What to do in Cesenatico beyond the beach: canal port and workshops

You probably know Cesenatico for its beach: neat rows of umbrellas, fine sand, the lifeguard greeting you by name after two days. All lovely. But if you've already had your fill of sunbathing and you're looking for what to do in Cesenatico beyond the sea, you're in the right place: this little town has a heart that beats far from the umbrellas, made of a port designed by Leonardo da Vinci, a fishing village that smells of the Adriatic, and craft workshops where you can create something with your own hands.

In this guide we take you around the real Cesenatico, the one that doesn't end under the beach umbrella, and we show you how to turn an ordinary afternoon into a memory you bring home. Including the creative workshops to book in the area, perfect even when the weather turns moody.

The Leonardesque Canal Port, the heart of Cesenatico

If there's one place to start, it's the Canal Port. Leonardo da Vinci designed it in 1502, commissioned by Cesare Borgia, and to this day it cuts the town in two like a blade of water, from the sea all the way to the square. Walk along the quays at sunset: the historic boats with their ochre and rust-coloured sails of the Maritime Museum float right there, in the open air, like a museum that needs no walls.

This is where you understand that Cesenatico wasn't born for tourism, but for fishing. The low, colourful fishermen's houses are mirrored in the water, the restaurants serve fish that was just unloaded, and in the evening the stroll along the canal has a suspended feel that the beaches, however beautiful, simply can't give you.

What to see around the canal

• The Maritime Museum (Museo della Marineria), with its floating section of traditional boats moored in the canal: you can take it in just by walking past.
• The Marino Moretti House Museum, where the Cesenatico writer and poet lived, a stone's throw from the water.
• The Piazza delle Conserve, ancient underground ice pits where fish was once preserved under snow.
• The early-morning wholesale fish market, if you want to see the Cesenatico that works before the one in a swimsuit wakes up.

The old town and the countryside: the Romagna you don't expect

Move a few hundred metres away from the seafront and Cesenatico changes face. The historic village around the canal is made of narrow lanes, little shops, bars where people play cards and ladies chatting on their doorsteps. No chains, no neon: this is authentic Romagna, the kind that makes you feel like a guest rather than a customer.

And if you fancy a ride, Cesenatico is surrounded by flat, generous countryside: half an hour by bike and you're among vineyards and farmhouses, or you reach the inland villages of the Cesena area. But the best part is that you don't need to go far for an experience that matters: often all it takes is stepping into a local craft workshop.

The workshops and experiences to book

Here comes the part that almost no one in Cesenatico tells you about. Between the town and the rest of the Romagna Riviera there are real artisans who open the doors of their workshops and teach you to make something with your hands in a couple of hours. Not stuffy courses: relaxed experiences, perfect as a couple, with friends or as a family, and you go home with what you've created.

Romagna cooking: piadina, fresh pasta and fish

You're in the land of piadina and cappelletti: a cooking workshop is almost a must. Learning to roll out the dough with a rolling pin, sealing cappelletti with your fingers, stretching the piadina the way the azdore (the women of the house) do: it's the tastiest way, literally, to bring Romagna home. And in a seaside town, a class focused on Adriatic fish shows you what's really behind a plate of sardoncini or fish stew.

Ceramics, painting and hands-on craft

If cooking isn't for you, along the coast you'll find workshops in wheel-thrown ceramics, watercolour painting inspired by the colours of the canal and the sea, and other small handmade arts. These are indoor experiences, perfect as a plan B when it rains or when the sun is too fierce for the beach. Take a look at the guide to creative experiences on the Riviera to get a sense of everything you can try.

Cesenatico is also a great base for exploring the rest of the coast: in no time you reach Rimini, Riccione and the other towns of the Riviera. If you're after ideas for the rainy days, also read what to do when it rains: it works for the whole area, Cesenatico included.

How to plan your day with a difference

1. Morning on the beach or a stroll along the Canal Port with a visit to the Maritime Museum.
2. Lunch in the old town with a piadina and a plate of Adriatic fish.
3. Afternoon in a craft workshop: cooking, ceramics or painting, two hours in the cool.
4. Sunset aperitivo on the quays, with your handmade souvenir in your bag.

Frequently asked questions