Crystal clear waters, scenic beauty, attention to sustainability and the protection of biodiversity. These are the Italian locations where the Five Sails of Legambiente and Touring Club Italiano fly: 21 marine tourist municipalities and 12 lakeside locations awarded today in Rome on the occasion of the presentation of the guide The Most Beautiful Sea 2024, edited by the environmentalist association and the Italian Touring Club .
No municipality in Calabria has obtained the 5 Vele, but that in the guide, Ionic Roccellaoccupies the best position with 4 Sails.
The guide collects tourist information and environmental characteristics of the municipalities in Cinque Vele, including the commitment to protecting the Caretta caretta turtles.
The localities of Calabria and Reggio
Another 27 Calabrian localities have obtained three Vele: these are Soverato, ScyllaAmendolara, Zambrone, Isola Capo Rizzuto, Badolato, Riace, Monasterace, Locri, Cutro, Marina of Gioiosa Ionica, Brancaleone, Palizzi, Cirò Marina, Bova Marina, Bagnara Calabra, CauloniaDiamond, Trebisacce, Melito Porto SalvoMaritime Belvedere, PalmsSant’Andrea Apostolo dello Ionio, Roseto Capo Spulico, Rocca Imperiale, Stalettì and Crucoli.
The localities to which two Vele have been assigned are: Pizzo, Curinga, Falerna, Pietrapaola, Nocera Terinese, SidernoCape Citadel, Parghelia, Cannitello of Villa San Giovanni, Marina di Schiavonea di Corigliano-Rossano e Montebello Ionico.
The Italian top five
Leading the top five for 2024 is Pollica, Acciaroli and Pioppi, (Salerno) the Cilento municipality located within the Cilento Antico district, in Campania. In second place is the municipality of Nardò, in the province of Lecce in the Apulian district of the Alto Salento Ionico, followed by Baunei, in the province of Nuoro on the eastern Sardinian coast. Fourth place for the Domus De Maria locality on the Chia coast, also in Sardinia, and fifth place for Castiglione della Pescaia, in the Tuscan Maremma area. At a regional level, Sardinia is by far the region with the most municipalities awarded with the Cinque Vele.
The data collected by Legambiente
The marine locations examined are 354 (divided into 99 tourist areas) while the lake ones are 78. The data collected by Legambiente evaluates the environmental characteristics and the quality of hospitality on each coastal location and are integrated by the evaluations expressed by the local clubs and the Committees regional Legambiente. The parameters taken into consideration are divided into two main categories: environmental quality and quality of accommodation services. The indicators analyzed evaluate the following characteristics: land use, landscape degradation, biodiversity, tourist activities; state of coastal areas; mobility; water and purification; power; waste; sustainability initiatives; food safety and typical quality products; sea, beaches and beyond; social and health structure.
