6 Best Things to Do in Riccione

Get a good first taste of this Adriatic seaside town on this beach piazza. Piazzale Roma is a great spot to hit before the sand, where you can enjoy gelato, watch a friendly volleyball match or simply gather with friends before setting out to explore more of the city. The impressive sculpture fountain, Fontana Bosco della Pioggia, serves as its central landmark, and there are spaces nearby where you can park your bikes. Find Riccione’s main walking street, Viale Ceccarini, right off this square.

As Riccione’s main street, Viale Ceccarini spans a kilometre from Ceccarini Hospital in downtown to the seaside Piazzale Roma on its far north-eastern end. Riccione’s railway divides the two halves of the street. The downtown end is mostly lined with the commercial district’s banks and businesses, while most of the beach end is pedestrian-only, catering to visitors and beachgoers with a variety of boutiques, restaurants, gelaterias and cafés. Visit in the summer and you’ll be able to see Viale Ceccarini taking on a chic and more upbeat vibe, with sales and mini stages featuring live entertainment.

Riccione’s coastline is divided into many different “beach villages”. Playa del Sol is one of the largest and many consider it to be the best for enjoying the Adriatic combo of sea, sun and surf. Its beachfront is split into different zones that offer choices of parasol-shaded sunbeds or full-sized tents. The beach village also has a pool with 3 Jacuzzis, and a restaurant serving Mediterranean cuisine. For the kids, there’s a seashell-laden beach, as well as a kids’ club offering fun and games.

Castello degli Agolanti is a historical site that really keeps up with the times. The castle was built by a noble Florentine family in the Middle Ages, and has served different kinds of roles through the centuries before becoming the hip cultural space it is now. The fortified building sits on top of a hill away from the coast, drawing the crowds for its special events. These range from art exhibits to music and thumping DJ concerts with cool laser lighting (rivalling the Discoteca Cocorico nightclub just across the road). Check out the sundial park down its quiet meadow if you visit in the daytime.

Riccione has a few waterparks where you can spend a whole day splashing in pools and zooming down a variety of slides. The most popular waterpark is Aquafan, which has over a dozen slides and attractions. The slides are categorised by difficulty levels, with the Kamikaze racetrack, Fiume Rapido, the Twist and the Speedriul offering the best adrenaline rushes. Of course, there’s plenty of milder rides for kids, such as the Junior Beach with its sandy pool. Full tickets are around €30 and entry’s free for kids under a metre tall. Expect long queues at the most popular slides during the summer – simply hit the Wave Pool, which is no less fun.

Art lovers in Riccione may find Villa Franceschi a great place to spend some hours. This elegant seaside residence boasts architectural features that combines neogothic, neoclassical and Art Nouveau styles. Inside, the villa’s exhibition rooms showcase some interesting paintings, some of which are part of Riccione’s Civic Arts Collection, as well as the prestigious Arcangeli Collection from Bologna. Some of the artworks bear names of some of Italy’s most important contemporary artists, such as Virgilio Guidi and Alberto Burri. Tickets are from around €3.