We are so happy to welcome our first “guest” blogger: Ingrid! Ingrid and her family have been coming to Le Marche for many years and know everything about what there is to do in the region. We were so happy when Ingrid agreed to write about her experience kayaking at Riviera del Conero in Ancona. If you live in the Dutch region of Limburg, we strongly recommend that you visit her physiotherapy practice (website)!
Kayaking at Monte Conero
It is Thursday morning, when the alarm goes off at 6:30 am. Unusual during our holiday, but today there is something very nice to look forward to. We have arranged to meet Monique at 8.30 am to go kayaking around the Riviera del Conero, a beautiful piece of nature on the Adriatic Sea near Ancona in the Marche.
How to get there
After a short car ride from Numana, we park the car just before 8:00 am in a large parking lot on Via Dante Alighieri in Sirolo (see here). It promises to be a beautiful sunny day, so we park the car under a large tree. At this time of the day there is still plenty of room.
After a short climb towards the center, we meet Monique in the Parco della Repubblica in Sirolo. From there it is a short walk to Spiaggia San Michele, a beautiful “hidden” beach, surrounded by chalk-white rock walls and a clear blue sea.
The walk itself is an experience, a gravel path winds slowly, and sometimes a bit steeper, downwards. If you want to get to the bottom a little faster, you can also choose to take a shortcut via a staircase in some parts. For this walk, (water) shoes are not an unnecessary luxury. Due to it being hidden, so mainly locals come here.
The kayaking
Once we arrive at the beach, we head to Conero Style where our kayaks are reserved. It is possible to rent a single kayak or a double kayak. After a brief explanation of how to use the kayak, we head out into the open water.
Spiaggia di San Michele
First on the program are the “Due Sorelle”, two rocky outcrops that lie next to each other in the water off the coast like two sisters. We moor briefly on the beach of the same name near these rocks to enjoy the surroundings.
You can only get to this beach by water, so a boat regularly stops here to drop people off or pick them up again. Some stay on the beach with a parasol and provisions for a whole day, while others might just stay there for a few hours.
Portonovo and La Capannina
After half an hour we continue again and kayak along the coast towards Portonovo. Along the way we come across several beaches, from small to somewhat larger, and people walking or even climbing along walls to get to these beaches. Usually via another beach, because most of these beaches cannot be reached via the hinterland.
About 2 hours after departure, we arrive at Portonovo beach, a beach as we know it in Italy, with “ombrelli e lettini” and trendy beach bars. At one of these beach bars, La Capannina, we pamper ourselves with a snack and a drink, because kayaking makes you thirsty and hungry.
After more than half an hour’s break we start the return journey to Sirolo. While we mainly enjoyed the coastline on the outward journey, we focused more on the kayaking itself on the way back. Of course, with an eye for all the beauty around us.
Finally, around 12:30 PM, after more than 12 kilometers of kayaking, we arrive back at Conero Style on the Spaggia di San Michele.
After returning the kayaks, changing clothes and walking back to the center of Sirolo, we ended the day with a delicious gelato on Piazza Vittorio Veneto.
