The entire coast of Emilia-Romagna offers many green areas where you can spend some time just a few steps from the sea. Each location offers urban parks of all sizes, where it is easy to relax, do sports or socialize.
Beyond the large green oases within the Po Delta Park that characterize the shores of Comacchio and those of Ravenna and Cervia, there are many urban spaces along the coast open to everyone (sportsmen, teenagers, families and children), which act as eco-sustainable bridges between the blue of the Adriatic and the green of the hinterland.
Here is a list, from North to South.
In Ravenna, work has just begun on the project of the Maritime Park which in a few years will transform the appearance of the beaches of the nine shores of the former Byzantine capital.
The goal is to connect the beach to the retrodunal pine forest, but also the city of art to the "piallasse" through a series of interventions that will make this stretch of coast one of the most beautiful in Emilia-Romagna.
In the meantime, while the work is in progress, the advice is to walk one of the many eco-sustainable wooden walkways that characterize some coastal dunes of the Ravenna beaches.
The most scenic ones are located between Punta Marina Terme and Marina di Ravenna, but those of Casalborsetti, Lido Adriano and Lido di Dante near the mouth of the Bevano are not bad either.
The large Cervia Natural Park extends inside the millenary pine forest of Milano Marittima. It is a protected area of 32 hectares very popular with citizens and tourists who take refuge here to spend a few hours in peace and comfort.
Crossed by a multitude of paths, the area is perfect for jogging, walking but also for organizing a quiet picnic in the open air.
For some years there has also been an enclosed educational area ("Nella Vecchia Fattoria") where you can enter - alone or accompanied by a guide - to get to know the animals up close (horses, donkeys, buffaloes, goats, sheep, deer, etc.), feed them, and discover their characteristics and habits.
If, on the other hand, you are in the mood for adrenaline and want to test your courage, CerviAvventura is highly recommended. It is an adventure park, suitable for adults and children, ideal for spending a few hours suspended among the trees thanks to paths of different heights.
To the north of the municipal area of Cesenatico lies the Pineta di Zadina, a large green wooded area of about 5 hectares covered by trees of various species, with a play area for children and rest stops.
If you continue south, you will come across Parco di Ponente near the beach, a large green area of about 13 hectares, almost completely wooded and crossed by cycle and pedestrian paths. Inside there are soccer fields, an area for entertainment and picnics, and various play areas for children.
Further south, not far from the beach, lies the other great green park of Cesenatico: the Levante Park. Accessible 24 hours a day, inside there are two ponds populated by animals, play areas for children, picnic areas, as well as paths that can be traveled on foot and/or by bicycle.
An old farmhouse hosts recreational activities during the summer, as well as bar and a restaurant which offer typical local cuisine. Sports lovers, on the other hand, have access to a "life path" and can enjoy qualified teachers from June to August to practice yoga and meditation lessons.
Near the park there is also the Naviskate Park, a reference point for those who practice skateboarding, skating and freestyle bmx.
Located behind the first bathing establishments of Gatteo Mare, the Don Guanella Gardens are a large green area, perfect for spending moments of relaxation and leisure, especially in the summer when they come alive with sports activities, workshops for children and baby dance. The garden is always accessible and is well lit in the evening.
The Don Ivo Rossi park is the large green area of San Mauro Mare spread over 20,000 square meters, full of paths suitable for young and old alike. Inside there is a very rich vegetation, including the famous salt cedars praised by the poet Giovanni Pascoli, but also a dog walking area.
During muggy days you can take advantage of the pleasant coolness offered by the large plants of the park for a nice picnic, tasting the typical Romagna piadina served from the kiosk at the park entrance.
A few steps from the center of San Mauro Mare opens the "Stefano Campana" Park with a permanent exhibition dedicated to the Sanmaurese architect with bronze boats, oil drawings, watercolors, and much more.
On summer evenings the area comes alive with music, theater and live shows in the adjacent “Arena Arcobaleno”.
An interesting green area extends along the fluvial strip of the Uso stream, which has been redeveloped a few years ago with a cycle/pedestrian path and areas equipped for parking.
The route, ideal for cyclists, walkers and lovers of outdoor activities, winds for a length of about 6 km, skirting the towns of Bellaria-Igea Marina and San Mauro Pascoli.
Along the way you will come across oaks, small forests of black and white poplars, Mediterranean willows and pines, but also fruit trees, reeds, canals, scattered houses and vegetable gardens. There are also close encounters with gray herons and kingfishers.
Among the centers of cultural interest touched by the itinerary are the complex of Villa Torlonia dated to the 18th century, the contemporary Church of Santa Margherita, the former Donegallia Abbey and the Bonelli Castle both from the 13th century and, finally, the Fornace di Bellaria of more recent construction.
The Gelso Park is one of the largest green areas in the province of Rimini, the pride of the environmental heritage of Bellaria-Igea Marina. Frequented in every season of the year, many come here to spend a few hours in the midst of nature to enjoy some quiet, practice sports or perhaps walk around the homonymous artificial lake in the center of the park.
Inside there are important sports facilities, such as the Palazzetto dello Sport, the Gelso Sport, equipped with indoor swimming pools and fitness rooms, and outdoor tennis courts. There are also thematic areas for children such as the "Butterfly Garden" and the "Jurassic Park", with silhouettes that reproduce prehistoric animals.
During the summer, a marginal area of the park hosts various travelling circuses and a funfairs.
Attached to the House-Museum (called “the Red House”) of the writer Alfredo Panzini there is an extensive garden park open to the public, characterized by well-tended Mediterranean vegetation. Inside, especially during the summer, cultural, cinematographic and musical events take place.
The Rimini seafront has recently changed its skin, giving life to a new redevelopment project - partly already completed and partly under construction - which aims at a new interpretation of life in the open air.
A new space but above all a new way of reinterpreting the relationship between the sea and the city to relax, stroll, play sports in a splendid setting.
Along the coast you can find community squares, with workstations and relaxation lounges, cycle and pedestrian paths and open-air gyms to dedicate yourself to physical activity and well-being.
Everything is immersed in well-kept and sustainable green spaces that harmoniously connect the beach to the city, characterized by fountain-trees inspired by Gianni Rodari and large “R” -shaped light poles in honor of Romagna and Rimini.
With its 25 hectares, it is the largest public park in the city. It extends over the ancient riverbed of the Marecchia river, diverted a little further north in the 1930s.
Access from the Tiberius Bridge opens onto the new "Square on the water", a large rest area overlooking the side of the front basin, a privileged stopping point to admire one of the most beautiful bridges in the world, just a few meters away from the charming village of San Giuliano.
Crossed by a long cycle path that from the Tiberius Bridge reaches Novafeltria, the park is loved by cyclists. Going up the river, it is in fact possible to cross the splendid riverscape of Valmarecchia.
It is a real naturalistic path, along which you can enjoy the coexistence of different animal and plant species, as well as admire some of the most beautiful villages in the province of Rimini such as Verucchio, San Leo, Torriana and Montebello.
The part of the park closest to the sea is the largest and houses sports equipment (the course passes not far from the Rimini Golf Club) as well as a playground for children, including the recent “Rimini Avventura” Park.
Another important green park of the city of Rimini extends over a large area not far from the center. It is easily reachable from the sea, following the cycle and pedestrian path that leads from Piazza Kennedy to the Palacongressi, passing through the Arch of Augustus.
The main feature of the park is the presence of Lake Mariotti, a large artificial lake, a point of attraction for many animals that nest in the surrounding trees but also geese, ducks and small mammals.
Inside the green park there is an area reserved for a playground for children, surrounded by numerous tables and benches, rest stations for physical activity and finally a "Fruttuario", that is an educational collection of fruit trees created in the 1998-99, on a project of the Municipality of Rimini.
The park was built on a farm planted with vines about thirty years ago. Today it is characterized by mounds lined with oaks, plains and other varieties of shrubs, as well as a small artificial pond. There is no shortage of play areas for children and football fields.
The park is located in front of the Riccione station, adjacent to Viale Ceccarini. Within it, it rejoins the green spaces of Villa Lodi Fè, a holiday cottage from the early 1900s in the shape of a chalet, and other neighboring residences.
In the villa, now home to the Riccione Teatro offices and the organizing secretariat of the Ilaria Alpi Prize, meetings, conferences and conventions are held, while the garden hosts, especially in summer, shows, plays, dance, music and other events.
A few hundred meters from the city station, and not far from the sea, lies this interesting green area, now partly occupied by the "Riccione Avventura" adventure park.
A small distance away from the center of Cattolica, to which it is connected by a pedestrian underpass, the Parco della Pace consists of a large green space with a small lake in the center, a skating rink, a refreshment bar, a playground for children and a nature trail.
It is very popular with joggers and sports enthusiasts in general thanks to the presence of a soccer field, a gym and a swimming pool.
