Alassio beaches: free, serviced and private

The shore at Alassio is sandy and unbroken for about four kilometres, from lungomare Ciccione in the west to the harbour in the east. It is not all the same, though: who runs it, what you pay and which services you get all change along the way. This guide says exactly where the free stretches are, which one to choose and how to reach it.

Three different things, not two

Start by telling them apart, because "free beach" in Alassio means two things:

• Beach club (stabilimento). Private, under concession. This is most of the shore. You pay for an umbrella and loungers, usually by the day or by the week.
• Serviced public beach (spiaggia libera attrezzata, SLA). Eight in all, numbered 1 to 8, held by the municipality under state concession and run by private operators for 2024-2028. Access stays public and the minimum services are set by the municipality; you only pay for what you use.
• Free beach (spiaggia libera). No operator, no charge, no services. The largest, according to the municipal tourist board, is the one beyond the Luca Ferrari marina.

In July 2026 the municipality approved a revision of its coastal use plan bringing free and serviced public beaches to 40% of the total: three municipal beach clubs (Adelasia, Cadorna and Ponente) will become serviced public beaches when their current concessions expire. The decision is made, but it takes effect over several years: for the current season the picture is still the one described below.

The eight serviced public beaches, one by one

They are listed from west to east, the order in which you meet them walking along the sea. Distances are measured on foot from the station along the real route, at a normal pace (4.5 km/h).

The identical distances for SLA 4, 5 and 6 are not a mistake: they face the same stretch of passeggiata Grollero, a few dozen metres apart.

What they have to provide

The obligations are not left to the operator: they are written into the municipal decision that awarded the eight SLA. All eight, throughout the season from 1 May to 30 September and with no midweek closures, must provide cleaning, day and night lifeguarding, and an access walkway usable by people with disabilities.

On top of that:

• SLA 4, 5 and 6 stay open at least ten months a year and keep their changing rooms, showers and hot water even out of season. These are the ones to remember if you come in winter.
• SLA 2 also opens in April and October, for at least two extra months.
• SLA 1 and 8 provide canoes, kayaks or surfboards.
• SLA 8 is the only one with a dedicated access and corridor for dogs to swim.

The genuinely free beach: beyond the harbour

If you want a stretch where you pay nothing at all, the municipality gives one answer: the largest free beach lies beyond the Luca Ferrari marina, at the eastern end. Bear in mind it is a long way: 2.5 kilometres from the station, a little over half an hour on foot along the sea. In exchange there are no costs and no queues — but also no showers, toilets or lifeguards. Bring water and shade.

There are also smaller free accesses scattered around town, for instance near piazza Partigiani and on the rocky sections of the central stretch. They are short, often only a few dozen metres of frontage, and their extent is redefined each season: before counting on one, check the signs on site or ask the tourist office (+39 0182 647027).

Which stretch to choose

With small children. The centre, between passeggiata Grollero and vico Palestro: SLA 3, 4, 5 and 6 are 3 to 5 minutes from the station, have showers and toilets, and the Budello with its ice cream shops and public conveniences is a step away. If you need to go back for an afternoon nap, this is the only area where the trip does not turn into an expedition.

If you want quiet. The west, lungomare Ciccione: the same sand with far less through traffic, 13 minutes on foot or a few minutes by car from the corso Europa car park, which is free and 237 metres from the sea.

If you are driving in for the day. The east: leave the car in the white-lined bays on viale Daniel Hanbury and you are on the passeggiata Cadorna beach within a hundred metres. It is the most efficient combination of free parking and sea in the whole town.

If you have a dog. SLA 8 — Aloha Beach, on lungomare Ciccione, the only serviced public beach with a swimming corridor. Otherwise the beach clubs that describe themselves as dog friendly: La Scogliera on lungomare Ciccione, Baba Beach and Bagni Cipollini in the Sant'Anna ai Monti area. Several other clubs accept small dogs by prior arrangement and subject to space.

If you come out of season. SLA 4, 5 or 6, in the centre: they are the only ones guaranteeing showers and hot water for at least ten months a year.

Dogs: the rule in full

From 1 May to 30 September the municipality forbids taking dogs onto the sand, including at night. This is not a recommendation: it is the seasonal ban in force. Outside that period you can go to the beach with your dog.

During the season, then, two options remain: SLA 8, which has the dedicated access and swimming corridor required by the bathing ordinance, and authorised private beach clubs. It is worth phoning ahead: for many Alassio clubs "pet friendly" means small dogs, by prior arrangement, and only if there is room.

What a beach club costs

Prices vary from club to club and every operator sets its own rates, so what follows are stated orders of magnitude, not tariffs to be passed off as official.

In the 2026 Altroconsumo survey of 222 beach clubs across ten Italian resorts, covering the week of 2 to 8 August 2026, Alassio came out as the most expensive in the sample: €368 a week for an umbrella and two loungers in the front row, €340 as the average across the first four rows. The average across all ten resorts is €225, and the cheapest in the group is Lignano at €164. Compared with 2025, prices in the sample rise by an average of 6%, but in Alassio they do not go up at all.

Two honest caveats about that figure. First: the sample is ten resorts out of thousands, so "the most expensive in Italy" is a headline, not a finding — outside the sample there are beach clubs where a single day costs what a week costs here. Second: it is a peak-season front-row average. In June or September, and in the back rows, you pay noticeably less.

As a daily reference point, Federconsumatori estimates a 2026 national average of €37.35 a day for umbrella, lounger and deckchair.

All these figures are from summer 2026: check the rates with the club before you travel.

Services, showers and accessibility

The eight SLA are contractually required to have an access walkway usable by people with disabilities, as well as cleaning and lifeguarding. Showers and hot water guaranteed out of season, however, are only at SLA 4, 5 and 6.

Accessibility at individual private clubs is uneven and there is no up-to-date public list: before choosing, ask the club directly about the walkway down to the water, the toilets, whether a beach wheelchair is available and what assistance there is. The Alassio tourist office (+39 0182 647027, info@visitalassio.com) can point you in the right direction.

Getting there

From the station the whole central stretch is within 400 metres and both ends within 950. By car, the right approach is to pick the car park to match the stretch of sea, not the centre: viale Hanbury for the east, corso Europa for the west, piazza Partigiani or piazza Sant'Ambrogio for the centre. The full table with rates and measured distances is in getting to Alassio and where to park.

Frequently asked questions

Where are the free beaches in Alassio?

The largest, with no charge and no services, is beyond the Luca Ferrari marina, 2.5 km from the station. The eight serviced public beaches are spread across the whole town: number 8 on lungomare Ciccione, number 7 at piazza Airaldi e Durante, numbers 3, 4, 5 and 6 in the centre between vico Palestro and passeggiata Grollero, and numbers 1 and 2 on passeggiata Cadorna.

Which beach is closest to the station?

Serviced public beach 3, on vico Palestro: 260 metres, three minutes on foot.

How much does an umbrella cost in Alassio?

In summer 2026, according to the Altroconsumo survey, about €368 a week for an umbrella and two loungers in the front row in peak season, and €340 as the average of the first four rows. Out of season and in the back rows you pay less. Every club sets its own rates.

Are there showers on the serviced public beaches?

SLA 4, 5 and 6, in the centre on passeggiata Grollero, must keep changing rooms, showers and hot water for at least ten months a year. On the others, services follow the bathing season.

Can I take my dog to the beach in Alassio?

From 1 May to 30 September it is forbidden on the open shore, including at night. What remains are serviced public beach 8, with its dedicated swimming corridor, and authorised beach clubs. From October to April the ban does not apply.

When is it least crowded?

June and September are still swimmable with far less pressure than July and August, and they cost less.