As they do every year, the FEE (Foundation for Environmental Education) has assigned their Blue Flag to the cleanest beaches in Italy. This year there are 104 of them, mostly concentrated in central Italy, both to the west (Tuscany) and to the east (Marches.)If you research (with the aid of detailed maps) the sites, you will often find that it won't be too hard to combine sightseeing with a relaxing day or two at the beach, or sometimes even a half day. Morning at museum, nice relaxed lunch in restaurant, dip and napping in the sun in the later afternoon. Italy is small and densely populated, and many of the locales (especially in Tuscany) are near important tourist attractions. Not to mention good food and wine. Even Venice has accessible beaches on the list, Jesolo (in the photo), mostly by car, and Cavallino and its campsites, mostly by boat.
I would advise everyone to stay away from the seaside in August, especially mid-month, as it is packed and prices go up significantly.
