Surfing
Surfing
The best surf spots in Italy - from the mainland to Sardinia
Italy's coasts offer everything: point, reef, and beach breaks - plus culture and culinary delights at their finest. All you need for the surf trip of a lifetime is a bit of luck and a good swell.
29 min
Steph and Leo explore Italy
Leo Fioravanti and Roby D’Amico take Ashton and Steph Gilmore on a Mediterranean strike from Rome to Sardinia.
Even without waves, Italy is worth every trip. Once you've tasted the dolce vita, you'll want more. The good food, the cheerful locals, good wine, the sense of beauty - Italy has it all in abundance. Only waves are a little sparser in the "land where the lemons bloom" than in Portugal or France, for example.
November to April is the best time to surf in Italy!
But if you plan your surf trip to Italy in winter and are flexible when it comes to travelling, you have every chance of scoring in Italy: "From November to April is the best time to surf in Italy," says Italy's exceptional surfer Leonardo Fioravanti. Born in Rome, he grew up in the waves around Santa Marinella and therefore knows only too well that surfers in Italy need one thing above all else: Patience.
29 min
Leonardo Fioravanti
Rising star Leonardo Fioravanti traces his journey from Rome, Italy, to the WSL Tour.
"There's not as much movement in the Mediterranean as there is in the Atlantic or the Pacific," laughs Leo. "We don't have anything as constant as France or Portugal, but there are also very good surfing days in Italy. And when they come, every surfer takes the day off!" So it's no wonder that spots like Banzai near Rome can have up to 100 people in the water on a good day.
Leo Fioravanti macht das, was man in Italien tun muss – Eis essen.
© Vimeo/Stab Mag
The best thing about a surf trip to Italy is that you're in Italy!
Leo has this tip for all travelling surfers: "Keep an eye on the charts. As soon as the forecast is promising, book your flight at the last minute - preferably directly to Sardinia. That's the safest way to score in Italy," Leo knows from his own experience. "I would always go for the Strike Mission in Italy."
Here are the best surf spots in Italy - from Liguria to Sardinia!
01
Varazze - Liguria
For German surfers, Varazze, around 50 minutes by car from Genoa, is the most easily accessible surf spot in Italy. This is another reason why it gets extremely crowded there on good days. "It gets crowded there, but the waves in Varazze are always fun and varied," confirms Leo.
Surfing in Italy is always a bonus.
The waves break as an A-frame over an artificial reef and run quite nicely onto the beach from waist height. But Varazze is known for the slightly bigger days, because the reef also holds them. If the waves in Varazze break high overhead and the wind is right, you can even pick up a tube or two here. Provided you get the coveted set waves in the highly competitive line-up.
02
Viareggio - Tuscany
Italy fell in love with surfing at the beach break in Viareggio in Tuscany in the early 1980s. The first Italian surf club and surf shop were opened on Viareggio beach and the first contests were also held there. "But Viareggio is all about the beach and the surf vibe that prevails there," says Fioravanti. "You have a promenade right on the beach with shops and cafés where you can have a really good time. It just gets extremely crowded there!"
This is understandable, as some of the best beach break waves in mainland Italy break south of the pier at the Piazza Mazzini spot when the conditions are right (SW swell). And the second spot, Tito del Molo, also delivers numerous good, powerful peaks with a decent south-west swell and little wind. If only there weren't so many people in the water...
"Surfing in Italy is always a bonus," laughs Fioravanti: "You won't surf the best wave of your life in Viareggio. Definitely not, but you'll have a good time. That's for sure!"
03
Banzai - Lazio (Rome)
2 min
Ride with Leo Fioravanti
See what Leonardo Fioravanti sees as he shreds the waves of his home beaches in Italy.
"Banzai near Rome is one of my home spots," beams Leo in the interview, immediately recalling countless good but often windy sessions in local waters. "With the right conditions, Banzai can also be very good," he continues: "I grew up surfing in and around Banzai. The surf culture in this region is huge and very lively. When it works there, you surf with at least 50 if not 100 people in the water," laughs Leo. "Italy has more passionate surfers than you might think!"
"When their home spots are running, the locals drop everything and go surfing!"
In fact, the region around Santa Marinella, just over an hour's drive from Rome, is one of the absolute surfing hotspots on the Italian mainland. In addition to the Banzai spot, four other spots are lined up here over a distance of around 20 kilometres, all of which, like Banzai, break perfectly over reef with a solid SW swell. There's Porto, Bunker, Ristorante and Off The Wall - a spot that usually runs when Banzai is flat!
Sardinia
5 min
Leonardo Fioravanti Surfing in Sardinia
We join Leo during a short visit to his home country in search of the best waves Italy has to offer.
"The most consistent region for surfing in Italy is Sardinia," emphasises Leo. Locals surf there up to 250 days a year according to "The Italian Stallion". Sardinia's west coast around Puzzu Idu in particular has it all. "The spots on Sardinia's west coast are really good," beams Leo. "There are reef breaks, point breaks and beach breaks. This coast is made for surfing! I can't imagine what would be possible if this coast was on a real ocean!"
Italy's best surfer, Leo Fioravanti
© Quinn Matthews
I love surfing in Italy. Especially in Sardinia.
Italian Deep Dive: Surfer Chris Del Moro makes a pilgrimage to Italy
04
Capo Mannu - Sardinia
Perhaps Sardinia's best waves break on the west coast of the peninsula around Puzzu Idu, north-west of Oristano. The locals' first port of call here is the Capo Mannu spot - a long right that also throws tubes on the right days and offers plenty of space for all kinds of manoeuvres. The left shoulder is also good for manoeuvres, but it is significantly shorter and a little steeper than the right of Capo Mannu.
If it gets too big and too wild in Capo Mannu, it's time to hike to the nearby spot Mini Capo, where many good steep peaks are also waiting. If it's not consistent enough at the Capos, a spot check at La Laguna is worthwhile. You can also go here if it gets a bit bigger.
05
Buggerru - Sardinia
Buggerru, a 1.5-hour drive north-west of Cagliari, is another surfing hotspot on Sardinia's west coast. Among other things, the Italian junior championships are held here every year. The best waves break in Buggerru along the pier, which is also the easiest way to get into the line-up.
06
Piscinas - Sardinia
An hour's drive north of Buggerru is the spot Piscinas, the swell magnet among Sardinia's beach breaks. If Capo Mannu and Co. are flat, you're sure to find a wave here. The countless peaks that break here are suitable for all levels and families with children will feel right at home on the secluded kilometre-long sandy beach of Piscinas with the sand dunes behind it.
07
Pro tips from Local Leo
Leo Fioravanti, pro surfer by day, tour guide extraordinaire by night
© Stab
- When planning surf trips to Italy, always rely on Strike Missions and fly directly to Sardinia: in other words, only book your flight at short notice and with an eye on the forecast!
- If you want to get the most out of your trip, make friends with a local. With a bit of luck, they'll show you one of the countless secret spots.
- If you're in the Rome area, I recommend Pasta Amatriciana as a post-surf meal! If you're in Sardinia, you should definitely try Su Porceddu - Sardinian-style pork.
