Photo by Massimiliano Calamelli, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Bellaria Igea Marina
Bellaria Igea Marina beach
The Uso mouth divides Bellaria Igea Marina beach in two: Bellaria north of the canal harbour and Igea Marina to the south. The coast measures about 6.7 kilometres between San Mauro Mare and Torre Pedrera. Sand, seafront access and breakwaters parallel to the coast are common features; position relative to the harbour helps with choosing an area.
Two coastal sections, a harbour in between
In Bellaria, the coast follows Viale Colombo and Lungomare Raffaella Carrà. Cagnona occupies the northern part towards San Mauro Mare. On the opposite side of the Uso, Viale Pinzon follows Igea Marina and continues towards the former holiday colony area before the Rimini boundary.
| Area | Landmarks for orientation | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Bellaria | Cagnona and San Mauro Mare boundary | beach facing emerged breakwaters |
| Central Bellaria | Viale Colombo and Lungomare Raffaella Carrà | beach establishments and coastal walk |
| Canal harbour | Uso mouth and piers | separates Bellaria from Igea Marina |
| Igea Marina | Viale Pinzon | beach establishments, seafront and access towards the town |
| Southern Igea Marina | Parco Pavese and former holiday colony area | free stretches and partly submerged breakwaters towards Rimini |
The harbour is a landmark for walking and watching boats, but its entrance is not a swimming area. Free access points on the Igea side are described on the Bellaria Igea Marina free beaches page.
How breakwaters change towards the south
Off Bellaria, breakwaters rise above the water and run parallel to the shore. Towards the Torre Pedrera boundary, some defences are submerged instead, the result of experimental seabed interventions described by the Regione.
The coast has undergone beach nourishment, meaning sand added to compensate for losses; major regional interventions also involved Igea Marina. In winter, sand banks are also built to protect facilities.
Beach establishment access and services
Beach establishments have a single number sequence increasing from north to south and continuing across the harbour: in the tourism portal list, Bellaria's run from 16 to 55 bis, and Igea Marina's start at 57. For orientation from land, streets perpendicular to the sea also matter, especially along Viale Colombo and Viale Pinzon: the municipal ordinance requires establishment access at every street.
The Comune describes beach entrances from the Colombo, Raffaella Carrà and Pinzon seafronts as step-free. The regional ordinance requires all establishments to have walkways and access for people with disabilities, with routes perpendicular to the shore reaching close to the waterline.
In the 2026 summer season, dogs were admitted only to authorised beach establishments with a designated area, where ordinanza comunale 123/2026 allowed access to the waterline and swimming from 6am to 8am and 7pm to 9pm in buoy-marked water. The regional ban applies until 2 November, except for rescue dogs, guide dogs and, following notification to the Comune, dogs accompanying people with disabilities. From 3 November to the Saturday before Easter, the regional ban does not apply, and the municipal ordinance concerns only the summer season.
Sources: ordinanza balneare comunale 123/2026, article 4; regional bathing ordinance, consolidated text with determinazione 8398/2026, articles 1 and 4; accessed on 10 October 2026.
The sea and seasonal service
The 2026 regional classification distinguishes five bathing waters: Foce Vena and Rio Pircio are excellent; the two on either side of the Uso mouth and Pedrera Grande nord, at the Rimini boundary, are good. During the monitoring season, sample results and any temporary bans are on the Arpae bathing water portal.
Lifeguard cover is compulsory from the third weekend in May to the third in September: from 16 May to 20 September in 2026. In other months, the beach remains open, with access and walks but no lifeguards.
The Bellaria and Igea Marina seafronts
Bellaria's seafront has borne Raffaella Carrà's name since 2022. In Igea Marina, the Viale Pinzon stretch between beach establishment 64 and Piazza Alda Merini reopened on 3 April 2026 after refurbishment: it includes green strips and a shared cycle and pedestrian route.
The two seafronts offer different walking landmarks: in Bellaria, the coast connects with the central area and Torre Saracena; in Igea Marina, Viale Pinzon follows the beach towards Parco Pavese and the holiday colonies. Other walking and cycling options are on the excursions from Bellaria Igea Marina page.
Sources: Comune di Bellaria Igea Marina, place listings and seafront news of 2 April 2026; Arpae and Regione Emilia-Romagna, 2018 coastal report and beach nourishment documents; accessed on 29 September 2026. Bellariaigeamarina.org tourism portal, list of beaches equipped for dogs; Regione Emilia-Romagna, 2026 water classification (DGR 561/2026); accessed on 10 October 2026.