Adriatic, Ionian, Ligurian and Tyrrhenian. These are the four seas that hug Italy and its islands. For a vacationer, it means an almost unlimited choice of places to go for a coastal vacation. There are volcanic beaches, hidden coves, golden and white sands, rocky retreats, and urban plunges. The stunning diversity of landscapes combined with centuries-old traditions, breathtaking vistas, and high-class service guarantees an unforgettable vacation. And don’t forget about the mouthwatering local cuisine and plenty of UNESCO-protected sights to explore.
Here are the best beach resorts in Italy for you to have the ultimate vacation of a lifetime.
Baia Bianca Suites - Elba Island
Tuscany is not only the rolling hills and Florence; it’s also several picturesque islands. Elba is the most striking of them all, an uncrowded and relaxed piece of Meditteranean paradise. It’s here that you find superb Baia Bianca Suites, which is among the best beach resorts in Italy. Refined suites overlook the blue expanse of the sea. You’re surrounded by nature with the sensation of living in a garden. The grounds are tastefully put together to get you into a relaxed vacation mood, including the highly-rated on-site Tuscan restaurant. Guests have noted the harmony with nature you feel as well as the impeccable comfort, right down to the rooms and suites with fridges, terraces, and mini pools.
Key Amenities:
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Waterfront suites with views of the Mediterranean
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Rooms and suites feature televisions and refrigerators, some with terraces and mini pools
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On-site restaurant serving Tuscan cuisine
La Biodola, 16, 57037 Portoferraio LI, Italy— +39 0565 969916
Forte Village Hotel Il Castello - Sardinia
Life feels good at Hotel Il Castello, which is a prime destination for luxury lovers on the island of Sardinia. Beautifully furnished rooms come with balconies and sea views. You’ll have direct access to the excellent wide sandy beach. There’s also an infinity pool for sipping a cocktail while watching the sun going down. Come here for the magnificent spa proposition that includes a thalassotherapy center, yoga classes, and massage physiotherapy. When the evening comes, vibrant bars will keep the fun levels high, and an array of upscale restaurants will provide a great culinary background for a perfect date. And you’re never far from Sardinia’s must-visits like Cagliari and Grotte Is Zuddas caves.
Key Amenities:
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Rooms feature balconies and sea views
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Direct access to the beach
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Infinity pool with a poolside bar
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Home to a spa with thalassotherapy, yoga classes, and massage physiotherapy
Castello di San Marco Charming Hotel & SPA - Sicily
Usually, beach resorts are sprawling megahotels purposely built to host a large number of vacation goers. In Italy, things are a bit different, a bit more subtle, in the best kind of way. Take Castello San Marco, for instance. This excellent lodging puts a regal spin on a conventional beach resort and does it with luxurious charm. You’ll be staying in a completely renovated Baroque palace with plenty of authentic period details, elegant rooms, a prime seafront location, and an aesthetically pleasing swimming pool area, Castello di San Marco doesn’t hold back when it comes to stately accommodation. Add the magical allure of Sicily, proximity to the fantastic ancient town of Taormina, and the ability to explore the grandiose Etna National Park, and you’re getting a majestic beach resort experience in Italy.
Key Amenities:
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Prime seafront location
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Outdoor swimming pool
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On-site spa with a menu of oriental and holistic treatments, massages, mud baths, and body scrubs
Via S. Marco, 40, 95011 Calatabiano CT, Italy— +39 095 641181
San Montano Resort & Spa - Ischia
Ischia is a show-stoppingly gorgeous Italian island destination. A short boat ride from Naples, this island gives you a chance to enter the world of tranquility and sublime beauty of the Tyrrhenian Sea. San Montano Resort & Spa is one of Ischia’s top beach resorts. Not only does it provide you with an ultra-luxurious stay, but it also features a unique thermal spa complex. Lounge in hot tubs with fantastic views of the Bay of San Montano and the Gulf of Naples, and enjoy pools with waterfalls and whirlpool jets, a sauna in the natural grotto, and a pool bar (all included in the price). It’s a stunning kingdom of water that allows you to completely unwind and absorb the lovely surrounding scenery or step out into it via the resort’s complimentary shuttle service to nearby beaches, Lacco Ameno, and the port.
Key Amenities:
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Thermal spa complex with hot tubs overlooking the Bay of San Montano and Gulf of Naples
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Multiple swimming pools with waterfalls, whirlpool jets, a sauna, and a poolside bar
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Free shuttles to and from the port, the beach, and the center of Lacco Ameno
Via Nuova Montevico, 26, 80076 Lacco Ameno NA, Italy— +39 081 994033
Hotel Santa Caterina - Amalfi
Nothing can beat the grandeur of the Amalfi Coast. Hotel Santa Caterina is the embodiment of an Italian dream vacation, a luxury resort on the Amalfi Coast that takes panoramic views to the next dimension and delivers an exceptional stay experience. The elevators built into the rocky cliffs take you to the private beach club, where you can relax at a saltwater pool or use the stairs to take a dip in the water. This hotel is undoubtedly glamorous and immensely tasteful, with a great local restaurant serving Italian specialties and extra-scenic rooms with expansive vistas over the Amalfi coast. Santa Caterina would be an excellent choice for a honeymoon hotel or a romantic European getaway, the allure is truly irresistible.
Key Amenities:
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Access to a private beach club with a saltwater pool
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On-site restaurant serving Italian specialties
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Views of the Amalfi Coast from the rooms
Baglioni Resort - Sardinia
A treasure among the best beach resorts in Sardinia, Baglioni Resort Sardinia is an amazing place to stay if you’re looking for fantastic views and crystal-clear beaches. Opened in 2021, the complex has seen only praise ever since. An Eden-like oasis of greenery and sea vistas, this luxury lodging is situated in Tavolara Marine Reserve, just a few steps away from one of Sardinia’s most striking beaches, the long and beautiful Spiaggia di Lu Impostu that boasts a certain Caribbean feel to its azure waters. The suites all feature modern designs and awesome panoramic views. Foodies will be delighted to find a Michelin-starred restaurant on the territory led by the visionary chef Claudio Sadler who reinterprets Mediterranean cuisine to give sensational culinary results.
Key Amenities:
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Located in the Tavolara Marine Reserve and steps from Spiaggia di Lu Impostu
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Modern suites with panoramic views of the sands and sea
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Michelin-star restaurant on-site serving Mediterranean cuisine with a twist
Via Tavolara, 07052 Lu Fraili di Sotto SS, Italy— +39 0784 1896390
Mazzarò Sea Palace - Sicily
Located directly on the beach, Mazzarò Sea Palace is one of the most luxurious resorts in the Mediterranean, and it’s ready to surprise you with a sumptuous proposition. You can’t get a better location than the romantic city of Taormina, with a fascinating Greek amphitheater and the best Etna volcano views just above. The gentle waves of the Ionian sea are literally at your doorstep, calling for a relaxing swim or lazy sunbathing on a picturesque La Pigna beach or spend your day at the resort’s pool, solarium, and spa. And it’s really hard to describe the power of the Sicilian sunset. Booking a suite at Mazzarò Sea Palace you will have a chance to study the palette carefully with exceptional window views from the finely designed rooms or on the restaurant’s terrace with a delicious plate of Sicilian fare in front of you.
Key Amenities:
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Finely designed rooms with views of the sea from every room
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Home to a pool, solarium, and spa
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On-site restaurant serving typical Sicilian fare
Via Nazionale, 147, 98030 Taormina ME, Italy— +39 0942 612111
Capo la Gala Hotel & Wellness - Sorrento
The infinite blue of the sea becomes one with stunning designs of Capo la Gala Hotel & Wellness. Masterfully woven into the rocky terrain, this beach resort near Sorrento has one of the most exclusive locations in Italy. Perfect for a hedonist break, it delivers a unique stay amplified by the magnificent vistas of the Meditteranean. And you definitely want to be here during the sunset; the majority of guests noted that it’s an unforgettable spectacle of light best enjoyed from the restaurant terrace with a glass of local wine in hand. If you’d like to explore more of this region, the hotel is perfectly located with easy access to both the Amalfi Coast and the Pompeii ancient ruins.
Key Amenities:
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On-site restaurant with a terrace perfect for sunset hour
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Easy access to the Amalfi Coast and Pompeii’s ancient ruins
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Mediterranean villa-style rooms and suites feature minibars, air conditioning, and extraordinary views
Via Luigi Serio, 8, 80069 Vico Equense NA, Italy— +39 081 801 5758
Borgo Santandrea - Amalfi
The hottest new addition to the Amalfi Coast’s exquisite five-star hotels, Borgo Santandrea is here to impress. It is an ultra-exclusive resort nestled into the hilltops and boasting a private beach, a perfect and quite rare combination for this rugged landscape. The tasteful suites feature some of the most beautiful views on the planet, and you’ll also have a chance to taste the magical Italian cuisine at the premium on-site restaurant. The wellness center here is in a league of its own with a heated pool, frigidarium with bio sauna as well as the possibility to have aromatherapy and chromotherapy. Basically, by booking your stay here, you’re getting a key to a kingdom of self-indulgence with Amalfi Coast beauty as an accompaniment.
Key Amenities:
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On-site restaurant serving all of the Italian classics
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Wellness center with a heated pool, frigidarium with a bio sauna, and aromatherapy and chromotherapy treatments
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Access to a private beach
Via Giovanni Augustariccio, 33, 84011 Amalfi SA, Italy— +39 089 831148
Almar Jesolo Resort & Spa - Venice
If you’d like to combine your Venice visit with a first-class Venice resort stay, this is the place. Located in the Adriatic resort town of Jesolo, Almar Jesolo Resort & Spa is a five-star hotel that is among the leaders of luxury Italian seaside escapes. It offers a stylish vacation experience featuring a wide array of amazing suites to choose from, a private beach with warm Adriatic waters, a large outdoor swimming pool as well as a premium dining experience. One of the best-reviewed five-star hotels in Italy, it is routinely praised for its excellent service, spacious rooms, and fantastic spa center.
Key Amenities:
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Access to a private beach
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Outdoor swimming pool and spa center
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Premium dining options on-site
Via Dante Alighieri, 106, 30016 Lido di Jesolo VE, Italy— +39 0421 388119
Hotel Hermitage - Elba Island
The ultimate Elba escape, Hotel Hermitage is set against a truly extraordinary landscape. Here you have a chance to dive headfirst into the wonderful world of Meditteranean leisure. With direct access to scenic Biodola Beach, an extra-Instagrammable infinity pool, an amazing choice of restaurants with fresh seafood, and a pleasant, laid-back atmosphere, Hotel Hermitage is an ideal pick for an authentic Tuscan seaside retreat.
Key Amenities:
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Direct access to Biodola Beach
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Home to a scenic infinity pool
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Multiple restaurants on-site, including a fresh-caught seafood restaurant
Strada Provinciale della Biodola, 57037 Portoferraio LI, Italy— +39 0565 9740
