*** NEW: Surfing in Italy: Hang Ten Italian-Style, Dude! (Free Italy Travel Advice) ***
Think
that the best thing you can get on the beaches of Italy is some fresh
seafood or maybe a nice tan? Think again. For those wave-riders who
crave some time in the surf, Italy may pleasantly surprise you.
Granted, the waves can be quite fickle, and are more dependable during
the winter, but a surfing culture is real and present in Italy, which
boasts more than 325 surfing spots around the country, according to www.surfnews.it.
As forecaster Mike Watson explains on the Web site www.surfline.com,
Italy can boast surf-able waves because “spots in the
Mediterranean Sea, just like all other surf spots around the world,
need winds blowing over the ocean for a given amount of time to create
swell and ultimately surf. This basin though is quite unique - the
relatively warm sea sits between two contrasting climates (Europe and
Africa) and also has complex orographic features, both of which are
extremely important from a meteorological standpoint. This combination
results in a pretty active basin.”
Italian surf is due in part to Italy's four different air
masses, which create the winds and the waves: Cold polar continental
air (aria
polare continentale fredda),
hot continental air (aria continentale calda),
hot tropical continental air (aria tropicale
continentale calda), and cold
maritime air (aria marittima fredda). These air masses are realized in
distinct winds with equally distinctive names: Il Maestrale, Il
Libeccio, Lo Scirocco, Il Grecale
and La
Bora. The winds blow from all
different directions, producing surf areas throughout Italy,
particularly in Liguria,
Tuscany,
Le
Marche, Emilia-Romagna,
Veneto
and the Friuli regions in the north, Lazio,
Calabria,
Campania,
Puglia,
Molise, and Abruzzo
in the south, and (perhaps unsurprisingly) particularly on the islands
of Elba (Tuscany),
Sicily and Sardinia.
Perhaps the most famous surfing in Italy is found in the seaside town
of Levanto,
in Liguria, which is often referred to as “Italy's
surfing central.” The website www.levantosurfing.com
is a very helpful tool for those hoping to catch a wave, a bite, a
surfing lesson, or even just a few zzz's in the surfing town.
Levanto boasts the country's longest lefthander waves, and at
only 40 miles from Genoa,
is an excellent jaunt for anyone hoping to burn off some of the pasta
topped with Genoa's world-famous pesto that you no doubt have
enjoyed to excess! Other Italian spots highly rated by surfers include Capo Mannu 2 in
Sardinia, Acitrezza
in Sicily, Lillatro
in Liguria, and Porto di Santa Marinella
in Lazio, ideally located just 50 kilometers west of Rome.
For all those type-A surfers (you living oxymorons!) who want to check
out the weather stats down to the last minute detail before heading out
to the beach, www.wannasurf.com
breaks down the specifics of every beach, from wave quality to
experience level, wave length, and crowdedness on weekdays and
weekends. Also, check out http://www.surf-forecast.com for detailed
six-day forecast of winds, weather, tides, and temperature of the beach
and surf. Italy may be known more for its spaghetti than its
surfboards, but with a little planning, and a little luck, you can ride
the waves - Italian style - with the best of
them.
--
Justine Gregory
Photo credit: francoventoso, flickr.com
- surfing in Molise
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