C‘It’s a moment, in summer, when the sea stops being a background and becomes the center of everything. It is in this space of desire that the new edition of the guide “The most beautiful sea”created by Legambiente And Italian Touring Clubwhich every year awards the prestigious Cinque Vele to marine and lake locations considered examples of environmental and management excellence. A recognition that goes beyond simple tourist attraction and that rewards a development model based on the balance between conservation and growth.
Cinque Vele Legambiente: Pollica is the queen
To conquer the top of the 2026 ranking It’s Pollica, a small jewel overlooking the sea of the Cilento coast. Inserted in the context of the National Park, this Campania location represents a rare synthesis between landscape, cultural identity and attention to the environment. Here the sea interacts with hills covered in Mediterranean scrubwhile the villages maintain an authentic relationship with the territory and with the traditions that have made it famous throughout the world. A place, in short, that he chose to preserve rather than exploitto guard rather than exhibit.
The top ten
Immediately after Pollica, Baunei confirms himself in second placein the province of Nuoro, on the eastern coast of Sardinia, where the limestone cliffs fall into a sea of changing hues. On the Otranto takes the third step of the podium, gateway to the East of the Italian peninsula, a city that continues to stand out for its environmental quality and attention to the enhancement of its historical and naturalistic heritage. Following, in the high end of the ranking, are found Domus de Maria in Southern Sardinia, San Giovanni a Piro in the province of Salerno, Nardo in the Lecce area, Saint Theodore And Saint Teresa of Gallura both in the Sassari area, Cabras in the Oristano area and finally Castiglione della Pescaiain the province of Grosseto, the only Tuscan in the top ten.
The guide “The most beautiful sea” of Legambiente and Touring Club Italiano assigns its Cinque Vele, and this year Pollica takes first place.(Getty Images)
Sardinia, the island that dominates
As is clear from the ranking, Sardinia is the most represented region in fact, conquering the greatest number of award-winning locations and confirming a natural vocation that goes far beyond the postcard image of its beaches. From Domus De Maria to San Teodoro, passing through Santa Teresa Gallura and Cabras, the Sardinian territory continues to stand out due to the presence of ecosystems that are still extraordinarily intactfor the attention to the conservation of coastal areas and for a growing ability to integrate tourism and environmental protection. A result that highlights how the quality of a destination does not depend only on natural characteristicsbut also from land management.
Sardinia is the region most represented in terms of excellence, with six Cinque Vele locations out of twenty. In the photo Santa Teresa di Gallura (Getty Images)
In the Cinque Vele guide, even fresh water has its stars
The Cinque Vele Legambiente guide it also rewards ten lake destinations. And this year the first prize goes to Lake Molvenoin Trentino-Alto Adige, nestled in the Brenta Dolomites. Going down to the center of the peninsula, Lake Scanno is confirmedin Abruzzo, with its famous heart shape. While in the North-East they complete the picture the lake of Misin the province of Belluno, e Lake Monticolonear Bolzano. But the real novelty of the 2026 edition is a section dedicated to those looking for alternatives to the beach: twenty itineraries in the hinterland, walking and cycling routes, between villages and fresh paths. A direct response to climate change, which reshapes not only landscapes but also the habits of travellers.
The sea as a refuge for biodiversity
Sustainability, however, is not just about tourism. SThe theme of biodiversity becomes increasingly centralwhich finds some of its most significant examples along the Italian coasts. Among these, the phenomenon of nesting of Caretta caretta, the sea turtle which in recent years has increasingly chosen Italian beaches to lay its eggs. The increase in temperatures is, in fact, modifying the natural balance of the Mediterranean and making the protection of coastal habitats even more important.
Beauty as a political act
The Five Sails Legambiente 2026 tell much more than a ranking. They tell the story of a country that is redefining its relationship with the sea and the landscape. Behind every award-winning location a broader reflection on the future of tourist destinations emerges and on the value of sustainability as a central element of territorial competitiveness. In an era marked by climate uncertainty, beauty can no longer be considered an immutable heritage. It requires care, vision and the ability to adapt. The locations awarded this year show how it is possible to transform these challenges into opportunities, building a development model in which environmental protection does not constitute a limit to growth, but you become its essential condition.