10 Unmissable Beaches in Emilia-Romagna

At San Mauro Mare, you'll find a long stretch of sandy beach caressed by the waves. The soft, warm golden sand stretches along the Adriatic, dotted with the colourful umbrellas of beach resorts whose services cater for couples, families and solo travellers alike.

For speed lovers, there's also a mini bike and go-kart track, while you can seek shelter from the sun in the shade of the trees in two parks. There, you can go for a walk, read a good book or let the little ones loose on a scooter ride.

There are seven beachfront resorts (lidos) in Comacchio in the Parco Regionale del Delta del Po (Po Delta Regional Park), where the sea meets freshwater, forming small lakes and canals. Covering 25 kilometres of coastline between Rovigo and Ravenna, it can be reached by car or bus. Lido di Volano is ideal for birdwatching, fishing, cycling or horse riding. Besides a disco, Lido delle Nazioni offers stables and a boat club.

Lido di Pomposa, Lido degli Scacchi and Porto Garibaldi are peaceful destinations for families, while the very popular Lido degli Estensi is home to Viale Carducci for shopping and lots of bars and restaurants. At Lido di Spina, you can see 20th-century art at the Remo Brindisi Museum.

Lido di Classe is a seaside hamlet in the municipality of Ravenna with beautiful beaches. The most stunning is the free beach, framed by pines and bordered to the north by the mouth of the Bevano stream, in the Riserva Naturale Duna Costiera Ravennate (Ravenna Coastal Dune Nature Reserve). The bathing establishments here offer all the essential services for a carefree holiday. There's an open-air cinema close to the beach and the pine forest.

The tennis courts, five-a-side football pitch and mini-golf course allow you to keep fit and have fun. There are arcades for young people, while kids can have fun in the parks with facilities especially for them. If you bring a furry friend with you, we recommend the dog-friendly free beach, near the mouth of the River Savio, on the northern side.

Marina Romea beach is ideal for families and children with both free and private areas. It's in the hamlet of the same name in the municipality of Ravenna, and can be reached by motorway or train. Surrounded by the Po Delta Park and the Piallassa della Baiona protected natural area, the 2-kilometre beach is bordered by the River Lamone to the north and Porto Corsini to the south.

It's the sandy gem on a lush green crown, with a pine forest criss-crossed with shady paths and a lagoon where you can go canoeing. You can play beach volleyball or go windsurfing at the bathing establishments, while the stables are a must for equestrian enthusiasts.

Spiaggia di Pinarella (Pinarella Beach) in Cervia boasts crystalline waters and child-friendly, shallow water by the shore. The travel guide from the environmentalist association Legambiente describes it as a 'natural pearl' that embellishes the Romagna coastline. The sheen of the fine sand is offset by the cool shade of the pines. In the pine forest, take a walk, go jogging or stop for a bite in one of the picnic areas.

The resorts offer services to keep young ones entertained too, such as sports fields and equipment hire for water activities. You can find Ravenna's largest free beach at Pinarella, by lido no. 102, between Via Sardegna and Via Venezia Giulia.

Spiaggia di Levante (Levante Beach) is one of the parts into which Cesenatico's coastline is divided, a seaside resort in the province of Forlì-Cesena between Rimini and Ravenna. The soft sand makes for pleasant strolls along the water's edge, while a cycle and footpath leads to the Giardini al Mare park.

Here, there are playgrounds for kids, benches in the shade for relaxing and picnic areas for having a snack among nature. In the stretch between lido 20 and 25, the resorts offer everything from coffee, restaurants, sports pitches, castles for children, cycle hire and equipment for water activities. At lido 59, there's a swimming pool on the beach with two slides so you can jump into the fun.

Spiaggia di Ponente (Ponente Beach) is stretched out near Levante Beach, on the other side of the port canal. This is where Cesenatico changes gear. Lively, animated tourism gives way to the calm of trees and parks that surround the buildings of what were once holiday camps and are now hotels.

Ponente Beach is loved by those seeking a few peaceful days by the sea. At the southern end, there is a small square with a skyscraper, from where the promenade continues. Among the quays on the port canal that crosses the historic centre of Cesenatico, there are two bridges and two ferries, 'Giovanna d'Arco' and 'Mirko', mobile platforms that can take you across the canal in under 3 minutes.

Spiaggia Misano Adriatico (Misano Adriatico Beach) is a 3-kilometre stretch of fine sandy seashore between Rimini and Portoverde. The shore is lined by a promenade popular with families and young people who like to go out for a stroll, especially in the evening when the lights create a nice ambience.

It's the perfect place for relaxing at the elegant private beaches that offer top-level services. Here, you'll find sports courts to play tennis or beach volleyball, games for kids, pools overlooking the sea and restaurants where you can try local specialities and traditional dishes such as typical homemade pasta or local seafood antipasti.