Marine tourism in the Marche

Eighteen blue flags fly in the Marche region: there are 180 kilometers of coastline, more than 20 resorts bordering the Adriatic Sea, as well as the seaport of Ancona and 9 marinas: this is the wide, certified quality offer for a beach holiday in the Marche. There are well kept beaches of very fine sand, stretches of high coast, with rocky and shingle beachess, bays and ioves immersed in an unspoilt landscape. The coast is very close to the historic centres: the rolling hills characterize the nearby hinterland. We cannot fail to mention the lighthouses in the Marche region, a point of reference for sailors during navigation. Some are perched on the heights, others watch over the ports...

In Pesaro, exactly in the Interregional Natural Park of Monte San Bartolo, a lighthouse stands out at over 125 meters above sea level. It can be observed by taking the panoramic path along the ridge which, starting from the lighthouse, reaches Mount Castellaro, dominated by the Cross of San Bartolo, placed to protect sailors and farmers. This lighthouse on the mountain has its alter ego on the Pesaro pier, a destination for romantic walks at sunset.

The old lighthouse of Ancona is located on the Colle dei Cappuccini, in the heart of Cardeto Park. It is about 20 m high, in the shape of a cylindrical brick tower; from the terrace you can enjoy a spectacular view of the city, the Gulf of Ancona, the port and the open sea. In operation from 1860 until 1965, it was replaced by the new lighthouse, which came into operation in 1972. It has the shape of a square tower with the vertices directed towards the four cardinal points.

A 33 meters high tower, which ends with a horn-shaped cusp, is the lighthouse of Civitanova Marche. The lighthouse communicates the letters "C" and "M", the initials of the city, with Morse signals, and to admire it you can take a comfortable lift or decide to climb the 258 steps.

The history of Pedaso’s lighthouse merges with that of the city itself: it is said that the name "Pedaso" derives from "pié d'Azon", or foot of the Aso, the definition with which the position of the lighthouse was outlined by a " navigation pilot book” of the Venetians. The lighthouse rises from the coast on Monte Serrone: from the belvedere you can admire the whole coast and also grasp the peculiarities of the area, including some rocks with the most bizarre names coined by local fishermen: Lu ruspu, Li Ciuttulitti…

150 steps lead to the terrace of San Benedetto del Tronto’s lighthouse, from which you can admire the whole city and the surrounding panorama. It stands out among the oleanders and palm trees of San Benedetto, which frame it. It is a white 31 meters high cylindrical tower; the two-storey house that flanks the tower is still today the home of the lighthouse keepers, who hand down the trade from generation to generation.

Recreational and leisure boating has been registering a growing number of fans in the Marche region: it can offer services that are increasingly up with the times, thanks to the growing popularity of this tourist segment. There are nine tourist ports (Gabicce Mare, Pesaro, Fano, Senigallia, Ancona, Numana, Civitanova Marche, Porto San Giorgio, San Benedetto del Tronto), for a total amount of about 5,500 berths, corresponding to about 4% of the national total. Six of these marinas (Fano, Senigallia, Ancona, Numana, Porto San Giorgio, San Benedetto del Tronto) have been awarded with the “Blue Flag of the Dock".

They offer boaters a wide range of comforts and services, such as water and electricity on the quay, mooring and surveillance service, fuel station, as well as appropriate nautical and accommodation assistance. Some have public slipways, drop-off islands for the disposal of waste oil and batteries, tanks for washing the hull, petrol stations with the possibility of refueling with diesel at a discounted price for boats going abroad.

To meet the numerous requirements of citizens asking for the possibility of using small boats that do not require fixed mooring on the quay, there are numerous stretches of "equipped beach" for boating along the coast of the Marche region. These mooring points along the coast are available in Marotta - Mondolfo, Porto Recanati, Porto Sant'Elpidio and Cupra Marittima.

Overall, there are 287 companies in the Marche operating in the shipbuilding and nautical sector: 148 are engaged in the pleasure and sports sector, 373 companies work in nautical manufacturing and subcontracting. The passion for the sea, the local seafaring traditions and recreational boating has led nautical operators to organize meetings, courses and conferences on boating and to provide services for spreading the knowledge and promotion of the territory, such as boat excursions with aperitifs, lunches and dinners on board and sports activities, such as sailing, diving and fishing tourism.

Gabicce Mare: it is said that on the seabed just in front of the Vallugola Bay there are ruins of Valbruna, the ancient Atlantis of the Adriatic Sea, a submerged city, which fell to the bottom of the abyss in the past and never found again. It would be a Roman settlement, the remains of which would have appeared on the beach over the centuries, creating the legend and the hope of finding traces.

Numana: some of Numana and Sirolo’s archaeological finds dating back to Roman time are kept in some of the world’s most important museums, such as the British Museum in London and the Metropolitan Museum in New York.

Ancona: taking the steep panoramic path leading to the Vena or Baffo beach, you can admire some remarkable stone basins. This is the basic structure of the ancient Roman peschiera, an open-air fish farm, one of the few that can be found along the whole Adriatic Sea.

1. The sea. The Marche Region in blue
2. The coastal and hilltop towns