Metabolic walking, odaka yoga, SUP, bike rides, boat trips: summer holidays at the seaside are an opportunity to dedicate time to the wellbeing of both body and mind. With an ever-expanding tourism offer focused on wellness, Friuli Venezia Giulia invites visitors to immerse themselves in a variety of slow-paced activities, designed to enhance relaxation and promote mental and physical harmony. Throughout the coming summer season, guests in Friuli Venezia Giulia will be able to choose a different activity for each day of the week, alternating relaxing on the beach and slow-paced experiences along the coast and in the inland area.
Breathe: active awakening on the beach
From end of June to September, there are several weekly or bi-weekly events to start the day by lengthening your breath. Traditional disciplines include awakening yoga at Parco del Mare in Lignano Sabbiadoro (every Friday, free registration) or traditional yoga on the beach in Grado twice a week, at dawn and sunset. Those who which to approach new experiences or disciplines can try forest bathingamong the maritime pines of Lignano Pineta, every Wednesday, or odaka yoga, (which combines Bushido, the Way of the Warrior, traditional yoga and the principles of body biomechanics), scheduled twice a week in Lignano Sabbiadoro, from end of May to mid-September.
At Lignano Sabbiadoro you can engage in introspective practice or start you day with more dynamic activities such as metabolic walking or Nordic walking, which combine sport walking and exercises for arms and legs, on the beach or at sea. These events will take place from June to August on a weekly basis and to participate all you need are a pair of trainers, comfortable clothing and a water bottle: registration is free, and the equipment is provided by the organisers, also free of charge.
Paddling: to reach remote beaches by gliding on the Adriatic
Among water activities, SUP (Stand Up Paddle) continues to be a big trend both as an individual and group sport, thanks to large boards you can paddle with your family or friends. From mid-June to mid-September, every day at Lignano Sabbiadoro there will be electric SUP excursions, with a new feature for the 2025 season: every Tuesday there is a special programme for to families, to allow even the little ones to enjoy the beauty of the Marano Lagoon. In addition to renting equipment independently, in the Grado Lagoon you can also book SUP excursions accompanied by specialised staff, which allow you to discover some beaches that can only be reached by paddling, such as the sandbank in Muggia.
Observe: face to face with nature in the reserves
Seaside holidays are not only sandy beaches with and the Adriatic Sea, as where salt water mixes with fresh water there is a whole territory to explore. Every Tuesday from 24 June to 2 September, new appointments with the Nature Bus and Aperitif in the Reserve await you. The excursion begins in the late afternoon and lead you to discover the natural beauty of Isola della Cona, a protected bird reserve, and ends with an aperitif at sunset in the bar-restaurant in the Foce dell’Isonzo Regional Nature Reserve.
Friday 4 and 18 July, Friday 1 and Thursday 21 August: four dates to mark in your diary to explore the secret lagoon of Grado by boat towards a destination that you will reach by navigating through little-known channels. An opportunity to quietly observe the lagoon landscape and go in search of some hidden ‘casoni’ (ancient fishermen’s houses built of wood and straw) and an ancient Roman road.
Among the protected areas of the lagoon, the Valle Cavanata Nature Reserve is another bird sanctuary where you can participate in guided tours organised during bird migration periods. This wetland is in fact ideal for birdwatching, as over 260 species of birds live and nest here, including the greylag goose, which is the symbol of the reserve. With binoculars or a camera in hand, from the observatories it is easy to spot many species of mammals such as roe deer, hares, skunks, martens, weasels, foxes, badgers, squirrels and hedgehogs that live in the area in the wild.
Pedalling: history and culture add to seaside resorts
In seaside resorts you can enjoy bicycle-tourism itineraries and cross-border routes. By way of example, you can ride your bike or e-bike (available for rent at some bike points) from Lignano Sabbiadoro and travel along the Adriatic Sea cycling route. This route slowly crosses the regional plain and stops in the villages of Marano Lagunare, Grado and Duino, and finally reaches Trieste. If you wish, once you arrive in Cervignano del Friuli, you can also take a detour onto the award-winning Alpe Adria cycling route which connects Grado and Tarvisio: the closest stops – both UNESCO heritage sites – are Palmanova, a fortified city with star-shaped walls, and Aquileia, where you can spend a day inside the recently expanded archaeological area.
Lignano Sabbiadoro also offers many free itineraries with a guide, such as the Fat Sand Bike outingsalong the beach of Lignano Sabbiadoro (every Monday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday) or the bike ride between the Stella River and the Tagliamento River on Tuesday mornings, with e-bikes made available by the Sabbiadoro bike point. On Thursdays, from June to September, you can take part in the city bike excursion from Lignano to Marano Lagunare, which runs along the banks of the Tagliamento River and, once past the Stella River, crosses the Muzzana forest. Once arrived in Marano, you can have a delicious lunch of freshly caught fish, before returning to Lignano by motorboat, with a renewed sense of well-being after this outdoor activity. This excursion is also for free, with the exception of lunch and the ticket for the return, boat which are the responsibility of the participants.
Explore: by canoe or boat between water and wind
Activities to discover the beauties of the area from a different point of view, but always in a slow key: the Gulf of Trieste is the best place for this. Villaggio del Pescatore (the Fisherman’s Village) is five minutes by car from Duino and is the departure point of several excursions, including the one in Canadian canoe around the castles in Duino, from May to September. It is an outing with an instructor and nature guide, also open to beginners, during which you can observe the cliffs, the Mediterranean vegetation and the castles climbing on the Karst.
If you prefer navigating, you can choose among different types of boats and activities, such as the boat excursion from the Fisherman’s Village to the Timavo River springs, every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday from 14 June to 15 September. We start with a tour of the Gulf of Trieste, a must-go to observe the cliffs, and then we continue towards the springs of the Timavo River.
Flabellina is a silent and unobtrusive electric boat in the fleet of the Miramare Marine Protected Area which takes tourists on naturalistic excursions accompanied by WWF staff to discover the Biosphere Reserve off the coast of Grignano, recognised as a MAB site by UNESCO and the impact of underwater noise on marine life.
Finally, in this area traditionally marked by wind, sailing boat tours from Monfalcone off the Gulf of Trieste aboard the schooner Roberta III, a historic yacht from 1899, are available upon reservation from June to October. An opportunity to experience slow sailing with your family or a group of friends, and perhaps try hoisting the sails with the skipper for the first time.
