The Adriatic coast of Italy is mostly flat, sandy, and lined with beach umbrellas. Except here. Monte Conero (572m) drops directly into the sea south of Ancona, creating a 20km stretch of white limestone cliffs, hidden coves accessible only by boat or trail, and turquoise water that belongs in Croatia. Sirolo (the hilltop village) and Numana (the beach town below) are the main bases. The beaches — Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle (two white rock stacks, accessible only by boat), San Michele (below Sirolo, reached by 300 steps), Portonovo (a bay of white pebbles backed by a Napoleonic fortress and a Romanesque church IN the beach) — are the finest on the Italian Adriatic. Marche →
Plan my Marche beach trip →Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle: The most famous — two white limestone sea stacks rising from turquoise water beneath a vertical cliff. Accessible only by boat (from Numana harbor, €5-8 return, every 30min in summer). Limited space — arrive before 10am. Spiaggia di San Michele (Sirolo): Below the village — a 300-step descent to a white pebble beach with clear water and cliff backdrop. Lido section + free section. Portonovo: A bay with a white pebble beach, the Romanesque church of Santa Maria di Portonovo (11th century — ON the beach), the Napoleonic Fortino (now a hotel), and some of the best fish restaurants on the Adriatic coast. Moscioli (wild mussels) are the specialty — harvested from the Conero rocks. Sirolo village: A medieval hilltop above the cliffs — the piazza has a viewpoint over the Adriatic from which you can see the Due Sorelle stacks.
Getting there: Car from Ancona (20min). Bus from Ancona (30min to Sirolo). Parking in summer is DIFFICULT — arrive before 9am or use shuttle buses. Stay: Sirolo (€70-140/night — hilltop atmosphere), Numana (€55-110 — beach access), Portonovo (€80-180 — the Fortino Napoleonico hotel is spectacular). Eat: Il Clandestino (Portonovo — Moreno Cedroni's Michelin-starred beach restaurant, €60-90 — moscioli, creative seafood), Da Emilia (Portonovo — the historic trattoria, €30-45). Combine with: Ancona (20min — Museo Archeologico, Cattedrale di San Ciriaco), Loreto (20min), Recanati (25min), Jesi (30min — Verdicchio wine).