When it comes to beaches we can’t complain in Le Marche; we have indeed 170 km of coast! From north to south there are sand, pebble and rocky beaches. Just to brag a little bit more, many of them have just received the Bandiera Blu (Blue Flag) quality certificate again this year. Among them there is Porto Potenza Picena, that Elke visited for us.
This place was probably originally a Roman settlement called Sacrata and later, in the 16th century, a fishing village around the fortified tower Torre Sant’Anna. It was only after the Second World War that Porto Potenza Picena developed into a popular seaside resort.
On Elke’s first visit, she happened to end up there in the morning for a nice breakfast overlooking the sea. She liked it so much that she really wanted to enjoy the newly discovered beach the second time around.
Just like the first time, she found a parking space next to the railway line without any problems; you then only have to go through a pedestrian tunnel to be directly at the sea. (This is something that is very common on villages next to the sea). The parking was paid, but only 50 cents an hour until 8:00 pm, which she thought was totally okay. Elke usually only goes to the beach in the afternoon and then charges a good price in one of the bagni for sunbeds and umbrellas for the rest of the day.
You will also find a wide choice of free beaches (spiagge libere), which are nevertheless equipped with toilets, (cold) showers, foot showers and trash cans. Lifeguards are mandatory in Italian beaches, even if they are free. Normally every seaside resort should offer free stretches of beach, but not all are as well maintained as in Porto Potenza Picena.
A beautiful and well-maintained promenade accompanies the beach for 3 kms. The numerous sofas provide the opportunity to enjoy and relax by the sea. You will also find bars, restaurants and kiosks for every taste and budget.
A small, secluded paradise, with the only sound of the occasional passing train, driving behind a wall, safely separated from the beach.
You can go here very well with children, because:
- The beach and the beach promenade are separated from the road by a railway wall. You park behind the wall and then go through one of the underpasses to the beach. This separates the beach from car traffic.
- It is a beautiful, spacious sandy beach that slopes very gently into the water, so that even small children can easily swim in it.
- Offshore breakwaters provide calm water.
- Numerous parts of the beach are supervised by lifeguards (during the day, during high season)
- Some Bagni are full of big colorful play equipment.
The fact that families like to come here is also apparent from the nets with toys that are placed next to many sun loungers: if you rent a sun lounger and parasol for several days, just leave the toys behind.
What else can you do?
One of the city’s historic sites is St. Anne’s Church, rebuilt in neo-Gothic style in 1926 by the architect Eusebio Petetti on the site of the demolished older church. But inside, you can admire a 17th-century painting depicting the Virgin Mary with the child Jesus between Saints Gioacchino and Anna, attributed to the painter Cavalier Perugino.
In addition, the harbor tower, built in the 16th century as a protection against pirates and restored in the 18th and 19th centuries. You can climb it on weekends between 9:30 PM and 11:30 PM, but unfortunately Elke and Otto were there during the week and could only see the tower from the outside.
The municipality of Porto Potenza started a major street art initiative in 2021: a group of local artists decorated the walls of the beach promenade with colorful graffiti. Each recognized some motifs from Porto Potenza Picena, such as the Sant’Anna church and the harbor tower. The whole was accompanied by some live actions where you could see the artists at work.
There are a few brackish water lakes in the northern coastal area where you can enjoy walking and bird watching, but Elke and Otto only passed them briefly on their way back.
Inland you will find the Villa Buonaccorsi from the 16th century with a beautiful terraced Baroque garden. It is mainly used for events and weddings. Unfortunately, no tours were planned for 2022 now, according to Porto Picena’s local pro loco.
After a nice relaxing afternoon at the beach, they decided to stay for dinner. The restaurant at their bagno was almost fully booked (weekdays in July!), so they were lucky enough to get one of the last tables. The reward was a beautiful sunset and delicious seafood!
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