Ports Dossier 2015 – Discovering the North Central Adriatic.

It ends with the fifth installment, dedicated to the central-northern Adriatic, our journey of discovery of the main marinas and equipped ports of the Italian coast: we will start with an overview of the mooring situation (complete with indicative prices), then we will show you an ideal itinerary and finally we will propose the “big list” of marinas in the analyzed area.

NAVY ANALYSIS
Emilia Romagna, Veneto, and Friuli Venezia Giulia are home to as many as 46 of the total 194 turitic ports on the Italian coast, in which a total of about 30,000 berths are available to boaters. is by far the coastal area with the greatest ubiquity throughout the country. Not for nothing is it considered the home of sailing…. The services here are of a high standard and able to accommodate boats of all types: in fact, there are many ports in these regions that can count on real service centers capable of performing any type of intervention. Moreover, these are marinas that have fairly low costs on average, and that is, between a minimum of 3,500 and a maximum of 6,000 euros for a twelve-meter. In addition, the type of marinas here is also very different. These range from super-equipped marinas with a large number of onshore services (not only technical, but also commercial) to perfectlyw facilities integrated into the urban fabric. The main effort, in terms of berth growth, in recent seasons has been made by Emilia Romagna: historically a region dedicated to land-based tourism, it can now count on respectable marinas that are constantly evolving.

ITINERARIES
Movida and history in Emilia Romagna
The fun Riviera of Romagna has so much to say in every sense of the word. Starting right in Rimini, where there are many monuments to admire: Roman ones, such as the Tiberius Bridge; medieval ones, such as the Malatesta Temple; and Renaissance ones, such as the Sismondo Castle. Among the many seaside towns that then dot the Romagna coastline, one of the most interesting to visit is Cervia. A heterogeneous town, it is made up of hamlets stretching along the coast: the most famous are Milano Marittima, one of the cult places of Romagna’s nightlife, and Pinarella, in which there is a splendid pine forest, a destination for trekking and mountain biking trails. Inland, visit the Cervia Salt Pans Nature Reserve, a complex for extracting sea salt that was already active in Etruscan times. Those who love art and ancient history should not miss a visit to Ravenna. The ancient capital of the Roman Empire and then the Byzantine Exarchate, it is home to unique buildings such as the Basilica of St. Apollinare Nuovo. Erected in 505 AD, it is richly decorated with wonderful mosaics. Equally fascinating is the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, dating from the first half of the fifth century AD, whose dome and interior also house incredibly beautiful mosaics. Beyond Ravenna are then the peculiar bodies of water known as the Comacchio Valleys. Created around the 10th century due to the lowering of the coastline, they were initially filled with fresh water, which came from recurrent flooding. By the 16th century they were filled by sea water, which provided the wild appearance, which they retain today, of brackish valleys.

In Veneto, there is not only Venice
Divided between Veneto and Romagna to see is the Po Delta Park: home to the mouth canal system and a unique natural environment. The branches found in the southern part of Veneto, the part surrounding the historic town of Porto Viro, are those of the Po di Maistra, the Po di Venezia, and the Po della Pila. The latter flows into the Adriatic Sea through three distinct inlets, called Busa di Tramontana, Busa Dritta and Busa di Scirocco. Almost the “capital” of this unique territory, built on a small peninsular area between the Venice Lagoon and the Po Delta, is the historic town of Chioggia. Nicknamed “Little Venice” because of the characteristics of its ancient area many similar to those of the Serenissima, the village is a mix of calli, campi and canals. The main one of these, because of the beauty of the palaces and churches overlooking it, is certainly the Vena Canal. What about Venice, then: it is the most famous city on water in the world and is home to monuments that have made architectural and other history throughout the country, starting with St. Mark’s Square. Instead, on the long island separating the city from the open sea is the Lido di Venezia curious international tourist resort. All around here is the spectacular Venice Lagoon: in the large body of water surrounding the Serenissima to see are the islands of Murano and Burano. After Venice, the Veneto coast instead hosts several fun seaside resorts, such as Jesolo, Caorle, Bibione, and Lignano Sabbiadoro. The latter is actually the first Friulian offshoot of the Adriatic coast.

Friuli Venezia Giulia to be discovered
Entering Friuli Venezia Giulia, the sequence of wild, intersecting bodies of water such as the striking Marano Lagoon has not ended. Sandwiched between the sandy peninsula of Lignano and the equally wild Grado Lagoon, that of Marano is a unique naturalistic reality made up of strips of land and sand, set flush with the water and known as “velme,” and emerged areas, referred to as “barene.” In the neighboring Grado Lagoon, nature is similarly wild and surrounds the small town that gives it its name and is a historical and architectural jewel. Finally located in Italy’s far northeast and overlooking the gulf of the same name, Trieste stretches across a hillside that becomes a mountain even near the center. Instead, it is in the historic part of the city that the Borgo Teresiano is located, the area built in the 18th century after the salt pans were buried by order of Empress Maria Theresa of Austria. Not far away, on the other hand, one reaches Caffè San Marco, a historic café in the city and famous for being and having been one of the main haunts of the city’s Mittle European intellectuals, including Italo Svevo, Umberto Saba and even James Joyce. Finally, to be seen in the city, among the many monuments, at least St. Just Cathedral (dating back to 1300), the main Catholic religious building. It stands on the top of the hill of the same name overlooking the city and is characterized by an ‘austere facade enriched by a huge rose window made of karst stone.

THE “LIST” OF EQUIPPED MARINAS AND PORTS
Marina di Rimini
www.marinadirimini.com
Marina di Cervia
www.mdcresort.it
Marina of Ravenna
www.marinara.it
Marina of Albarella
www.albarella.it
Marina of Porto Levante
www.marinadiportolevante.it
New Marina of Porto Levante
www.marinanuova.it
Marina of Chioggia
www.marinadichioggia.com
Le Saline Dock
www.darsenalesaline.com
Venice Wind Marina
www.marina.ventodivenezia.it
Marina St. Helena
www.santelena.venicemarinas.com
Marina del Cavallino
www.marinadelcavallino.com
Caorle Clock Dock
www.darsenaorologio.com
Marina Punta Faro
www.marinapuntafaro.it
Porto San Vito
www.portosanvito.it
Marina San Giusto
www.marinasangiusto.it

EXPLORE OUR PORTS 2015 DOSSIER