TO LIDO OR NOT TO LIDO: HOW TO NAVIGATE THE ITALIAN BEACH CLUB.

MILES & MILES OF SUNBED’S ON PARADE

In my mind, as an Australian who also spent two decades in America, beaches are usually denoted by a wide stretch of empty golden sand upon which you lay a towel down for free and hang out for the day. So imagine my surprise on my first trip to the stunning beaches of Italy to discover miles of aisles of tightly packed beach chairs and umbrellas—the classic Italian lido.

If you’re more accustomed to beach holidays outside of Europe, then you may be thinking I’m overstretching it a little bit to make an article entirely focused on beach clubs in Italy. After all, how complicated can a day at the beach be?

I had forgotten just how prevalent the lido was after last year’s beach holiday in Sardinia (for all my favourite spots on the island, check out my post here) where around every bend in the road lay another gorgeous expanse of mostly empty, pristine beach. That is why I was shocked to learn how overrun with lidos the beaches were during our recent road trip through Puglia. While searching for the best beaches in Italy, we discovered that while Google Maps lists a plethora of options when you type in “spiaggia” (beach), it does not mention that you cannot just park and head to any listed stretch of sand for free. That said, you can find free and less-populated rocky beaches on the northeast-west coast of Puglia between Porto Cesareo and Taranto.

My partner and I have developed a love-hate relationship with the lido, which is prevalent in many places, during the last few summers spent exploring our adopted home, which included trips to La Marche and Cinque Terra, where the lido was unquestionably dominant. We have experienced everything from perplexity to annoyance to avoidance to reluctant participation to, at last, a modicum of appreciation.

If you have never visited Italy’s nearly 5,000 miles of coastline or if this is your first summer there, knowing what these are and how they work in advance will save you a great deal of confusion and annoyance.

Now, lidos are not justLidos are located not only by the sea but also by lakes, rivers, community pools, and pretty much anyplace else you might want to cool off and enjoy the sun. The same way, no matter where you find them.

And with my manual on how to handle the lido, I am here to help you truly understand this mainstay of the Italian summer:

Is that beach really private?

The reason why a day at the beach in Italy isn’t as straightforward as one would expect actually stems from the fact that the majority of beaches in the country are private.

Well, that’s not exactly accurate.

The government actually owns all the beach land, but more than 30,000 businesses rent large sections during the summer months.

These ‘concessions’, usually private family businesses, occupy over 90 percent of the coast, and the fee paid by a balneare (roughly translated as beach manager) is largely viewed as being wildly out of sync with the profits available to some of them.

The seafront still belongs to the public, and a Supreme Court ruling a decade ago declared that access to the sea could not be impeded by private property or business, but in reality, that simply means that public access points are required. So, although access to every beach is public, that does not make the whole beach ‘public’.

In short, a beach in Italy is big business for various people, and it’s effectively a regulated industry. In fact, it was estimated that beach concessions turned over about €18 billion in 2019.

That’s a lot of euros for deckchairs and umbrellas.

Things could be different, but low operating costs and high profits have attracted big business, and now most of the beach is effectively a private beach club that you have to pay to access, with smaller, harder-to-get-to sections allocated as’spiaggia librera’ or free beach for the public.

* It’s important to note that not every single beach in Italy has a beach club, but those of any significant length, quality, or popularity are very likely to have at least one. 

WHAT IS AN ITALIAN LIDO?

Many of you will be familiar with pictures of rows of tightly packed sun loungers paired with bright, colourful umbrellas, all laid out with hypnotically perfect precision and repetition. Such a scene is as iconic an emblem of Italy as the leaning tower of Pisa or the Colosseum in Rome.

But instead of a famous architect, we have the Byzantine beach system to thank for the Lido.

Private beach clubs in Italy, called a ‘lido’, ‘bagno’, or ‘stabilimenti balneari’, come in various shapes, styles and standards, but all subscribe to that particular aesthetic of matching sun-lounger (lettini) and ombrellone (parasol). They are not resorts, although they all charge a fee, which usually includes the rental of a lounger and umbrella for the day and, if you are lucky, the use of a bathroom and access to a beach bar or restaurant. Some will be quite basic and focused on families, whilst others may be focused on luxury clientele or younger groups. Often, it is difficult to tell who is focused on what, so check prices before unpacking your gear and settling in for the day.

An intrinsic part of an Italian lido is the obsession to pack as many loungers into tight rows as possible, which has little to do with aesthetics and everything to do with maximising the space available within their concession area for guests. Indeed, although the image of a lido is guaranteed to inspire a yearning for the beach in Italians who seem to accept the lack of space and privacy, the reality is that too many lido’s competing on a beach can create an overdeveloped, overcrowded, and overpriced experience.

They are not, however, without their benefits and charms.

WHAT TO EXPECT AT A TYPICAL LIDO

Besides the browning bodies of grannies in thongs or lotharios in budgie smugglers and rows of beach chairs and umbrellas, here is the lowdown on what to expect if it’s your first time.

THE PRICE OF ADMISSION

Entrance is based on the equipment and space you’re effectively renting for the day. The most common is a fixed charge for two deckbeds and an umbrella, while others may be based on one bed and an umbrella. These days, it’s rare that you will also have to pay an entrance fee per person.

If you’re a family or larger group, you will be charged in addition per additional chair or umbrella, which is why you will often see large families sharing two beds and a single umbrella.

Rates vary considerably according to the day, the beach, where you sit, the region, the season, the clientele, and the quality of the lido. It’s most expensive during the peak holiday months of July and August, with weekends in those months being the priciest time to visit.

The price list will be on a sign outside or at the entrance desk. You could pay anywhere from €25 for two beds and an umbrella for a basic lido to €35 for a fancier one in peak season between July and September. And for more exclusive lidos, you can expect to pay anything from €50 to €80.

Some lido’s also charge a premium based on the spot you choose, with the chairs in the first few rows (prima fila) from the sea the most in demand and attracting a higher rate. If you want to save a little bit, then opt for those exact same deckchairs further back. But as with the theatre and an airplane, at the end of the day it is a game of chance as you never know who the ‘gods’ will choose to sit beside you, and with your neighbours only at arms-length, my dears will be the ultimate decider in the type of day you’ll have regardless of what you’ve paid.

Ltalian’s will often buy season passes or memberships to a specific lido. However, this clearly isn’t going to be an option for most holidaymakers, but if you’re planning on being based in one seaside location for a week and find a spot you like, it’s definitely worth finding out if a reduced weekly pass/rate is available.

Also, if you arrive at the lido after 1 or 2 pm, ask about mezza giornata (half day) rates, especially if it isn’t full. Some places will have this option listed, while others won’t.

Most all lidos will have toilets, showers, small changing rooms, and a bar or café selling drinks and simple food (pizzas, simple pastas, salads, sandwiches, and snacks). Some others may have a full-on public restaurant attached, serving absolutely fantastic lunches, and a bustling bar area, including full service to your spot under the umbrella on the beach.

There may also be games / play areas for kids or beach equipment you can use.

Each lido usually has a dedicated lifeguard who doubles up as a guy who puts away the chairs, cleans up, and manages the deckchair area. He’s not a security guard, though, so, although a lido offers a more secure environment for your valuables than the public beach area, don’t be complacent (and make good use of any lockers provided for valuables if you’re heading to the sea).

Car parking may be expensive if attached to the lido, so do check the road opposite their entrance, where you’ll often find parking at half the price.

Some hotels advertise a private lido or access to one, but this is not standard, and you should not presume that just because you picked a beach hotel, use of their beach beds and umbrella’s is free. So check the fine print before you book.

Lastly, some lidos or concessions may simply consist of a man in a booth surrounded by some deckchairs and umbrellas for rent on his patch of sand; this will always be much cheaper than the more’mini resort’ like private clubs. And depending on the location, you may still find within walking distance a beach bar or cafe where you can have a reasonably priced meal and use the bathroom.

OPENING HOURS & RESERVATIONS

They’re usually open from 7 to 8 am, closing around 7 or 8 pm in the summer. Official times are listed at the entrance and adhered to, so don’t worry too much if the lifeguard starts packing away empty parasols early; he’s simply saving himself time for later, and you don’t have to leave.

It’s also worth noting a lot of these lido bars will stay open for aperitivo and as they usually have the prime spot on the beach, it’s the perfect place to watch the sun go down sipping on an Aperol spritz or, in my case, a Negroni. Looking for some fabulous cocktail idea? Check out my post :My Italian cocktail club

In high season, it’s not uncommon to have to queue to enter (and most Italians arrive early to claim a good spot).

ALL LIDO’S ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL.

You can easily tell each lido apart by the change in colour and style of the blocks of umbrellas and deckchairs, but it’s actually difficult to distinguish between which is best for you until you’re on the beach itself.

HERE ARE MY HANDY TIPS TO HELP LOCATE YOUR PERFECT LIDO:

Explain your beach preferences to your hotel or apartment concierge and ask their advice based on your needs. This can save you lots of time and heartache searching for your ideal spot, but don’t forget to report back to them with your thoughts thereafter.

Don’t feel duty-bound to pay & stay at the first lido you visit. They are often set up in a way that forces you to pay to enter before you’ve seen their beach and facilities. Don’t be intimidated. An Italian just breezes on in all smiles and bravado, takes a look, and then decides.

Do you research in advance for popular destinations, as you’ll often be able to find lidos and customer reviews on Google Maps or Tripadvisor?

Ask the locals: Begin with a compliment, then ask for a referral.

Now let’s talk about the free beach.

By law, all beaches are actually public in Italy, and so in spite of the lido’s, there must be some areas of spiaggia libera (free beach).

Public access points will always be signposted, but they are often narrow and difficult to find on your first visit and obscured by various multicoloured beach club signs or eager vegetation. In Puglia, it was a constant source of frustration for us after driving for some distance on a bumpy dirt road to eventually turn up at a beach and find that it was in reality much more of an exclusive club dominating access to the whole area… but if you park up at the side of the dirt road and scramble through some beach scrub and then walk along the water’s edge, you’ll find the free area, a gorgeous slither of sand between two lido’s.

The waterfront (‘battigia’), loosely defined as the end of the sea and the first few metres of beach, remains public and open to all, so lido or not, you can still promenade at the water’s edge with no restrictions.

Once on the beach, locals usually bring their own beach furniture with them, which may include a dining table and chairs, so it is pretty obvious which areas are designated as spiaggia libera, since they are the only areas not covered by those blocks of identical deckchairs and umbrellas.

But once more, Italians enjoy their beach time very much. You should not expect to have an abundance of space to yourself because Spiaggia Libera’s sections get extremely crowded in the summer due to high demand. Note that the battigia must remain open for people to walk along, access the sea, and play games; you are not permitted to camp there.

TO LIDO OR NOT TO LIDO?

Although my partner and I enjoy seeking out ‘beach’ days on little calas (coves), marinas, on rocks, or traversing through brush to find a secluded slip of sand, I have come to understand the allure of the lido, especially in the early or late summer when the beaches are less crowded on the whole.

If you had asked me a few years ago, I would have found the idea to pay good money to have a day at the beach on a second-hand sunbed in a crowded and confined space abhorrent, but after living in Italy for five years, I’ve softened to the idea of the lido, and with some effort, we’ve even managed to find a few small ones where we can spend the perfect day, with no crowds, excellent food, great wine, and a cocktail proficient bartender.

So we don’t rule them out because sometimes a Lido can be simply perfect.