The Shores of Comacchio

The Shores of Comacchio, also known as Shores of Ferrara, are seven seaside resorts located on the Emilian Riviera in the municipality of Comacchio, in the province of Ferrara.
They are 55 kilometres from Ferrara and extend along a coastline of about 25 kilometres between the province of Rovigo to the north and the province of Ravenna to the south with which it shares the borders of the Romagna Riviera. The lidos are totally within the Po Delta Regional Park. The oldest of the seven lidos is Porto Garibaldi, once called Magnavacca, established in 1919 following the landing of Giuseppe Garibaldi and his wife Anita in 1849, which hosts a river port. The northernmost of the seven Shores is Shore of Volano, bordering on the mouth of the river of the same name, and is the most secluded of the shores, being almost on the border with Veneto. A second river port is Marina degli Estensi located in Shore of Estensi between Porto Garibaldi and Shore of Spina, the last resort on the Emilian coast. Shore of Nazioni, predecessor to Volano, has the peculiarity of having its streets and squares named after states and sometimes even continents of the world. Next are Shore of Pomposa and Shore of Scacchi, two distinct localities that have found themselves directly connected to each other thanks to the new residential urbanisations of recent years.
The Shores of Comacchio can also be reached via the Ferrara-Porto Garibaldi motorway junction and the State Road 309 Romea, which crosses the entire Adriatic coastline. 25 kilometres of sandy coastline, with beaches of the finest sand. All this in the province of Ferrara. These are the 7 Shores of Comacchio, Shore of Volano, Shore of Nazioni, Shore of Pomposa, Shore of Scacchi, Shore Portogaribaldi, Shore of Estensi and Shore of Spina.
It is a sandy coastline, made up of immense beaches of fine golden sand: these are the famous seven Beaches of Comacchio, created since the 1950s, each with its own soul and all of incomparable beauty. They live in close relationship with nature: sea life can be accompanied by an ecological excursion to discover the valley and delta landscapes, unspoilt and rich in unique flora and fauna.

Coming from the north is Shore of Volano, where the Po reaches the sea. It is the most “natural”, the wildest, perhaps the most evocative lido. It is located 20 km north of Comacchio and is the only lido to be part of the Po Delta Park to all intents and purposes. Once a fishing village, today a small, quiet seaside resort, it is nestled between the greenery (pines, holm oaks) of the pine forest of the same name and the sea.

Next comes Shore of Nazioni , the newest, liveliest and most sporty. It is the one that leaves the most room for greenery and sports facilities. Its characteristic feature is the lake, where water skiing, canoeing, rowing and sailing are practised. At one time, the area on which this seaside resort stands was a beach called “Pialazza” or “Pialassa”, whose name derives from the wind “pia e lassa” (take and leave). In 1849, Garibaldi landed at Pialazza and the event is commemorated by the presence of the “Capanno” of the same name.

Very similar and contiguous are Shore of Pomposa and Shore of Scacchi, both quiet and suitable for family tourism. At Shore of Pomposa, there were once beautiful and evocative dunes and a pine forest, the undisputed realm of vineyards. Shore of Scacchi also had natural dunes, behind which stretched the Bosco Eliceo. Once the dunes were flattened, the Lidos were formed in the last 20 years.

Shore of Portogaribaldi represents the port of Comacchio, the hub of numerous economic activities. It is the oldest town on the coast and retains the appearance of a small seaside town. At the commercial port every day you can watch the lively fish market. Motorboats depart from here, allowing tourists to visit the Po Delta and enjoy sports fishing in the summer. Once Magnavacca (meaning a vast area of land without crops), it was later named after Garibaldi, to commemorate his landing in the area in 1849.

The southernmost shores, Shore of Estensi and Shore of Spina, are characterised by endless beaches. The former is the most famous, the busiest, the fashionable centre of the coast, home to the magnificent Marina degli Estensi, a modern and well-equipped marina; the latter, named after the legendary Greek-Etruscan city discovered in the Comacchio area, is the southernmost seaside resort. Its residential vocation is evident: it is full of pine forests and small villas surrounded by greenery.