Top Things to Do in Ancona — Complete Guide 2026
Published June 13, 2026 · 11 min read
Ancona is the kind of city that rewards the curious traveller far more than the casual one. On first approach — whether by train through the industrial suburbs or by ferry across the Adriatic — it can seem an unlikely destination: a working port, cranes on the skyline, ferries loading for Split and Patras. But climb the Guasco hill to the Cathedral of San Ciriaco and the city reveals itself: a Greek-founded, Roman-engineered, Byzantine-defended, medieval-built port whose history is written in stone at every level. And just when you think you have understood it as a city of layers and history, you turn south and see the Conero — a mountain that falls into the sea in a series of white limestone cliffs, hidden coves, and turquoise water. The combination of deep history, Adriatic beauty, and the almost total absence of the crowds that define Italy's better-known coastal destinations makes Ancona one of the country's most rewarding under-the-radar destinations. Here are the essential things to do.
Ancona's Historic Core
1. Cattedrale di San Ciriaco
The Cathedral of San Ciriaco is Ancona's crowning monument — a Romanesque-Gothic hybrid that occupies the most dramatic site in the city. Perched on the Guasco hill, it stands on the foundations of a Roman temple to Venus Erycina, and the site's sacred history is palpable: the cathedral's crypt incorporates Roman columns, and visitors enter through a 13th-century portal guarded by stone lions. The façade is a striking example of Romanesque architecture with Byzantine influences — a mix of white Conero stone and Veronese pink marble — and the interior is simple, solemn, and beautiful. The real reward, however, is outside: the cathedral piazza commands a 270-degree panorama that takes in the port, the Adriatic, the Conero massif, and on clear days the Dalmatian coast of Croatia. The crypt houses the relics of San Ciriaco and is open daily. Entry is free.
2. Arco di Traiano
Standing on the harbour — not in a piazza, not in a museum, but where ships have docked for two thousand years — the Arco di Traiano is Ancona's most extraordinary monument. Erected in 115 AD to honour Emperor Trajan, who funded the expansion of Ancona's port into one of the Roman Empire's most important Adriatic harbours, it is a single marble arch 18 metres high, its attic bearing a dedicatory inscription that can still be read word-for-word. It was designed by Apollodorus of Damascus, the same architect who built Trajan's Forum and Column in Rome. The arch's survival is remarkable — it has weathered invasions, earthquakes, wars, and centuries of sea air — and its position directly on the water, without barriers or ticket offices, makes it one of Italy's most accessible ancient monuments. Walk up to it, touch the 1,900-year-old marble, and consider that the same view was seen by Roman sailors arriving from across the empire.
3. Passetto Beach and the Grotte del Passetto
The Passetto is Ancona's classic seaside neighbourhood, and its beach is unlike any other in Italy. A monumental double staircase — the Scalinata del Passetto, built in the 1920s — descends from the white limestone cliffs to the sea, and the cliff face itself is honeycombed with grotte: caves carved by fishermen in the 19th century, originally used as boat storage and shelters. Many are still in use today, painted in bright colours, with names like "La Grotta Azzurra" and "La Grotta del Gabbiano" scrawled above the doors. The beach is a mix of pebbles and rock platforms, the water is clean and deep, and the atmosphere is pure Adriatic — families picnicking in the caves, sunbathers stretched on the rocks, fishermen mending nets. The Passetto also has one of the best fish restaurants in the city (see the Food Guide) and a lively evening scene on the clifftop promenade, where the passeggiata stretches from the War Memorial to the pine-shaded park at the northern end.
4. Mole Vanvitelliana
Few cities can claim a pentagonal artificial island as a cultural centre. The Mole Vanvitelliana — or Lazzaretto — was designed by Luigi Vanvitelli (the architect of the Royal Palace of Caserta) and built between 1733 and 1743 as a quarantine station for ships arriving at the port. Its pentagonal shape, surrounded by a moat, is an engineering marvel — entirely surrounded by water, connected to the mainland by a single bridge, and designed so that goods and people could be isolated and inspected before entering the city. Today it houses the Museo Tattile Statale Omero (Italy's national tactile museum, where visitors are encouraged to touch the sculptures — a fascinating experience for everyone, not just the visually impaired) and hosts major art exhibitions, concerts, and the Ancona Jazz Festival. Even when no exhibition is on, the building itself — its long interior courtyards, the views back to the city across the moat — rewards a visit. The café in the courtyard is a lovely spot for a coffee.
5. Museo Archeologico Nazionale delle Marche
Housed in the 16th-century Palazzo Ferretti, Ancona's archaeological museum is one of the finest in central Italy and a journey through the region's pre-Roman history. The star exhibits are the Picene civilisation finds — the Piceni were the Iron Age people who inhabited the Marche before the Romans, and their warrior tombs have yielded extraordinary collections of bronze armour, amber jewellery, and weapons. The Picene princely tombs from Numana, dating to the 6th–4th centuries BC, include a chariot burial and a full warrior's panoply that rivals anything in the British Museum. The Greek section is equally impressive, with Attic pottery and bronzes that reflect Ancona's role as a Greek trading colony. The museum occupies a grand Renaissance palazzo with frescoed ceilings and views over the port — allow at least 1.5 hours, more if Greek and Italic archaeology is your thing. Entry is €5, and it is mercifully uncrowded even in summer.
6. Santa Maria della Piazza
This small, exquisite Romanesque church near the port deserves a longer stop than its modest exterior suggests. Built in the 11th century on the site of an earlier early Christian basilica, its façade is a masterpiece of geometric marble carving — blind arcades, lozenges, and delicate interlaced patterns. The real revelation is inside: the floor of the nave features a glass-covered section revealing an extraordinary 6th-century mosaic pavement from the earlier church, its fish, birds, and geometric motifs still brilliantly coloured after 1,500 years. Below the church, an archaeological crypt preserves the remains of the early Christian basilica and sections of the Greek and Roman city walls. Free entry, and the guides (volunteers from the local cultural association) are knowledgeable and passionate.
7. Ancona Lighthouse (Faro di Ancona)
The Ancona Lighthouse stands on the Cappuccini hill at the northern entrance to the port, built in 1860 on the site of an earlier medieval tower. The walk up from the port passes through a residential neighbourhood with increasingly expansive views, and the lighthouse terrace delivers the best harbour panorama in the city — the ferries, the fishing boats, the old town rising behind, and the Conero massif to the south. The lighthouse is still operational, and while the tower itself is not generally open to visitors, the surrounding park is a peaceful spot for a picnic or sunset. Combine it with a walk through the adjacent Parco del Cardeto, the city's largest green space, with trails through Mediterranean scrub and Second World War bunkers.
Conero Regional Park — The Adriatic's Best-Kept Secret
8. Due Sorelle Beach (Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle)
The Due Sorelle — Two Sisters — are the Conero Riviera's defining image: two white sea stacks rising from impossibly clear turquoise water, fronting a small pebble beach accessible only by boat. The beach sits between Portonovo and Sirolo, tucked under the highest cliffs of Monte Conero, and its inaccessibility by land (there is no road, and the steep trails are officially closed for safety) keeps it pristine. Boats depart from the harbour in Numana (€15–20 return, roughly every 30 minutes in summer) and drop you on the beach for a few hours. The water here is consistently rated among Italy's cleanest and clearest; the snorkelling around the sea stacks is excellent. Arrive early in high season — even boat access is limited, and the beach fills by mid-morning in August.
9. Spiaggia di Mezzavalle and Portonovo Bay
Mezzavalle is the Conero's wild beach — a kilometre-long sweep of pebbles and white stones between Portonovo and Sirolo, backed by dense Mediterranean macchia and the rising slopes of Monte Conero. There are no facilities, no bars, no loungers — just the sea, the stones, and the cliffs. Access is by a steep 20-minute footpath from the road above (wear proper shoes, not flip-flops), and the effort filters out the crowds. The reward is one of the most dramatic beach settings on the Adriatic. The southern end is unofficially clothing-optional. Portonovo Bay, a few hundred metres north, could not be more different — a perfect crescent of pebble beach with two excellent seafood restaurants (Emilia and Da Giulia), the 19th-century Napoleonic Fortino fortress perched on the water, and the 11th-century Romanesque church of Santa Maria di Portonovo in a pine grove. Portonovo is accessible by road and seasonal bus from Ancona, with a paid car park (€10/day in summer).
10. Hike to the Summit of Monte Conero
The summit of Monte Conero — 572 metres, less than 2 km from the sea — delivers one of the best coastal panoramas in Italy. The standard trail starts from the car park near the Pian di Raggetti and climbs through dense holm oak forest (shade, mercifully, for the steepest sections) to the open meadow of the Pian Grande, where the view explodes: the entire Conero coast from Ancona to Porto Recanati, the Adriatic stretching to the horizon, and the snow-capped Gran Sasso massif visible on the clearest days. The hike is about 6 km round-trip, takes 2–2.5 hours, and requires moderate fitness. The trail is marked — follow the red-and-white CAI signs for trail 301. Spring and autumn are ideal; avoid midday in July and August due to heat. A longer alternative route starts from the Badia di San Pietro, a restored 11th-century Benedictine monastery at the foot of the Conero, adding about 3 km and passing through olive groves with lake views.
11. Numana and Sirolo — The Conero's Seaside Villages
The twin villages of Numana and Sirolo, sitting either side of the Conero's southern slopes, are the social heart of the Riviera. Numana clusters around a small fishing harbour where boats depart for the Due Sorelle, with a sandy beach (Spiaggia dei Frati and Spiaggia di Numana Bassa) that is the best on the Conero for families. The old town climbs the hill behind in pastel-coloured terraces, and the seafood restaurants along the port serve the day's catch on dockside tables. Sirolo, 3 km south, is slightly more refined — a hilltop village whose main piazza opens onto a panoramic balcony over the coast, with views that take in the entire Conero Riviera. Sirolo's beaches (Urbani, San Michele, Sassi Neri) cascade down the cliffs below the town, accessed by footpaths and a seasonal shuttle bus. Both villages are reached by the seasonal Conero Bus from Ancona. In summer, the evening passeggiata in both villages is a daily ritual worth joining — gelato, an Aperol spritz on the piazza, and that view.
12. Badia di San Pietro
Tucked into the lower slopes of the Conero, the Badia di San Pietro is a beautifully restored 11th-century Benedictine monastery with a bell tower that rises above the olive groves. The church interior is simple Romanesque — exposed stone, wooden ceiling, a 13th-century fresco in the apse — and the cloister gardens are a pocket of absolute peace. The monastery sits on a natural terrace with views over the port of Ancona, and the surrounding area is crisscrossed with walking trails through olive groves and Mediterranean scrub. It makes an excellent starting point for the longer Conero summit hike or a destination in its own right. There is a small café in the restored farm buildings. Reachable by car or a 30-minute uphill walk from the outskirts of Ancona.
Day Trips and Nearby Gems
13. Loretto — The Holy House
Twenty-two kilometres south of Ancona, Loretto is one of Catholicism's most important pilgrimage sites — second in Italy only to St Peter's in Rome. The Basilica della Santa Casa, a massive late-Gothic fortress-church built between 1469 and 1587, encloses the Santa Casa itself: a small stone house believed to be the Virgin Mary's home from Nazareth, said to have been transported by angels (or, more prosaically, by Crusaders) to Loretto in 1294. Whether you believe the legend or not, the basilica is architecturally magnificent — Bramante contributed to the design, and the marble screen around the Santa Casa is a Renaissance masterpiece. The treasury museum holds works by Signorelli and Lotto. Frequent trains from Ancona (20 minutes) make it an easy half-day trip.
14. Senigallia — The Velvet Beach
Thirty kilometres north of Ancona, Senigallia is famous for its 14 kilometres of fine golden sand — the "spiaggia di velluto" (velvet beach) — and for the Rocca Roveresca, a massive 15th-century fortress built by the Della Rovere family. The beach here is the classic Adriatic holiday experience: endless rows of umbrellas, volleyball nets, gelaterias, and seafood shacks. The historic centre, with its arcaded streets and the elegant Palazzo Ducale, is worth an hour's exploration before or after the beach. Senigallia also hosts the Summer Jamboree festival (late July–early August), Europe's biggest 1940s–50s music and culture festival, which transforms the town into a non-stop swing-dance party. Train from Ancona: 25 minutes, frequent departures.
15. Grotte di Frasassi
About 60 km southwest of Ancona in the Apennine foothills, the Grotte di Frasassi are one of Europe's most spectacular cave systems — a network of limestone caverns discovered in 1971 that includes the Abisso Ancona, a single chamber so vast (200 metres high, 180 metres long) that it could comfortably contain Milan's cathedral. The guided tour (75 minutes, €18, book ahead) walks through a series of chambers filled with stalactites, stalagmites, and formations resembling organ pipes, waterfalls, and frozen curtains, dramatically lit. It is cool inside (14°C year-round), so bring a jacket even in summer. Frasassi is best reached by car (about an hour from Ancona), but combination bus-and-train packages are available from Ancona's tourist office in high season.
16. Spiaggia dei Sassi Neri — The Black Stones Beach
Tucked below the cliffs of Sirolo, the Spiaggia dei Sassi Neri (Black Stones Beach) is named for the dark, polished pebbles that give it a dramatic, almost volcanic atmosphere — unusual on the otherwise white-limestone Conero coast. The beach is quieter than the more famous Urbani and San Michele, accessible only by a steep footpath (about 10 minutes down, longer coming up). The water is exceptionally clear, the snorkelling around the rocky headlands is excellent, and the relative difficulty of access keeps it peaceful even in August. No facilities — bring everything you need — which is part of its charm.
17. Port of Ancona — Ferry Watching and Adriatic Sunsets
Ancona's port is not just a transport hub — it is a destination in its own right. The passenger terminal, a modernist 1990s design by the architect Gaetano Pesce, sits on the quayside where enormous ferries load for Croatia, Greece, and Albania. The early evening — when the Split and Patras ferries depart, horns sounding across the harbour — is a surprisingly atmospheric time to be on the waterfront. The bars and gelaterias along the Banchina Nazario Sauro, facing the old port, are ideal for watching the maritime traffic with an Aperol spritz. The sunset from the Molo Sud pier, looking back toward the Cathedral and the Guasco hill, is one of Ancona's finest views, and it costs nothing. Walk through the arches of the historic Porta Pia gate (designed by Vanvitelli) as you head back into the old town.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Ancona worth visiting?
- Absolutely. Ancona is one of Italy's most underrated port cities — a place where a 1,900-year-old Roman triumphal arch stands on the harbour, a magnificent Romanesque cathedral surveys the Adriatic from its hilltop, and some of Italy's finest beaches lie just 15 minutes to the south. It is far less touristy and significantly more affordable than the Amalfi Coast or Cinque Terre, and the Conero Riviera rivals any coastal scenery in the country. Add exceptional seafood, the wines of Verdicchio country, and the almost total absence of international crowds, and you have a destination that rewards every day you give it.
- What is the best beach near Ancona?
- The Due Sorelle (Two Sisters), reachable only by boat from Numana, is the most iconic — two white sea stacks rising from water consistently rated among Italy's cleanest. Mezzavalle, a wild kilometre-long pebble beach between Portonovo and Sirolo, is the most dramatic and least crowded. For facilities and easy access, Portonovo Bay and Spiaggia Urbani in Sirolo offer restaurants, loungers, and Conero views.
- How do I get to the Conero Riviera from Ancona without a car?
- The Conero Bus runs seasonally (June–September) from Ancona Centrale station to Portonovo, Numana, and Sirolo — the most convenient option. Year-round, bus line 94 serves Portonovo with reduced frequency. Many Conero trailheads and the Due Sorelle boat departures are reachable via this bus network. Ferries and boat tours from Ancona's port also provide scenic access to the Conero coastline.