Are you a sandy beach person? Do you like to build castles, play beach volleyball, maybe take long romantic walks, see your footsteps being washed away by the sea? If you like feeling sand on your body, you should definitely visit the Italian seashore.

This time I will write about four beaches located in the northern part of Italy. But believe me, these are not the only ones. All parts of Italy have the most amazing sandy beaches. I can promise you that the beaches mentioned will not disappoint you. I have spent at least a day one each of them. Two of the beaches are located in the north-eastern part, near the Slovenian border. And the other two on the other side – the north-western part of Italy, near the French border.

The first northern Italian province touching the sea is Friuli Venezia Giulia. The name of the beach is Lignano Riviera. There's plenty of parking space, access is very easy, and the beach is a few km long. And not just long, the beach is 100 m wide. The beach width is a staggering 100 m. The whole beach is really huge, so expect plenty different activities and attractions while walking, running or playing with the sand. Because of the shallow water the beach is highly recommended for small kids. To get there use this coordinates 45°38'55" N 13°6'5" E.

Beach Lignano Rivera

Veneto is the second province I would suggest you to visit, if you consider yourself a sand lover. The coastline is approximately 200 km (120 mi) long, and 100 km (62 mi) of which are beaches, mostly sandy beaches. You can go to the beach Cavallino. It's on a peninsula which divides the Venetian Lagoon from the Adriatic Sea. Choosing a beach, which is 15 km long, can't be wrong. The annual tourist number is 6 million. Ok, it can get a bit crowded, but I think it is long enough to find that one special place just for you. Interested? The coordinates are 45°28'6" N 12°32'38" E.

Beach Cavallino

To reach the next northern province with access to the sea, we have to go to the western side of the Italian peninsula. There the province of Tuscany is touching the Ligurian sea. When you think about Tuscany, you think of many things, especially historical, architectural and my favorite, the gourmet aspect of the province, but you should remember that there are amazing sandy beaches. One beach that stayed in my mind is beach Tirrenia. Why? It's several km long, and about 50 m wide, there's a lot of beach infrastructure to ease your stay, more than you need. The seabed is moderately shallow, and recommended for little kids. At some spots you need to walk for 30 m before you can start your swimming adventure. Don't hesitate and give it a try. The coordinates for this beach are 43°37'34" N 10°17'15" E.

Beach Tirrenia

Bordering the French country, there is our last but not least, northern Italian province with beautiful sandy beaches. It's called Liguria, bordering the Ligurian sea. It was really hard to choose a beach from this area. The beaches here are not long, like the ones I mentioned before, but are smaller and each has its own character. The one I fell in love with was the beach di Alassio, which is only 80 km away from the French border. It is one of the longest beaches in this province, but only 10 m wide. Why did I find this beach so special? It is close to bars and surrounded by beautiful buildings. You can literally step to the beach from your room. With the colorful buildings and their special Mediterranean architecture the whole scenery is so picturesque; it feels like being in an old Italian film. Use these coordinates to fall in love like I did 44°0'18" N 8°10'21" E.

Beach di Alassio