded figure.

### What does a Blue Flag actually certify?

It is awarded by the FEE against 33 criteria in four areas: bathing water quality, environmental education, land and environment management, and services and safety. It is a municipal award, and from 2026 it lasts two years rather than one.

### Which Italian region has the most Blue Flags?

Liguria, with 35 municipalities in 2026, ahead of Puglia and Calabria, tied on 27 each. Nationally 257 coastal municipalities hold the flag, covering 525 beaches and 87 marinas.

### Which region has the most beach?

Calabria, with 20% of the national beach surface on its own. Over two thirds of Italy's beach area is in the south and on the two big islands, while the widest beaches are in Emilia-Romagna, averaging 72 m from the waterline inland.

### Do I need to book an Italian beach in advance?

For a handful, yes. La Pelosa at Stintino caps entry at 1,500 people a day with online booking and a 3.50 euro ticket from May 15 to October 15, 2026, checked on the sand between 8:00 am and 6:00 pm.

## Sources

| Fact | Source | Confidence | Valid until |
|---|---|---|---|
| La linea di costa italiana supera gli 8.300 km secondo ISPRA (elaborazione 2024). | [ISPRA](https://www.isprambiente.gov.it/it/istituto-informa/comunicati-stampa/anno-2024/linea-di-costa-in-italia-120-km2-di-superficie-complessiva-di-spiagge-oltre-due-terzi-nelle-regioni-del-sud-e-nelle-isole-maggiori) | medium | 2027-12-31 |
| Le spiagge italiane occupano circa 3.400 km, pari a circa il 41% della linea di costa, con una superficie complessiva di 120 km quadrati e una profondita' media di circa 35 metri (censimento ISPRA 2024). | [ISPRA](https://www.isprambiente.gov.it/it/istituto-informa/comunicati-stampa/anno-2024/linea-di-costa-in-italia-120-km2-di-superficie-complessiva-di-spiagge-oltre-due-terzi-nelle-regioni-del-sud-e-nelle-isole-maggiori) | medium | 2027-12-31 |
| Oltre due terzi della superficie delle spiagge italiane si trova nelle regioni del Sud e nelle isole maggiori; la sola Calabria rappresenta il 20% della superficie nazionale di spiaggia (ISPRA 2024). | [ISPRA](https://www.isprambiente.gov.it/it/istituto-informa/comunicati-stampa/anno-2024/linea-di-costa-in-italia-120-km2-di-superficie-complessiva-di-spiagge-oltre-due-terzi-nelle-regioni-del-sud-e-nelle-isole-maggiori) | medium | 2027-12-31 |
| Il censimento ISPRA 2024 rileva che circa il 53% delle spiagge italiane presenta accumuli di biomassa vegetale spiaggiata (in prevalenza posidonia), con forte variabilita' stagionale. | [ISPRA](https://www.isprambiente.gov.it/it/istituto-informa/comunicati-stampa/anno-2024/linea-di-costa-in-italia-120-km2-di-superficie-complessiva-di-spiagge-oltre-due-terzi-nelle-regioni-del-sud-e-nelle-isole-maggiori) | medium | 2027-12-31 |
| Nel 2026 la Bandiera Blu della FEE e' stata assegnata in Italia a 257 comuni rivieraschi, per un totale di 525 spiagge e 87 approdi turistici; l'annuncio e' avvenuto a maggio 2026 nella 40a edizione del programma. | [FEE Italia - Bandiera Blu](https://www.bandierablu.org/common/blueflag.asp?anno=2026&tipo=bb); [Conferenza Stato-Citta' ed Autonomie Locali - Ministero dell'Interno](https://www.conferenzastatocitta.gov.it/home/notizie-e-comunicati/2026/bandiera-blu-2026-premiate-257-localita-balneari-italiane/) | high | 2027-06-30 |
| Nel 2026 la Liguria e' la regione italiana con piu' Bandiere Blu (35 comuni), seguita a pari merito da Puglia e Calabria con 27 ciascuna. | [Conferenza Stato-Citta' ed Autonomie Locali - Ministero dell'Interno](https://www.conferenzastatocitta.gov.it/home/notizie-e-comunicati/2026/bandiera-blu-2026-premiate-257-localita-balneari-italiane/); [FEE Italia - Bandiera Blu](https://www.bandierablu.org/common/blueflag.asp?anno=2026&tipo=bb) | high | 2027-06-30 |
| Nel 2026 sono entrati 14 nuovi comuni Bandiera Blu (tra cui Rimini, Limone sul Garda, Monte Argentario, Lipari, Ispica, Teulada) e 3 non sono stati riconfermati: San Felice Circeo, Patu' e Castrignano del Capo. | [Conferenza Stato-Citta' ed Autonomie Locali - Ministero dell'Interno](https://www.conferenzastatocitta.gov.it/home/notizie-e-comunicati/2026/bandiera-blu-2026-premiate-257-localita-balneari-italiane/) | medium | 2027-06-30 |
| La Bandiera Blu e' assegnata dalla FEE sulla base di 33 criteri raggruppati in quattro aree: qualita' delle acque, educazione ambientale, gestione del territorio, servizi e sicurezza (edizione 2026). | [Conferenza Stato-Citta' ed Autonomie Locali - Ministero dell'Interno](https://www.conferenzastatocitta.gov.it/home/notizie-e-comunicati/2026/bandiera-blu-2026-premiate-257-localita-balneari-italiane/) | medium | 2027-12-31 |
| In Italia le aree marine protette istituite sono 30, cui si aggiungono 2 parchi sommersi; tutelano complessivamente circa 231.000 ettari di mare e circa 711 km di costa (MASE, 2026). | [Ministero dell'Ambiente e della Sicurezza Energetica (MASE)](https://www.mase.gov.it/portale/aree-marine-istituite) | medium | 2027-12-31 |
| L'accesso alla spiaggia La Pelosa di Stintino e' contingentato a 1.500 persone al giorno con prenotazione online obbligatoria e ticket di 3,50 euro a persona dal 15 maggio al 15 ottobre 2026; i controlli si svolgono dalle 8:00 alle 18:00 e i minori di 12 anni non necessitano di prenotazione. | [Comune di Stintino - portale ufficiale prenotazioni](https://spiaggialapelosa.it/) | medium | 2027-05-31 |

## Image

https://media.myitalia.it/media/theme.mare.1600.jpg
Author: Luigi Eletto. License: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:S.Vito,frazione_di_Polignano_a_mare.jpg

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