Lido Riccio
A long golden-sand beach below Ortona's cliffs, one of the Costa dei Trabocchi's most family-friendly stretches.
Overview
Lido Riccio is a wide, sandy beach north of Ortona, sitting between the mouths of two small streams and separated from the coast road by a strip of low dunes and a disused rail line now used as a cycle path. Unlike the pebble coves further south on the Costa dei Trabocchi, it's a proper sandy strand with a gently sloping seabed, which makes it one of the most popular family beaches in this part of Abruzzo.
Good for
Public access
Free public sections run alongside paid beach concessions (stabilimenti) with sunbed rental; access is directly from the coast road and the cycle path that follows the old rail line.
Beach clubs available: Yes — sunbeds and umbrellas can usually be rented in season.
Multiple stabilimenti balneari operate along Lido Riccio with sunbed and umbrella rental, alongside free public stretches of sand.
How to get there
By train: Ortona station, on the Adriatic line, is a short taxi ride or bike ride from the beach along the coastal cycle path.
By bus: Local buses run between Ortona's town centre and the Lido Riccio seafront in summer.
Parking: By car: Follow the SS16 coastal road or exit the A14 at Ortona, then head for the coast just north of town where Lido Riccio is signposted. Free and paid parking runs along the coast road behind the beach, with more options near the beach concessions.
On foot: The cycle and walking path along the old railway line connects Lido Riccio directly to Ortona and other nearby beaches.
Facilities
Practical tips
More about Lido Riccio
Lido Riccio sits just below Ortona, a fortified town with a long maritime and military history, visible on the cliffs above the beach. The sand here is finer and the shoreline flatter than the trabocchi-lined coves to the south, and the seabed shelves gently enough that it's a reliable choice for young children, unlike some of Abruzzo's rockier stretches.\n\nA line of beach concessions runs along most of the sand, offering sunbeds, umbrellas and watersports rental, with free public sections in between. Behind the beach, a strip of low dune vegetation and the old railway line - now a cycling and walking path - separate the sand from the coast road, giving Lido Riccio a slightly more open, breathing-room feel than beaches hemmed in directly by traffic.\n\nOrtona itself, a short drive or cycle away, adds a historic counterpoint to a day at the beach: the town's Aragonese Castle, cathedral and old harbour all sit above the water, and it's also a jumping-off point for the Costa dei Trabocchi cycling path, which runs south past San Vito Chietino and Fossacesia toward Vasto.
Location
Other beaches in Liguria are shown on the map — tap a pin to open its page.
Some links may be affiliate links, meaning we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Read our affiliate disclosure.