The sea: Pollica, queen of the beaches. Sardinia tops the list
Baunei and Otranto feature in the Legambiente-Touring Club guide
Key points
It is Pollica, in the province of Salerno, the beach crowned queen of summer 2026, among the 30 locations (20 seaside and 10 lakeside), where the Five Sails of Legambiente and Touring Club fly at the heart of the new guide “Il Mare più bello” presented in Venice, during the Venice Climate Week 2026 and to mark World Environment Day.
The podium
On the podium are Baunei (Nuoro), which has climbed from fourth to second place, and Otranto (Lecce), which has moved up from tenth to third. Sardinia is the region with the most Five Sails seaside resorts (6), followed by Puglia (5) and Tuscany (4).
Among the lakes, Lake Molveno in Trentino-Alto Adige stands out – a region leading the way in terms of award-winning resorts – whilst in central Italia, Lake Scanno in Abruzzo retains its Five Sails rating (in seventh place).
Sustainable tourism
The award is given to organisations that focus on sustainable tourism and management, but which are also adapting to the current climate crisis by offering solutions and ideas for cooler holidays and exploring local areas, the organisers explain.
The dominance of southern Italian regions has been confirmed. The top ten seaside resorts include Domus De Maria (Southern Sardinia), San Giovanni a Piro (Salerno), Nardò (Lecce), San Teodoro (Sassari), S.Teresa di Gallura (Sassari), Cabras (Oristano), Castiglione della Pescaia (Grosseto).
