Overview
Portonovo borders Mezzavalle beach to the north, a long free beach that can be reached by sea or along two footpaths which are not long but quite steep in places; Mezzavalle is the quintessential free beach of the Conero Riviera.
It has a rather sandy shoreline (of course, there is no shortage of stones) about 1.5 km long and ends on the left with Scoglio del Trave.
Completely immersed in the nature of Conero Park, it features a crystal-blue sea. In 2014, Legambiente included Mezzavalle in the top positions of 'La più bella sei tu', the contest naming the most beautiful beach of the summer. In 2015, Skyscanner also listed Mezzavalle among the ten most beautiful beaches in Italy.
Mezzavalle beach can be reached via two footpaths. Coming from Ancona, you’ll notice a kind of gate on the left about 4 km after Pietralacroce. You can park on the right where you see the white dotted strip. There is an oak tree and a large plot of land across the road. After the gate there is a path, and keeping to the left you come to a small field. After crossing the field, the Trave path begins to descend: it is a beautiful descent, as it is always panoramic walking towards Mezzavalle beach. To the left, you can walk towards the historic Trave beach, where there used to be a concrete building by the sea.
The main path is located on the Conero Provincial Road just before the Portonovo roundabout when coming from Ancona. You will see a small clearing where the small path about 500 m long begins.
