The Tuscan town of Castiglione della Pescaia has won the coveted title of “Best Beach in Italy” in the 2005 edition of the Guida Blu guide to Italy’s beaches. Castiglione della Pescaia earned all five of the “flags” necessary to receive a top score in the guide’s rating system.
The guide, whichh is a collaboration between Touring Club Italiano and environmental group Legambiente, has set up a system of tests and guidelines for judging the quality of over 300 of Italy’s beaches. Flags are earned by beaches that reach designated levels of beach and water quality; that offer facilities like bathrooms, showers, and food; and that have a particularly beautiful surrounding landscape. Five flags is the maximum that can be earned. If a given beach does earn a flag, it will usually fly it at the entrance, and so these flags are good to watch for when searching for a place to enjoy the sea.
Castiglione della Pescaia is not the only Tuscan beach to win top recognition. Several other locations rank on the list of best beaches, and Giglio Island has also ben counted among the topten.
Overall, the Tyrrhenian Sea seems to be the hot spot this year. The sea bordering the western coast of Italy scooped up six of the ten top rankings, with beaches ranging from the northern region of Liguria all the way down to Sicily. In fact, a three-time winner, Otranto, located on the Adriatic Coast, finally lost its long-standing hold to te Tuscan beach on the opposite side of the peninsula.
Castiglione della Pescaia has long been one of Tuscany’s most popular beach destinations. With a well-maintained
historical centre, a large port, and a huge Pineta, or pine-tree park lining the shores of its main beach, the area attracts visitors from far and wide.
The Guida Blu has the goal of creating a ranking system for Italy’s beaches to help vacationers find the cleanest and most beautiful beaches around the entire Italian peninsula. The guide ofers a region by region list of over 300 beaches and 257 seaside facilities, a newly-added list of 50 marine grottoes, and a list of the top snorkeling spots. The guide Is currently available only in Italian.
