Alternative beaches: Italian lakes and rivers

THEn summer everyone at the sea. Or even not. To avoid the crowded expanses of sand and the jungle of umbrellas by the sea, there are some who choose a valid alternative: lakes and rivers. They are travelers who love secluded places, far from the beaten track, but also that pinch of adventure that doesn’t hurt: the most curious wayfarers point their finger at the map in search of special places such as lake and river beaches, where you can relax, immerse yourself in crystal clear waters and carve out your own corner of happiness away from the long queues for a parking space or the rush for a sunbed in the front row.

Lakes and rivers in search of peace

Set the navigator on the chosen location and go to a day to spend swimming in a refreshing stream or along the lake shores. And peace is assured. This is the case of the beach of Prarolo in San Maurizio D’Opaglio on Lake Orta in the Novara area, with its jetty, a shady lawn, extremely clean water which can be easily accessed on gravel and the enchanting view of the island of San Giulio.

From here also starts a beautiful walk of about twenty minutes on foot towards another beachthat of Rialaccio in Roncallo sul Lago, just a few minutes’ walk from the center of Pella: two hundred meters of gravel and sand in one of the most romantic corners of Italy, separated from the road by a verdant hedge, intimate but close to all services.

And if you want to spend the weekend by the lake, another twenty minute walk north takes you to Casa Fantini/Lake Time (double from 583 euros. Pella, piazza Motta at the corner of via Roma 2, casafantinilaketime.com) an elegant and sober boutique hotel with eleven rooms overlooking the lake, a secret garden, a gourmet restaurant and the possibility of indulging in the en suite spa with a menu of treatments.

Lakes and rivers by e-bike

And then there is the e-bike experience (starting from 140 euros per couple), a route that guests can decide to take with a guide or alone with the help of a QR Code that guides them step by step from Pella to Orta San Giulio, for about 18 kilometers through small roads, dirt roads and woods, with the possibility of bringing along the picnic basket prepared by the chef of the Fantini house.

Transparent backdrops between oaks and holm oaks

Fine sand beach and clear waters for a small lake immersed in the countryside Tuscan Maremma and framed by oaks and holm oaks: the Accesa lake, between Massa Marittima and Follonica, which is also located in an area of ​​archaeological interest. Here, observing the seabed, it almost seems to be on a sea beach, but one that is really clean.

And in half an hour by car you get to the resort The Andana Tenuta Badiola (double from 540 euros, andana.it ), seven kilometers from Castiglione della Pescaia, set among olive groves and vineyards, where you can practice yoga in the countryside, take part in a bike tour or a wine experience and treat yourself to a slow horse ride. In Piacenza instead it is known as Bobbio Beach or Berlina Beach the beach one and a half kilometers from Bobbio in the direction of Genoa, on the banks of the Trebbia river, with transparent backdrops and refreshment points. The waters are mostly calm and swimming pleasant, as happens, not far away, at the Meandri di San Salvatore or at the Spiaggia della Chiesetta in Brugnello, an enchanting village that deserves a detour for a visit.

You also go to lakes and lakes in Liguria, in Genoa: many here know the lakes of Nervi and Pegli, corners that suddenly open up among the vegetation at the end of paths, where many Ligurians and passing tourists spend entire days, often preferring them to much more titled beaches.

Gone with the wind on Benaco

Rental of electric pedal boats and canoes, without forgetting umbrellas and sunbedsin short, it really seems to be at the beach of Baia del Vento which is instead located at San Felice del Benaco, on Lake Garda: you can practice water sports, go and visit the Isola del Garda, enjoy the surrounding nature and take a refreshing dip.

For those who prefer the waters and the views of the river, here it is Coston Beach, in the Seriana Valleya famous beach on the river in the Bergamo area where the emerald green waters attract travelers in search of coolness and instagrammable panoramas. You can also swim and relax on a beach in South Tyrol, more precisely at Lake Fiè at an altitude of 1,036 meters, dominated by the Sciliar massif: an interesting network of hiking trails winds all around. And to conclude the trip in style, at the Romantik Hotel Turm (double room from 442 euros, piazza Chiesa 9, Fiè allo Sciliar, hotelturm.it), a bath in the hay of the Mortl malga, Tyrolean fossil oil wraps and Indonesian pantai luar massages with bundles of herbs and hot oil they are regenerating.

Two strokes in the shade of the Sibillini Mountains

One of the wildest lakeside beaches in central Italy is certainly that of Fiastra lake in the Marche regionthe largest hydroelectric basin in the region, immersed in the Parco dei Monti Sibillini, where you can swim, canoe or go on e-bike excursions.

On this tour of Italy’s lakes and rivers, we discover that it’s not true that Umbria doesn’t have the sea, its sea is here: sunbeds and umbrellas to combine, for the less lazy, with a ride on the electric boat or the experience of the fat bike (with very large wheels), also electric, sn the Miralago di Piediluco beach, in the Terni area, on the large and enchanting lake of the same name.

Paradise Beach in Gradoli, on Lake Bolsena, as the name promises, offers moments of pure relaxation thanks to an equipped beach (there are also cabins), a children’s play area, refreshments and the possibility of caressing the water with a kayak. In the province of Aquila, on the other hand, one goes on Lake Barrea, turquoise gem of the Abruzzo National Parkon the Gravara beach, where you can sunbathe and immerse yourself in the water, only to then go back up and spend the day on the cycle-pedestrian paths that surround it, which can also be traveled on horseback.

Beauty bath in Pantelleria

Campania certainly has no shortage of beautiful beaches, yet among the gorges of the Calore river, in the Salerno area, lovers of transparent waters, shady corners, canoe rides and a silence that is good for the soul take refuge. What many are looking for, even on noisy and sultry summer days.

There are also those who immerse themselves in the lake waters for curative purposes: it is possible in the amazing Lago Specchio di Venere, in Pantelleria in Sicily, which dazzles with the blue of its waters and rises in the extinct crater of an ancient volcano. The seabed is made up of thermal mud, the waters are warm and rich in sulphur. In short, it will not help to cool off, but the skin will gain from it.

To also listen to the throat, after the thermal bath falls perfectly a lunch from The Prince and the Pirate (Punta Karace, ilprincipeeilpirata.it) where it is the sea that dictates the menu including traditional couscous with fish and vegetables, red prawns from Mazara del Vallo grilled and panteschi baci, delicious pancakes typical of the island. Now even the spirit thanks.

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