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The Chromatic Charm of Monte Conero
Three colors define a unique stretch of coastline, from Trieste down to Gargano. These are the precious materials of a jewel embedded in the middle of the Marche coastline: Monte Conero.
The green of the mountain, the white of the sun-drenched pebbles, the blue of the sea, which under the sun transforms into a shimmering green.
These three colors are encapsulated and preserved within the Bay of Portonovo, stretching from Mezzavalle Beach in the north to the Vela Rock in the south.
A Natural Paradise Within Reach
A small paradise, accessible by car or by sea, setting off from Ancona, Sirolo, or Numana. However, the most fascinating journey is on foot, through numerous steep paths, guided by the cliffs, intoxicated by the scents of Mediterranean scrub, wildflowers, junipers, holm oaks, and strawberry trees. Reaching the beaches, one is enveloped by the pungent scent of the restless sea and the sounds of nature in the silence of dawn and dusk.
At the heart of this landscape lie the saltwater lagoons, formed in prehistoric times due to a massive landslide that shaped the beach, trapping seawater between the rocks. Over time, this water mixed with freshwater springs emerging from the ground, creating a unique ecosystem.
An Unspoiled Place Between Nature and History
Protected by the Conero Regional Park, this land calls travelers and tourists back to history. Embedded in the natural beauty are traces of the past: the Church of Santa Maria di Portonovo (11th century), a masterpiece of Romanesque architecture perched on the sea; the Torre De Bosis (1716), designed based on Leonardo da Vinci’s plans, part of a coastal defense and lookout system against Turkish pirates from the Dalmatian and Albanian coasts; and the Fortino Napoleonico (1810), built during Napoleon’s Kingdom of Italy to prevent the English fleet from landing, drawn by the fresh water supply of the Portonovo spring.
Those who discover Portonovo never forget it. Those who return do so as devoted lovers of beauty—and of those three colors.
