Pollica, in the province of Salerno, is the queen of summer 2026 with “the most beautiful sea”. This was decreed by Legambiente and Touring Club Italiano who – on the occasion of World Environment Day – award the Cinque Vele (Five Sails) to the most sustainable coastal and lakeside resorts that are adapting to the ongoing climate crisis.
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The top 10 (Tuscany is also included)
In 2026, there are 30 locations, between sea and lakes, where the Cinque Vele (Five Sails) fly and which are at the center of the new guide “Il Mare più bello” (The Most Beautiful Sea) presented today in Venice. After Pollica, the podium for Cinque Vele marine locations is occupied by Baunei (Nuoro) and Otranto (Lecce). Followed by Domus De Maria (South Sardinia), San Giovanni a Piro (Salerno), Nardò (Lecce), San Teodoro (Sassari), S. Teresa di Gallura (Sassari), Cabras (Oristano) and Castiglione della Pescaia (Grosseto).
The 5 sails in Tuscany
Tuscany obtains four Cinque Vele (Five Sails), all in the province of Grosseto: Castiglione della Pescaia, Marina di Grosseto, Capalbio and Isola del Giglio.
Holiday suggestions
There are plenty of new features for those looking for holidays not only of sea and sun, but also of excursions inland with milder temperatures. This year, the guide, with its section “A Five Sails Holiday”, also tells how localities are adapting to the climate crisis by promoting holidays that also go in this direction.
Twenty itineraries and proposals are collected in the guide: for example, from the Path of Infinity, one of the most spectacular treks in Liguria, which connects Portovenere to Riomaggiore passing through Campiglia and the coast of Tramonti; to the Tarot Garden, located in Garavicchio, in the municipality of Capalbio, in the province of Grosseto, where the Mediterranean scrub frames an extraordinary work of sculpture and architecture created by the French-American artist Niki de Saint Phalle starting from 1979, to the Lake Burano Natural Reserve, an ideal destination for birdwatching activities and for nature lovers. The 2026 guide also includes a contribution from Ispra on Italian seas.
