18 beautiful seaside towns in Italy

The Italians do a lot of things well. Pasta. Leather jackets. The Renaissance. Managing to look cool while riding a Vespa. Growing small tomatoes that have more flavour than anything you’ve ever tasted before in your life.

However, if there is one area where Italy truly excels, it’s in picturesque coastal towns. The five villages that make up the famous Cinque Terre – Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore – are all UNESCO World Heritage Sites, treasured for their unique beauty, history and culture (just don’t hike the area in thongs – you could cop a $3,900 fine).

But the towns of Cinque Terre are not the only places worth visiting on a Roman holiday – plenty of other Italian seaside towns shine just as brightly under the Mediterranean sun. Places like Atrani, with its distinctive archways along the beachfront, and Santa Cesarea Terme, a spa town that’s a favourite with locals.

Just don’t get so wowed by Italy’s mainland that you forget about her islands. Everyone’s heard of the magnificent Isle of Capri, but the nearby Phlegraean Islands, formed by volcanic activity, are home to the brightly coloured town of Procida – a photographers delight.

And if you like a dose of nature with your culture, Lampedusa, one of the Pelagie Islands just south of Sicily, has a healthy dolphin and turtle population – mother turtles lay eggs in the sand dunes each year, and locals run a turtle rescue centre to help protect the hatchlings.

Scroll down to see our pick of Italian seaside villages that are as charming as they are beautiful – and start planning your European summer escape.

Above: Capri, Italy. Image credit: Instagram.com/bellaseaswim

Atrani, Province of Salerno
Image credit: Instagram.com/voyage_provocateur

Monterosso Al Mare, Province of La Spezia
Image credit: Instagram.com/eamadori_

Polignano a Mare, Province of Bari
Image credit: Instagram.com/giuliopugliese

Procida, Phlegraean Islands
Image credit: Instagram.com/italia_by_natalia

Lampedusa, Pelagie Islands
Image credit: Instagram.com/elisachisanahoshi

Manarola, Province of La Spezia
Image credit: Instagram.com/taramilktea

Positano, Province of Salerno
Image credit: Instagram.com/lensereflection

Portofino, Genoa
Image credit: Instagram.com/walter_7.3

Sperlonga, Province of Latina
Image credit: Instagram.com/raf.m16

Vernazza, Province of La Spezia
Image credit: Instagram.com/queroferiasagora

Ravello, Province of Salerno
Image credit: Instagram.com/travelwithyuks

Bastione Saint Remy, Cagliari
Image credit: Instagram.com/daniela_deidda

Castiglione della Pescaia, Province of Grosseto
Image credit: Instagram.com/marcosantiniable

Lido di Camaiore, Province of Lucca
Image credit: Instagram.com/atuttacosta

Ponza, Pontine Islands
Image credit: Instagram.com/ilmagnifico

Santa Cesarea Terme, Province of Lecce
Image credit: Instagram.com/anime_in_viaggio

Fiordo Di Furore, Province of Salerno
Image credit: Instagram.com/craighowes

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