The beach at Gallipoli
From our editorial team
Anyone who goes to the beach in Italy immediately realises that this is no simple day trip - it's a staging. Between sun worshippers, swimming costume beauties, panini eating nonni and styled teenagers, the "giorno al mare" becomes a small art form.
The Italian beach is a social space - not a place for functionality or pragmatism. It's a place for looking, smiling and flirting - and fully equipped. Those who come prepared simply have more fun. So that you are not immediately exposed as a tourist, here are ten things you better have with you. Not because you need them - but because they are part of the package.
1. the sacred beach bag
No, not a jute bag. A real, large bag. With a thick raffia texture or maritime stripes. It has to look like you've just left your weekend home in Capri - even if you've actually travelled by train from Bologna.
2. the Telo Mare, please in XL
A Telo Mare (beach towel) isn't just a simple surface - it's a stage. Big enough for sunbathing, aperitifs and the occasional pose. Ideally with a colourful pattern or vintage vibes. Italians attach great importance to this - and it's best to fold it so that no sand gets in. Professionals know how to do this. (And if you don't have one yet - wait for the travelling salesman).
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3. a fan (yes, really!)
When the sweat is dripping but you don't want to lose your style: the fan. Not only popular with signoras in Taormina, but also with trend-conscious millennials. Also available with a lemon print or Vespa motifs.
4. always nice and casual
Sprezzatura also works, especially on the beach. The term was described by the Italian writer Baldassare Castiglione as early as the 16th century as the ability to make even strenuous activities or those that require long periods of learning and practice seem easy and effortless. What applied to life at court also applies to the beach today: anyone who has ever carried a 15-kilo beach bag over boiling hot stones knows what is meant.
5. the flip-flops - ma con stile
Not the old rubber slippers from your last holiday in Mallorca. In Italy, flip-flops are worn with style: subtle colours, clean soles, sometimes even with glitter or leather straps. And please don't wear white tennis socks with them.
6. a beach cooler
No beach day without a few pesche, a few peaches, cold water and a few packets of Estathé. The mobile cool box is almost as important as the contents - preferably one of these gaudy retro boxes with a carrying handle. Functional? Yes. Iconic? Also. Weight on arrival: estimated 50 kilos.
7. a beach toy - for adults
Whether it's boccia, beach tennis or even an inflatable unicorn for two: if you're chilling out on the Italian beach, you'll want to play a little. Particularly popular: racchette - wooden rackets with which you can ping the ball back and forth for hours without a point ever being scored.
8. a good hat (not from the souvenir shop)
The sun is blazing, but style remains a must. Whether it's a Panama hat or a wide straw hat - the main thing is that you don't look like a tourist in disguise. The perfect camouflage for a hairstyle ruined by salt water, sun and wind.
9. the folding beach chair - for style and social life
It's always at a slight angle to the sun, but never facing the action: the classic folding chair made of aluminium and fabric. Not for lying on, but for sitting on - for a game of cards, an aperitif or the latest gossip with the neighbours. Particularly popular: models with armrests and cup holders. If you don't have one with you, you're either a tourist - or under 25.
10. something to read - but with level
Whether it's a novel, newspaper or poetry book: a good book is as much a part of a day at the beach as a cornetto is at breakfast. Important: not too thick (you don't want to lug it around) and not too banal (otherwise you might as well leave it alone). If you want to look particularly cool, read in Italian, of course.
