Visit Rimini

Rimini’s beach is justifiably famous throughout the world – stretching more than 15 km with fine sand and facilities. From early May through to Late September tourists and locals alike flock to the beachfront. When the temperatures rise in July and August life transfers itself to the beach – the elderly go in the early morning and late evening to breathe in the healthy sea-air and take a pleasant walk (or play a game of bocce); Office workers pop down for a swim before or after work; school-children avail of the sports/games facilities and hang out for the holidays; families spend their weekends out of doors. In a very real sense Rimini’s beachfront is not just about package holidays, but also gives you a snapshot of Italian life.

Here’s our quick guide to getting the most out of Rimini’s beaches.

First things first – which beach to go to?
Rimini’s beachfront is divided up into various zones. First of all there’s the free or paid question.

Paid Most of the beach has been licensed out to establishments (Bagni) that have a specific surface area which they maintain and on which they provide, for a fee, various facilities (sun loungers, umbrellas, toilets, showers, changing cabins, games for children etc). The costs for a sun-lounger vary depending upon the beach, and how long you wish to rent it for (for example, many locals will rent an umbrella for the whole season). If you’re staying in a hotel you may have beach facilities included in the overall price, or a special discount deal with a specific beach. The establishments all have names, but along the main seafront are generally referred to by their numbers – i.e ‘We’re going to #44’, or ‘They have a jacuzzi at #xx’

Our Tip: You get what you pay for – so check out the facilities at the establishment before deciding where to rent a sun lounger. They range from the cheap and cheerful to the state-of-the-art offering jacuzzi facilities, massage and gym equipment etc.).

Free There are, though, also a number of free beaches, with toilet facilities and lifeguards on duty, where you can stretch out your towel and enjoy the summer sun without charge. The biggest of these is near the port, by Piazzale Boscovich, at the start of the beach facing the pier (and rock island).

There are also free beaches at San Giuliano Mare (on the other side of the port), at Marebello between beach #s 105-106 and 107-108 and in Miramare from #150 up to the Thalassotherapy centre.

Tip – know your rights: by law, all the paid beach establishments must allow free access to the sea and bathing area – so you can pass through any of the beach establishments on your way to have a swim without paying anything. between the waves and the beach establishments there must be a strip at least five metres deep free to all. This area is known as la battigia, but it must be kept free of obstacles guaranteeing free passage along the beach.

Health and Safety on the Beach

One of the reasons that Rimini is particularly popular with families is that the water is safe and generally clean. There is a very gentle gradient meaning that you need to walk some way into the water before reaching any depth, making it a great place for paddling.

There are, though, paid lifeguards on duty all along the beachfront surveying an area up to 500metres from the shore. The lifeguards are easily recognisable and also patrol in special boats. There are lifeguard posts every 150 metres, and flags to indicate the safety of bathing.

There are those that complain about the division of the beach into numbered units, but it does serve two useful purposes. Firstly each beach has a building with its number clearly painted on the roof – allowing it to be located quickly by the ‘elimedica‘ (first aid helicopter) in case of emergency (thankfully a rare occurence – in ten years summering here this writer has never seen it). The second advantage, though, comes into use more frequently. In the case of a child getting lost on the beach, there’s a public address system which links all the beaches – all they need to do is present themselves to the beach attendant and an announcement will be made along the lines of ‘A child by the name of peter has been found at beach #120’.

The Blue Flag

A lot of work goes into making Rimini’s beach the perfect place to enjoy the outdoors life during the summer. Each beach establishment keeps its stretch spotless, while the comune is responsible for the cleaning of the free beaches. The water quality of the sea is consistently monitored to ensure safety . All these measures have contributed to the consistent awarding to Rimini – since 2000 – of the blue flag, an award issued by the FEE to recognise the overall quality of a beach (taking into account cleanliness, facilities, facilities for the disabled, green areas etc).

Security on the beach

The beach is generally a very safe and monitored environment. There are some obvious common-sense tips to follow. Don’t leave valuables lying around while you go swimming etc.

Rimini’s beaches are off-limits however during the night-time from 1.00Am through to 5.00am (except in authorised circumstances – for example during the Notte Rosa festival many beaches are allowed to stay open)

Eating on the beach

There are small restaurants all along the beachfront. Many of these are only open during the daytime and at weekends, but there are also plenty that are open in the evening time. We highly recommend you try out some of these restaurants, as you can get great fresh seafood in some of them, cooked simply over an outdoor grill. Perfect for families as well, as the kids can play in the sand and on the games beside most restaurants.

The restaurants are open to all – you don’t need to be a patron of the particular beach to use them – it’s enough that you pay your bill at the end of the meal!

Bringing your dog to the beach

Italians, as a national stereotype, love children and dogs (almost in equal measure!). It’s no surprise then that there are a number of beaches with particular facilities arranged for visitors with dogs:

San Giulian Mare: Beach area Libeccio (tel: 0541 28282
Viserba: Playa Tamarindo Dog Beach (tel: 0541 734357)
Marina centro: beach #26 (tel: 0541 27058)
Marina centro: beach #33 (tel: 0541 380356)
Miramare: beach #149 and beach #150 (tel: 0541 375403)
There are a number of rules though that must be followed: Vaccination certificates must be up to date, and dogs must wear a lead. In some cases dogs are required to be muzzled.
In Emilia-Romagna it is forbidden to take dogs into the sea.