AnconaAdriatic Coast · Italy

All About Ancona

The picturesque port town of Ancona was founded around 387 BC and is located on the eastern coast of Central Italy, where it stands as a testament to the ancient Greek period. Its name in ancient Greek means ‘elbow’, which is due to its unique shape and position on the Adriatic Sea. Although it is often dismissed by tourists as a pit stop that allows them to travel to other more interesting places, there is much to explore here, including some fascinating historical buildings and pristine beaches surrounded by state-of-the-art hotels and resorts. Taking a ferry to Ancona is easy, just use Ferryscanner to compare ferry companies and book ferry tickets.
 

Routes and Ferries to Ancona

You can catch a ferry from Ancona to the Greek cities of Igoumenitsa, Corfu, and Patra all of which have excellent connectivity with this quiet coastal town. It takes around 16 hours to complete the journey, which includes onboard service at cheap rates. Minoan Lines is one of the leading ferry companies providing transportation services to and from Ancona. Check out Ferryscanner to compare prices, and easily find ferry tickets to and from Ancona.

When traveling by train, stop at the Ancona Centrale station, from where you can take a bus to Ancona Port. For international travelers, the best option is to take a flight to the Raffaello Sanzio airport that lies 18km from the town. Nearby the airport, there is the Castelferretti train station from where you can catch a train and travel to Ancona Centrale station, a journey that will take around 15-20 minutes.
 

Ports of Ancona

The Port of Ancona is one of the most important harbors in the Mediterranean Sea and a vital trading point. It covers an area of 1.4 square miles and consists of ferry and passenger terminals, general cargo, and container facilities. The port is also an important international ferry route terminal with ferries traveling to Albania, Croatia, and Greece.

Among all the ferry routes, the Ancona-Igoumenitsa–Patras is the most vital since it serves as a major route between Central Europe and Greece. In recent years, container traffic has noticeably increased at this port, and this has been attracting some of the major global players in the container transport industry to Ancona.

You can easily travel to Ancona Port from the city center. It is just a 20-minute drive from the nearest airport and the railway and bus stations also lie close by. It is about 30 minutes on foot to reach the bus station from where you can catch a bus to travel to many different parts of Italy.
 

Best Beaches in Ancona

Ancona is uniquely positioned on the Adriatic coast and has the majestic mount Conero overlooking the swimmers. The beaches here each have their distinct characteristics, with rocky, sandy, and wild beaches surrounded by classy resorts and villas. You can easily reach the beaches from the city center via bus, a journey that would cost you 1.50 €  for one way and 2.50 €  for a return ticket, valid for two hours.

Passetto

The easy accessibility of this beach from the center of the city makes it popular among locals and tourists alike. However, because of this it is quite heavily crowded during the summer peak season. There are different sections on this beach, with the first one being more rocky and difficult to maneuver, followed by a gravelly area where most of the locals go to lounge in the sea. If you advance towards the grottoes, you reach a peaceful place that is ideal for swimming.

Grotta Azzurra

This beach is separated from Passetto by a cliff and it can be easily accessed via a road or staircase taking you to a row of grottoes. An interesting characteristic of this beach is the giant rock formations where you can sunbathe or keep your belongings while you go hunting for mussels (found here in abundance). Compared to the other beaches, you can catch the sun for a long time here. Also, keep in mind that the water gets quite deep.

Mezzavalle

On the outskirts of Ancona lies Mezzavalle Beach, and you can find this place while traveling towards Portonovo. Being a wild, remote beach, it is a bit hard to access. You have to take a road through a forest, which starts from a parking lot near the cliffs. The sandy stretches of beach are dotted with small rocks, and there lies a clay quarry to the north where you can lather yourself up with natural mud.
 

Neighborhoods of Ancona

The neighborhoods of Ancona hold several historical and modern attractions, which include old monuments from the Greek and Roman days as well as beautiful churches from the Renaissance period that will fill you with awe.

Via Vittoria

This seaside neighborhood is a quaint place with lots of history. Located close to Pasetto Beach, it is famous for the Pasetto Monument, built during World War I, where you will notice decorative motifs influenced by Italy‘s fascist era. From here, a long staircase leads down to the beach below. On a clear day, you can actually see the Croatian coast from the top.

Pietralacroce

If you are a history buff, the Pietralacroce area is where you should go first in Ancona. Lying close to the city center, it has a historical fort, dating back to the days of Italy’s unification. Previously, the fort served as a defense against naval attacks, and you can still see the old cannons on display here. Take in the breathtaking view of the Adriatic Sea, and during Christmas, you can catch the living nativity scene of Pietralacroce taking place within its walls.

Rione San Pietro

This neighborhood lies on the southwestern side of Ancona, beyond the Capuccini and Guasco hills, and it is one of the oldest parts of the town. The chief attraction here is the Piazza del Papa, which is a great place to sit in a café with friends or explore the various historic buildings. The San Domenico church is a must-visit, where you can visit a magnificent painting called the Crucifixion by Titan.

Colle Guasco

Surrounded to the west by the Adriatic Sea, Colle Guasco is the summit of the city’s promontory. It is also known as the ‘hill of the Duomo’ since it holds the great San Ciriaco cathedral, which is a great example of Byzantine and Romanesque architecture.  Here you can witness a magnificent porch constructed in the Gothic style and majestic monolithic columns.

Rione Cardeto

This district is located to the south of Monte Cardeto and consists of two villages, namely Borgo Farina and Borgo Calamo. In this neighborhood, you will find the Piazza Malatesta, where in the old days, executions were carried out by the order of the Pope. There is also a street market in this area where you can buy some souvenirs for family, friends or for yourself!
 

Transportation Around Ancona

If you wish to explore Ancona in the most authentic fashion, you are better off traversing the city on foot. Doing so will allow you to visit all the popular tourist sites and monuments. However, you can use public transportation provided by Conerobus Spa to travel around the city. It has 122 different routes with a total of 3,952 stops, covering a vast area from Fano in the north to Macerata in the south.

Alternatively, you can rent a car from one of several agencies around Ancona and explore the city while taking your sweet time. Most of the car rental companies are concentrated around the airport area, with the top choices being Ecovia, Buchbinder, Europcar, B-Rent, and Avis. If you want to explore the city in a more relaxed and economical manner, you can also rent a bicycle. This would cost you around 3 € per day.