Photo by Hic et nunc, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Beaches, parks and museums for families
Riviera Romagnola with children
On the Riviera Romagnola, children find fine sandy beaches with shallow waters, beach establishments with play areas, public parks with play equipment in every resort and, between Rimini, Riccione and Cattolica, several theme parks. Green parks, museums and beach activities make it possible to vary the days without long journeys.
The beach
Fine sand extends into the first stretch of water along almost the entire coast, and the Comuni describe shallow waters from Cervia to Gabicce Mare. North of Rimini, between Torre Pedrera and Rivabella, and off Bellaria Igea Marina, the coast has breakwaters parallel to the shore. Play areas, entertainment and changing tables vary by beach establishment and period; in Cesenatico, the Comune portal allows searches by service, from children's areas to changing tables.
Bandiera Verde is an award given annually by a group of paediatricians to child-friendly beaches, with criteria including shallow waters, fine sand, spaced parasols and constant lifeguard presence. It is not a public award. In 2026, Gabicce Mare announced it for the twelfth year; Cervia received it in 2025 for the sixteenth, and Cattolica first obtained it in 2012.
Public parks and play spaces
Every resort has parks with play equipment, often steps from the sea. Rimini has 110 municipal play areas, including inclusive ones such as Parco Fellini, opened in 2016, and a free barrier-free beach at Marina Centro in summer. In Cervia, Parco Lento in the Pinarella and Tagliata pinewood has nine wooden play stations; in Milano Marittima, Parco Naturale has animals, while in Cesenatico, Giardini al Mare follows the beach for around two kilometres. Bellaria Igea Marina has Parco del Gelso, 40 hectares around a lake, and Riccione has Parco della Resistenza and Parco degli Olivetani.
| Resorts | Things to see with children |
|---|---|
| Rimini with children | inclusive play areas, Parco XXV Aprile, children's library, Italia in Miniatura and Fiabilandia |
| Riccione with children | readings and workshops at beach establishments, public parks, Aquafan, Oltremare, sea turtles |
| Cattolica with children | Acquario, beach and central squares |
| Misano Adriatico with children | circus on Piazza della Repubblica, Parco Mare Nord pinewood, cycle paths |
| Cesenatico with children | Giardini al Mare and parks, Museo della Marineria, Nativity scene on the boats |
| Cervia with children | Parco Lento, Museo del Sale free for under-14s, salt pan, kites |
| Milano Marittima with children | Parco Naturale, Casa delle Farfalle, adventure park, pinewood play areas |
| Bellaria Igea Marina with children | Parco del Gelso and Parco della Fornace, Torre Saracena, performances in the square |
| Gabicce Mare with children | Bandiera Verde 2026 beach, tourist train to Gabicce Monte and Gradara, Parco del San Bartolo |
Theme parks
Rimini has Italia in Miniatura, with miniature monuments and Venezia explored by boat, and Fiabilandia, with rides for younger children too.
Riccione has Aquafan and Oltremare, plus Beach Village on the sand; Cattolica has the indoor Acquario. Milano Marittima has CerviAvventura, with treetop courses from age 4, and Casa delle Farfalle; Savio, within the Comune di Ravenna, has Mirabilandia.
Aquafan, Beach Village and CerviAvventura are summer parks and close in September. In the 2026-27 calendar, Italia in Miniatura, Oltremare and Acquario di Cattolica also open on autumn weekends, at Halloween and over Christmas; Mirabilandia ended its 2026 season with Halloween on 1 November.
Museums and indoor days
Several public museums cater for children. In Cesenatico, Museo della Marineria, with boats afloat in the canal harbour, organised summer 2026 evening workshops for ages 5 to 12, and one ticket also covers the Antiquarium and Casa Moretti. In Cervia, Museo del Sale is free for under-14s and holds Sunday workshops; in Riccione, Museo del Territorio organised family Sundays about the Bronze Age in October 2026. In Bellaria Igea Marina, Torre Saracena houses Museo delle Conchiglie. Rimini, Riccione, Cesenatico and Cervia have libraries with children's and teenagers' sections and readings for younger children.
Getting around with children
On Start Romagna buses and Metromare, each adult can take one child up to one metre tall free; pushchairs travel free, folded, and unfolded only in designated spaces. On regional trains, children under 4 travel free without occupying a seat, while ages 4 to under 12 pay half fare. In Gabicce Mare, a public tourist train climbs to Gabicce Monte and Gradara from Easter to September.
Ages, heights and permitted activities are in the park listings. At sea, flags and lifeguard instructions apply, and even in shallow water children must be supervised by an adult.
Sources: Arpae and Regione Emilia-Romagna, Stato del litorale al 2018; Comuni and resort tourism portals, pages on parks, play areas, museums and libraries; Comune di Gabicce Mare, Bandiera Verde 2026 announcement; Cervia tourism portal, Bandiera Verde 2025; Cattolica Welcome, Bandiera Verde; official websites of the parks featured in individual listings, 2026 calendars; Start Romagna, travel regulations; Trenitalia, Sconto ragazzi offer. Accessed between 29 September and 7 October 2026.