Conero Riviera in a day
A day trip to the Conero Riviera from Ancona: the clifftop town of Sirolo in the morning, a boat to the Due Sorelle beach, the San Michele and Sassi Neri beaches, the viewpoint near the old abbey of San Pietro on Monte Conero, then the bay of Portonovo with its Napoleonic fort and the Romanesque church of Santa Maria di Portonovo at the end of the day. Every stop has a typical visit length.
How long do you have?
Map: 1 days
Conero Riviera in 1 day
Day 1
Historic centre of Sirolo (Piazza Vittorio Veneto and the belvedere)
Small clifftop town of lanes and squares, with a belvedere terrace over the sea, a quiet start before the beaches fill.
Boat trip to Due Sorelle beach
A boat from Numana or Sirolo to a white beach under sheer cliffs, named after two sea stacks offshore and reached only from the sea.
San Michele and Sassi Neri beaches
Two long pebble beaches below Sirolo, reached by a path down through the woods, with views of the cliffs.
Monte Conero viewpoint (Badia di San Pietro)
Viewpoint near the old Camaldolese abbey of San Pietro on top of Monte Conero, looking down the coast and out over the Adriatic.
Portonovo bay and the Napoleonic fort
Pebble bay under the cliffs of Monte Conero, with clear water, a watchtower and an early 1800s Napoleonic fort, now a hotel.
Church of Santa Maria di Portonovo
Small eleventh-century Romanesque church of white stone in the woods by the sea at Portonovo, one of the finest in the Marche.
Watch: Conero Riviera
A one-minute look at the plan: every stop, day by day, with the map.
When to go to Conero Riviera
June and September are the best months: warm sea, open boats and fewer people than in July and August, when the bays and car parks are crowded. May and October suit walking on Monte Conero, though boats may not run yet. Winter is quiet, with most beach places closed.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Where to stay: hotels in Conero Riviera on Booking.com or Trip.com
- Skip-the-line tickets: museums and sights in Conero Riviera on Tiqets
- Tours and day trips: things to do in Conero Riviera on GetYourGuide
- Data on arrival: an eSIM for Italy from Airalo
Some of these are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Tips for Conero Riviera
- Boats to the Due Sorelle beach leave from Sirolo or Numana only in season (about May to September) and in calm sea; book in the morning, as the plan does.
- The beaches below Sirolo and at Portonovo are pebbly, and the paths down are steep; take good shoes and, for swimming, water shoes.
- Try the mosciolo, the wild mussels of Portonovo, at one of the restaurants on the bay; they are a Slow Food presidium.
- Monte Conero is a regional park with marked trails; on hot days walk early and carry water, as there is little shade on the cliff paths.
- Arrive early in July and August, when car parks at Sirolo and Portonovo fill up by mid-morning; the church of Santa Maria di Portonovo opens only a few late afternoons a week, so check before going.
Make it your own
Open the guide in Andiamo Places to see every stop on a map with walking directions, move places between days, check opening hours for your dates, and add your own finds. After the trip, your photos become a journal and, if you like, a printed photo book.
Guides are made with the help of AI and public sources such as Wikipedia, and may contain errors. Opening hours and prices change, so check before you go. Spotted a wrong photo, a pin in the wrong place, a missing stop or a better one? Write to andiamotravelapp@gmail.com: the e-mail opens with this guide filled in.
Photo credits
- Boat trip to Due Sorelle beach: Diego Baglieri, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Church of Santa Maria di Portonovo: Diego Baglieri, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Historic centre of Sirolo (Piazza Vittorio Veneto and the belvedere): Claudio.stanco, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Monte Conero viewpoint (Badia di San Pietro): Gabri307, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Portonovo bay and the Napoleonic fort: paolo dagani, CC BY 3.0
- San Michele and Sassi Neri beaches: MEP Production, CC BY-SA 2.0
Opening hours change; check before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
