- Learn more about beach culture in Italy
- Read about the current hot debate between consumers and beach resorts
- Tips and tricks for planning and budgeting an Italy beach vacation
- Explore Tuscany’s Etruscan Coast
On Italian Beach Culture
Italian beach culture can be a bit of a mystery for first time visitors. There are, of course, free beaches (usually you pay for parking only), but many beachgoers across the peninsula opt for the comfort of stabilimenti balneari, beach resorts, or at least they did so in the past. Typically, when you go to these establishments, you pay for an umbrella and two beach chairs (some will throw in a third deck chair, but one place I went to this summer actually charged us for it). You also get to use the bathrooms, they have a bar and/or restaurant, and showers (some places charge extra to use them). The average price for one day where I was, in Tuscany’s Val di Cornia, is around 30 Euro. Prices vary across greatly across the region and the country. If you have lunch, ice cream, a cocktail, or snack, things quickly add up. It is also very much frowned upon to bring your own food to these places.
A hot debate
This summer there is a very heated debate going on about the increasingly inaccessible costs of renting an umbrella while beach club proprietors lamented massive losses in July, blaming this summer’s unpredictable weather (we’ve now returned to the very predictable torrid heat). According to the Daily Express, “The Italian Beach Operators’ Union has reported a significant decrease in beach attendance across Italy, with an average drop of 15% and some regions experiencing declines as high as 25%. This includes drops of 25% in Calabria (southern Italy) and Emilia-Romagna (northern Italy).”
The Italian press and people tell a different story, as does a recent article in The Guardian: one of Italians (and visitors) who are fed up with the exorbitant cost of a beach day, let alone a beach vacation. They are being very vocal about it and have begun to boycott them. Even actor Alessandro Gassman chimed in on his Instagram account.
Ok, so the simple and obvious explanation is economics, not so surprising these days, and Italians are frustrated about the elevated cost of living and their vacation habits and preferences are beginning to show it. Before reading about it though, I had already experienced the phenomenon firsthand noticing both the increase in costs as well as the many empty rows of closed umbrellas I saw during my week-long trip to the Etruscan Coast.
Tuscany’s Etruscan Coast
There is so much to love about Tuscany’s Etruscan Coast, also known as the Val di Cornia. It stole my heart from my very first visit probably around thirty years ago and I try to go back as often as possible. All year round.
During the first pandemic summer, when travel by air was not possible but things in Italy had opened again, I spent a glorious week in August renting a friend’s home at a friendly price, and we did the same thing this year. Why do I love it so much? It’s not just because of the great beaches and beautiful sea, this place has everything you could hope for. Want to be a beach bum and swim and sun somewhere different every day? No problem. Or perhaps you are a fan of stunning vistas, archeological ruins, charming villages, castles, thermal spas, lovely food, and some of the best wines in the world? I promise you this place has it all.
Choosing a home base and some tips for saving
We were based in the picturesque town of Campiglia Marittima which is like something out of a fairy tale. Perched above the sea, just minutes away from some of the area’s finest beaches, it provided the perfect home base for exploration and also saved us money. If you stay somewhere that is strategic to but not in a beach town it will cost you less. I was also very surprised on this trip by the port town of Piombino. I had only been there to take the ferry to Elba (a magical, magical place) and had never given it any consideration. It’s fairly reasonably priced compared to other coastal towns in the area and was an unexpected discovery. One of the best things about this part of Tuscany is that the countryside is spectacular and really well situated to beaches and cultural attractions. We had one very rainy day that we spent strolling around charming Suvereto, we stopped in Bolgheri one morning for a coffee and some window shopping (it’s most famous for its wine), and of course we spent a lot of time in Campiglia enjoying the ever-present breeze.
By staying at a rented place we ate in more than we ate out, we also mostly went to public beaches and brought food and snacks. We had no umbrellas or chairs with us, and on a few occasions we did have to spend money to rent them, so if you have them be sure to bring with. Fortunately, many public beaches here in Tuscany are adjacent to ample, cool, pine forests where you can go and nap or read in the shade. We also spent a lot of time in the water which was clean and positively delightful. One last piece of advice, buy as much produce as you can at one of the many farm stands that you’ll find along the road, you can also buy cheeses and excellent local wines and olive oil at very competitive prices. We also stopped on our way back to Florence to stock up on fruit and veggies which are far better and cost a fraction of what you find in the big city.
Beneath the Surface
As the debate continues, only time will tell what’s really going on and I’m looking forward to following it and to reading the statistics at summer’s end. I fear that something much bigger and more real is bubbling underneath the ubiquitous, surface depictions of lengthy dolce vita summers with bottomless Aperol Spritz drinking, delicious spaghetti alle vongole eating, and impossibly beautiful sunsets.
This is not just about summer 2025 and inflated prices at seaside resorts, it’s about the fact that the cost of living for the average Italian family has skyrocketed and it’s impacting the culture in very tangible and profound ways.