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NORTHERN ITALY
Northern Italy includes coastline on two arms of the Mediterranean Sea. On the western side near France, the rugged coast along the Ligurian Sea in the region of Liguria is popularly known as the Italian Riviera. This part of the coast has a number of small nudist niches, but there are no broad, sandy nude beaches in this part of Italy. On the eastern side of Northern Italy is the north end of the Adriatic Sea, which is most famously the location of Venice ( Venezia in Italian). The beaches of this area, with some exceptions, tend to be bigger and sandier than their Ligurian counterparts. The Northern Adriatic is where you'll find the most popular beach in Italy: Spiaggia della Bassona (often just called Lido di Dante, its location) near Ravenna, in the region of Emilia-Romagna. Between the two coasts, most of the land of Northern Italy is the broad Po Valley, but the majestic Alps form the border of far northern Italy. There are a few notable interior nude beaches in Northern Italy, especially in the region of Lombardia, the capital of which is Milan.
| EMILIA-ROMAGNA MAPopen map in pop-up window [ ↑ ]go to top of page
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Located between Tuscany and the Alps, the region of Emilia-Romagna extends almost all the way across northern Italy. The region has about 125 kilometers of coastline (measured very roughly), all of which is along the Adriatic Sea. Emilia-Romagna has nine divisions: eight provinces and one metropolitan city. From north to south, the four coastal divisions are Ferrara, Ravenna, Forlì-Cesena and Rimini. Alphabetically, the five landlocked divisions are Bologna, Modena, Parma, Piacenza and Reggio Emilia.
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NUDE BEACHES
Spiaggia della Bassona 44.3795N, 12.3204E   is the most popular nude beach in all of Italy, with a history of naturist use the reportedly dates back to the 1950s. The nudist zone extends about a kilometer most of the year, but the nude area is reduced by about half from early spring through mid-July when part of it is cordoned off for wildlife management purposes. The beach can get especially crowded during that time. There is a camping establishment (see the next listing) very close to the beach that, while not naturist per se, has a small, separate area for naturist camping.
North of Ravenna and east of Ferrara, Lido di Nazioni is one of seven beach resorts in Comacchio. A bit to the north, there is a small beach where nude bathing is well established. The beach, Spiaggia delle Nazioni Nord 44.7657N, 12.2499E for lack of a better name, is attended mainly by gay men.
NUDE BEACHES: INTERIOR
The region of Emilia-Romagna extends almost all the way across northern Italy, with coastline along the Adriatic Sea at the east end of the region. However, Piacenza, the westernmost province of Emilia-Romagna, is much closer to the Ligurian Sea on the west side of Italy than it is to the Adriatic on the east side. About 50 kilometers south of the eponymous capital city of the province, Spiaggia del Secchiello Selvaggio 44.7245N, 9.3849E is a wild riverbank beach in the breathtaking valley of the Trebbia River that has been established as a haven for naturists. The beach is situated below Brugnello, a charming hamlet perched over 100 meters above the river.
LODGING
Camping Classe
44.3820N, 12.3160E
beach
Lido di Dante (Ravenna)
Ca'le Scope
44.3011N, 11.1868E
Marzabotto (Bologna)
Oasi di Zello
44.2984N, 11.4360E
Monterenzio (Bologna)
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| FRIULI - VENEZIA GIULIA MAPopen map in pop-up window [ ↑ ]go to top of page
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The region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia occupies the far northeast of Italy beyond Venice, sharing international borders with Austria and Slovenia. The region has about 90 kilometers of coastline (measure very roughly) along the northernmost part of the Adriatic Sea. Since the four provinces of the region were abolished in 2017, Friuli-Venezia Giulia is one of just two of Italy's 20 regions that does not have provinces. Of the former provinces, Pordenone is landlocked and the three with coastline are, from west to east, Udine, Gorizia and Trieste.
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NUDE BEACHES
Spiaggia della Costa dei Barbari 45.7565N, 13.6437E is a narrow, rocky, very scenic beach near Sistiana that draws a mixed crowd of nudists and textiles. This location is less than 5 kilometers (as the crow flies) from the border of Slovenia. Just a few kilometers away, Spiaggia dei Filtri 45.7439N, 13.6642E is another venue for nudists in the Trieste area. Although not widely known to tourists, the beach has a local following due to the advocacy of a local naturist group.
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| LIGURIA MAPopen map in pop-up window [ ↑ ]go to top of page
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| In the northwest of Italy bordering France, the region of Liguria is popularly known as the Italian Riviera. The coast of the region, which is about 275 kilometers long (measured very roughly), forms an arc directly north of the French island of Corsica. The arm of the Mediterranean between the the Ligurian coastline and Corsica is known as the Ligurian Sea. Liguria has four divisions: three provinces and one metropolitan city. All of them are coastal. From west to east, the four divisions are Imperia, Savona, Genova (Genoa) and La Spezia.
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NUDE BEACHES
Less than two kilometers from the French border, there is a very hidden pebble beach at Spiaggia di Capo Mortola 43.7826N, 7.5463E where bare bathing is the norm.
Although nudists at Spiaggia di Punta Crena 44.1815N, 8.4068E are just a stone's through from the long textile beach of Varigotti, they are quite isolated since the beach is a nook in a formidable headland. Make your way there by sea in a kayak or paddle boat. Over land, the only access is via a challenging, vertigo-inducing hike that requires a high dose of fitness and at least a small dose of foolhardiness.
Piani d'Invrea 44.3677N, 8.6155E is part of the rocky coastline of Varazze. Just off the popular coastal path, there is a hidden area where nude bathers bask on platforms connected by Escher-like staircases.
Spiaggia di Chiavari 44.3230N, 9.3028E is located in the eastern periphery of metropolitan Genoa. While the main part of the beach is crowded and textile, a short walk to one end brings you to a quieter area frequented by nudists.
Perhaps the best known nude beach of the Italian Riviera, Spiaggia di Guvano 44.1255N, 9.7033E is located among a cluster of five picturesque, hillside-hugging villages that are collectively known as the Cinque Terre. Sadly, visitation has plummeted since the main access (through a decommissioned railroad tunnel) was closed in 2016 to limit attendance due to erosion of the beach escarpment. While it does not seem that Guvano will return to its glory days any time soon, it is still possible to get to the beach via a moderately challenging hike along an unmarked path.
A bit south and east of the gorgeous port town of La Spezia, there are a couple of nudist locations along the rugged and picturesque coast near the villages of Montemarcello and Ameglia. Sunbathers gather on the rocky ledges of a rugged landform called Punta Bianca 44.0366N, 9.9736E . The more popular area is all textile, but nudity is the norm at a hidden and harder-to-reach area that is mostly a gay hangout. Not far away, Spiaggia della Marossa 44.0514N, 9.9442E is an isolated beach often reached by private boat since the hike down is quite challenging. The beach has a small but well-established nudist presence.
LODGING
Il Costalunga
44.4964N, 8.5277E
Sassello (Savona)
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| LOMBARDIA MAPopen map in pop-up window [ ↑ ]go to top of page
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The landlocked region of Lombardia (Lombardy) is at the center of the northernmost realm of Italy, bordering Switzerland. The region has twelve divisions: eleven provinces and one metropolitan city. Alphabetically, they are Bergamo, Brescia, Como, Cremona, Lecco, Lodi, Mantova (Mantua), Milano (Milan), Monza e Brianza (Monza and Brianza), Pavia, Sondrio and Varese.
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NUDE BEACHES
Spiaggia della Rocca di Manerba 45.5533N, 10.5783E is an isolated beach on the western shore of stunning Lago di Garda, a large lake located where the Alps meet the Po Valley (near Brescia and Verona). At one time Spiaggia della Rocca di Manerba was the most notable interior nude beach in Italy, but sadly there is now a local law banning nudity, and the practice of naturism has been diminished due to the threat of being fined. Some nudists still take their chances. (See also the Veneto section for another beach on the other side of Lago di Garda.)
About 50 kilometers northeast of Milan, there is nudist site along a river called Fiume Adda 45.6703N, 9.4691E . This heavily gay site is a scenic hidden jewel.
Just south of Pavia, Spiaggia del Ponte della Becca 45.1391N, 9.2437E is a sandbar along the river Po that gets a good bit of nudist visitation.
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| PIEMONTE MAPopen map in pop-up window [ ↑ ]go to top of page
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| The landlocked region of Piemonte (Piedmont) is in the far northwest of Italy, bordering France and Switzerland. The region has eight divisions: seven provinces and one metropolitan city. Alphabetically, they are Alessandria, Asti, Biella, Cuneo, Novara, Torino (Turin), Verbano-Cusio-Ossola and Vercelli.
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NUDE BEACHES: INTERIOR
In far northwestern Italy, the small town of Varallo is situated along the beautiful Alpine realm of the river Sesia. Fiume Sesia Balangera 45.8253N, 8.2071E is a riverbank site in Varallo that was officially sanctioned for naturist use in 2019. Not especially close to any major towns, it is an unlikely nude beach located just off a minor highway that dead ends in a ski resort village.
LODGING
Villaggio del Sole
44.9885N, 8.0569E
Cortazzone (Torino)
Club Le Betulle
45.1865N, 7.5128E
La Cassa (Asti)
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| VAL D'AOSTA MAPopen map in pop-up window [ ↑ ]go to top of page
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| In the far northwest of Italy, Val d'Aosta (Aosta Valley) is a landlocked region bordering France and Switzerland, amid the highest peaks of the Alps. Val d'Aosta is the smallest of Italy's 20 regions in both land area and population, and it is one of just two regions that does not have provinces. At this time, there are no listings in this guide for Val d'Aosta.
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| VENETO MAPopen map in pop-up window [ ↑ ]go to top of page
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| The region of Veneto is located toward the far northwest of Italy, extending from the Adriatic to the Alps and sharing a short border with Austria. The region has seven divisions: six provinces and one metropolitan city. The two coastal divisions are Venezia (Venice) and Rovigo. The six landlocked divisions are Belluno, Padova (Padua), Treviso, Verona and Vicenza. Measured very roughly, Veneto has about 150 kilometers of coastline, about one third of which is backed by the famous Venice Lagoon.
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NUDE BEACHES
Located at the far southern end of Lido di Venezia, which is an island in the Adriatic near Venice, Spiaggia degli Alberoni is accessible by a combination boat and bus trip from the famous city of canals. While nudity on the open beach is rare, it is quite common in the Dune Alberoni 45.3419N, 12.3277E
, or the Alberoni Dunes.
On the south end of the coastal resort town of Eraclea Mare, Spiaggia della Laguna del Mort 45.5331N, 12.7389E
is a well-established naturist venue where nudity occurs openly and freely.
NUDE BEACHES: INTERIOR
Lago di Garda is a spectacular lake along the southern periphery of the Alps that is shared by three regions of Italy. On the eastern shore of the lake near the town of Garda, Baie delle Sirene is a beach park that is gorgeous, but, alas, entirely textile. However, nudists gather along as isolated stretch of lakeshore nearby. In lieu of a distinct proper name, we'll call it Spiaggia 58-59 45.5813N, 10.6737E after the numbers of the nearest kilometer markers. (See also the Lombardia section for another beach on the other side of Lago di Garda.)
LODGING
La Corte degli Elfi
46.4811N, 11.9393E
Livinallongo del Col di Lana (Belluno)
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