Conero Riviera

Monte Conero rises to five hundred and seventy-two metres directly out of the sea just south of Ancona, the only significant relief on a coast that is otherwise flat sand for hundreds of kilometres in both directions, and it makes the water pale green over white stone. The Due Sorelle beach is two rock stacks below a cliff, reachable only by boat, and access has been progressively limited. Other coves need steep descents on paths that are sometimes closed for rockfall. The Rosso Conero wine is made from Montepulciano grapes on the landward slopes. Mediterranean scrub, holm oak and broom cover the headland.

What you actually see

• Due Sorelle - twin rock stacks under a cliff, reached only by boat.
• The white stone coves - pale beaches with green water below the cliffs.
• Monte Conero - a 572-metre headland with paths and wide sea views.
• The Rosso Conero vines - Montepulciano grapes on the inland slopes.

When to go

June to September for swimming; the boat services to the beaches run only in summer and are cancelled in wind. Spring suits walking the headland paths.

Honest expectations

Several beaches are only reachable by boat or by steep, sometimes closed paths, and numbers are capped at Due Sorelle. Parking at Sirolo and Numana fills early.

Nearby

Ancona lies north; Loreto is inland.