Best Places to go Surfing in Italy

Surf travel and exploring new places is something that is an essential part of surfing for many surfers. Going someplace new and exotic and at the same time scoring sick waves is one of the best surfing experiences you can have. So if you are looking for something new, Italy is one such destination in Europe which is an experience by itself and if you time your trip right, it can serve some surfprisingly epic waves. Off course, it is all about knowing where and when to go. Likewise, with any travel, taking the time to learn the local language will always help to open more doors for you. But when the waves are on, there are plenty of perfect surfing locations that have something unique to offer for surfers of all levels. The best season for waves is winter followed by autumn and spring. Summer can surprise sometimes, but if your main goal is surfing then avoid summer months.

Now let’s have a look at the top surfing areas in Italy.

Tuscany

Tuscany offers great possibilities for surfing along its coastline. There are a number of spots here around towns of Viareggo, Livorno and Piombino. Waves here can get really good and you will be surprised when you see how many surfers are there in the water every time the waves turn on. The south end of Tuscany called Maremma is also surfed with lots of gentle waves here good for beginners. The best conditions for Tuscany are when the Maestrale wind turns a bit toward the east, blows above Corsica and directs the waves toward Tuscany. This nice thing here is that this wind usually also brings nice weather. So get ready for clear blue skies and after the main blast of the wind passes – for glassy waves! The south end of Tuscany also works on south west swells. If you are unlucky there are plenty of other things to do here, it’s Tuscany come on! For a complete experience, you can book an all inclusive tours to Italy and make the most of your holiday and down days. You can curate customized trips depending on the number of people in the group and keeping in mind their common interests, without any hassles of planning and preparing for a holiday.

Sicily

The beautiful island of Sicily is nestled under the looming Mt. Etna and surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea, Ionian Sea and Tyrrhenian Sea. With it’s 4 direction exposure it is full of options for surfers! If you are willing to drive around the island (it is not that small, it takes about 4h to drive from east to west) Sicily can be one of the most sure places to score waves in the Mediterranean sea, only surpassed by Sardinia. Playa Catania, Cefalu, Siracusa are just some of areas where you will find surf. Lots of the coastline is still unexplored so there are lots of opportunities for new discoveries. If you go away from the few more popular spots your will be most likely surfing alone!

Veneto

This is the east side of Italy and Adriatic sea. Veneto is not exactly the best spot to visit if you want to go surfing in Italy. But yes, there is surf here, even in Veneto. Waves here are much less consistent than on Italy’s west coast but if you are here, there can be waves in the Adriatic. And from time to time it can also get really good. Some more well known spots here are Jesolo, Punta Sabbioni and Molo.  Make sure you check the weather conditions before heading for your surf here because most of the time the sea here is flat:).

Sardinia

Every continent, every sea, every country has it’s spot that is called “The Pipeline of XY” and an island that is called “The Hawaii of XY” haha. In the Mediterranean sea the honor falls on to Sardinia (check the link for report from my latest trip there). Sardinia is THE most consistent surf location in the Mediterranean with over 200 surf days per year! West coast is the place to go and if you avoid the most popular Capo Manu area you can still find surf spots where you can surf alone. Sardinia is also the perfect place to go on a van trip, with endless stretches of wild coastline, just avoid some of the mistakes we did haha.

Lido Di Ostia

The western region of Italy where the capital city of Rome is located has some of the best surf spots just a stone’s throw away from there. Lido Di Ostia is closest with a distance of half an hour to reach from the capital. Here is also where Italy’s Pipeline is located:). So if you are in Rome visiting this great historic city, take a day’s break from sightseeing and do as some of the Romans do – go surfing :).

For traveling among these regions, Italy has some really good train connections! For instance, from Rome you can book a fast train from Venice to Rome which takes less than 4 hours for the entire trip. Just sit back and enjoy the scenic vistas of the Italian countryside on board, adding one more unforgettable experience to your list!

This list of surf areas in Italy definitely leaves you spoilt with choices. I you need any additional tips on surfing in Italy, let me know in the comments.