Summer in Italy: 5 sports to do and where

The first sport you can practice in Italy during the summer is evergreen: running.

During the summer, running becomes a pleasure especially if practiced in the cold hours of the day, early in the morning or at sunset. Running can always be practiced, whether you are a novice or an experienced runner. A light jog for just over an hour is good for your health and is an inexpensive and easy way to keep fit.

Italy offers long itineraries along the streets of its cities that will make you feel the thrill of a one-of-a-kind race. You can run by the sea or through the streets of the historical centre of one of the Italian cities. The best thing is to enjoy the possibility of a sport to be practiced freely to breathe clean air and feel good about yourself.

Among the most beautiful places, there is the long Po in Turin, inside the Valentino park, where hundreds of runners meet and enjoy the pleasure of activity, along the bank of the Po.

On the other hand, Trieste offers one of the most beautiful views of the whole peninsula with the Barcola seafront, with a path that runs along the entire coastal stretch of Trieste, a very popular destination for those who want to run looking at the sea.

According to running on the sea, one of the most beautiful routes in Italy and the world is the route that takes you from the Naples seafront to Posillipo and vice versa with the sea and Vesuvius in the background.

Cycling is a very popular sport in Italy and is suitable for all seasons, especially in summer when it is possible to enjoy the most pleasant climate. Even for cycling, I recommend that you prefer the cooler hours of the day.

Among the most popular destinations, there is certainly Tuscany famous for its valleys and hills such as the Val d'Orcia, the Chianti hills and San Gimignano. Sicily also offers a splendid itinerary with the Val di Noto in Sicily and its baroque itinerary between Noto, Ragusa, Modica and Scicli. Finally, you cannot help but take into consideration the beautiful panoramic walk of the Cinque Terre in the park of the same name between the sea and the historic villages of Liguria.

Cycling is great for fitness and especially for breathing capacity and joint movement. Cycling is also a sport that encourages being in a group as it is recommended to leave for long rides always in a company and to bring lots of water and some snacks with you to compensate for the huge energy expenditure of pedaling.

Padel is a combination of techniques and rules derived from tennis and squash. It is a sport that has been very popular in recent years all over the world and that in the last year has also spread a lot in Italy. Summer seems to be the best time to try this new experience.

The technical characteristics of the padel are reflected in physical activity which translates into athletic rhythm at high frequency and intensity. The entire muscular system is stressed. If you are out of practice do not force your hand too much, as they could run into some injuries carried by the fog that transmits this very addictive sport.

Among the most beautiful Italian destinations to enjoy relaxation with your favourite sport, there is Sabaudia. A beautiful coastal corner with a suggestive promenade from which you can reach the islands of Ponza and Ventotene or enjoy the beauties of Circeo Park.

Sabaudia, in addition, is among the best beaches in Italy for families and children. 

Beach volleyball is one of the most practised sports on the beaches throughout Italy during the summer season. It is a highly aerobic and dynamic sport. In addition to being a team sport with all its benefits, it also brings several health benefits. An hour of play allows you to burn almost 800 calories as it involves the whole body and the work on the sand will enable you to intensify every movement.

You too can experience the thrill of this sport, go to one of the hundreds of Italian beaches and find a field, a net and a group of friends with whom you can share some dunks and some passes to the net.

Among the best tourist destinations are the Adriatic coast, its beach volleyball fields, and Lignano Sabbiadoro, where you can play on the soft and golden sand of the Friulian coast, and the 15 km of the Rimini coast, with its well-equipped beaches.

The stand-up paddle is a water sport on board that is spreading very quickly all over the world and in particular in seaside resorts, which are scattered everywhere in Italy.

SUP is a sport that can be within everyone's reach. It consists of balancing on a board that floats on the water while moving with an oar. The abdominal and leg benefits are obvious, but do you want to put the opportunity to enjoy the beauties of the Italian maritime landscapes on board a table in the middle of the sea? You can choose one of the hundreds of Italian seaside destinations to practise this sport, but also one of the must-haves of lake tourism: Lake Garda.

To conclude, swimming is the summer sport par excellence. You can practice it both in the swimming pool or in structures equipped as gyms, and outdoors if you are lucky enough to live in seaside areas or near a lake.

The benefits of this sport are many: it promotes a toning activity along the entire muscular system of the body, manages to counteract back pain or posture problems, prevents many health problems and, like many sports, helps relieve stress. Furthermore, during the hot Italian summer, a swim in the sea is not only a way to exercise and keep fit but also a way to cool off.

In every corner of Italy, swimming is practised, so much so that it is one of the national sports with Italian athletes who often distinguish themselves in all continental and European competitions. Suggesting just one place to practice this sport could be really difficult, but there are places that you can visit all over Italy, including the suggestive and mythological Scilla in Calabria, which overlooks the Strait of Messina. A mystical place already presents in mythology, which every year hosts the crossing of the Strait of Messina by swimming.