What is Sirolo known for?

The only coastal high point on the Adriatic between Trieste and the Gargano, 572 meters of limestone above the sea. Twin sea stacks below the Conero cliffs, reachable only by boat, the defining seascape of the Riviera del Conero. Late sixth-century BC tomb excavated above town, with two chariots and a gig now held in the Antiquarium Statale in Numana.

Sirolo is a comune in the province of Ancona, Marche region of Italy, about 18 kilometers from Ancona.

Marche · Ancona

Sirolo

A clifftop borgoon the southern flank of Monte Conero, above the Due Sorelle sea stacks of the Adriatic.

18 km / 11 mi

Nearest hub (Ancona)

4,097

Population

May–Sep

Best time to visit

Recognised as

Why come

Sirolo sitson the southern slope of Monte Conero, twenty kilometers from Ancona. The mountain is the only coastal high point on the Adriatic between Trieste and the Gargano: 572 meters of white limestone falling straight into the sea, the geology that gives the Conero Riviera its character. The medieval village belonged to the Conti Cortesi family and kept one of the two original castle towers, now incorporated into the eighteenth-century parish church of San Nicolò di Bari. The belvedere above Piazza Vittorio Veneto looks out across the bay toward the Due Sorelle, the twin sea stacks reachable only by boat. Below town, the Picene necropolis of I Pini holds the late sixth-century BC tomb of the Picene Queen, whose chariots and grave goods are now in the Antiquarium at neighbouring Numana. The town doubles in summer and empties again in October.

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Gallery

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Known for

Centro storico
Medieval village on the Conero clifftop with the Arco Gotico from around the year 1000, the Piazzetta and a belvedere looking out across the Adriatic.
Chiesa di San Nicolò di Bari
Eighteenth-century parish church built over a thirteenth-century structure, incorporating one of the two surviving towers of the medieval Sirolo castle.
Teatro Cortesi
Municipal theatre inaugurated in 1875, built in white Conero stone, restored and reopened in 1989.
Necropoli picena de I Pini
Picene burial ground above town, where the tomb of the Picene Queen was excavated with two chariots and a gig, dated to the late sixth century BC.
Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle
Beach beneath the cliffs reachable only by boat, dominated by the twin sea stacks that give the cove its name.
Parco del Conero
Regional natural park covering Monte Conero and the surrounding ridge, with marked trails from town down to the sea.

When to visit

Best months · May–Sep

Best
Hot or crowded
Quiet
Mostly closed

May through September is the window for Sirolo. The water warms enough for the Conero beaches from late May, the boat shuttle to the Due Sorelle runs daily through summer, and the belvedere stays cool when the Adriatic plain below is hot. July and August are the busiest weeks: parking limits in the centro storico, queues for Spiaggia Urbani and Sassi Neri, evening passeggiate spilling out of every trattoria. September is the better month for swimming with fewer crowds; October still holds light but services start to thin. November through March is mostly closed, with the smaller hotels shuttered and only the village core open to weekend walkers from Ancona.