Passetto is the only town beach in Ancona - it is here that locals go for a quick swim and sunbath as soon as they have a little spare time or during lunch break. It is set at the end of the main boulevard (Viale della Vittoria) where the pine forest overhanging the sea surrounds the majestic WWI memorial. From here, a panoramic lift or three wide flights of steps will bring you down the Passetto beach.
The coastline is mainly made of rocks though a white stretch of gravel has been placed right outside the lift exit in order to create a proper flat beach to easily accommodate sunbeds and umbrellas. The rocky sea floor requires suitable water shoes.
A rather unique characteristic of the Passetto waterfront is the presence of many grottos lined up in a row, originally built to garage fishing boats, are now used as spartan summer retreats and are jealously handed down from one generation to another.
A short walk northwards will lead you to a curiously shaped white rock, dubbed by locals "La Seggiola del Papa" (the Pope's Chair): a small stack created from the erosion of the headland, where at its foot lays a shore platform smoothed by the sea, a perfect spot to lay down and take a suntan..
Type of beach
rocks, riffs, gravel, concrete
How to get there
By bus: lines 1/4 and 1/3 run all year round every few minutes connecting Ancona train station and the port to the area called Passetto. From here take the lift or the three flights of steps to go down the beach. The adventurous ones can take one of the narrow and steep off-road paths going from the pine forest down the coastline.
By car: in this area there are only Paying-and-Displaying parking places and in summer could be very difficult to find a place.
GPS address: Piazza IV Novembre, Ancona
More info:
Tourist Department, Municipality of Ancona
Via Podesti, 21
Tel (+39) 071 222 5065/5066/5067
Tourist Information Office Ancona
Via Gramsci, 2A
Tel (+39) 320 019 6321
Off-road paths info (only in Italian): www.fabiofava.it/sentieri/sentieri.htm