Blue Flag Beaches in Italy in September: What's Still Open and Where to Go

September is one of the best months for a beach holiday in Italy: the sea is still warm, the beaches are less crowded and prices drop. What you need to work out is what stays open after mid-month. That's why it helps to separate the bathing season, meaning water quality, from the beach-club season, meaning lifeguards, sunbeds, umbrellas and showers. The two calendars don't match, and the gap matters if you're choosing a Blue Flag beach for the end of summer. The topic came back into the news on 19 September 2026, when Confcommercio Savona asked for beach clubs to be allowed to stay open until 30 September.

Why everyone wants the sea in late summer

The JFC observatory estimates almost 407 million visitor nights in Italy's seaside resorts for summer 2026, up 4.8% on last season. That breaks down into roughly 299 million nights by Italian tourists (+5.6%) and over 108 million by foreign visitors (+3%). These are forecasts, reported in July by Il Sole 24 Ore and picked up by trade outlets such as Mondo Balneare, not final figures. They help explain the demand for September beach breaks: with such a long, busy season, many travellers push their holiday to the end of summer, when the crowds thin out.

The push to extend the season to 30 September

On 19 September 2026, Savonanews reported a positive summer for the Savona area, with foreign tourism up 10%, especially from Northern Europe and France. Enrico Schiappapietra, president of Confcommercio Savona, asked the Liguria Region to make it optional for beach concession holders to stay open until 30 September, instead of the traditional 15 September. Two options are on the table: full operation with all services, lifeguard included, or a basic package with sunbathing area, umbrella and showers. According to the same source, the Region said it is willing to consider the proposal, which would need to be written into municipal ordinances for next season. For now, nothing changes for anyone heading to the beach today: it is a request under discussion, not a rule in force.

Swimming season vs. beach services: two different calendars

The bathing season used for water quality checks runs from 1 May to 30 September, with ARPA regional agency sampling starting a month earlier. In Liguria, for example, ARPAL is monitoring 380 sampling points in 2026. Regions can set different dates, though: for 2026, Balneabile.it lists a 31 October close in Sicily and Calabria, 27 September in Emilia-Romagna and 20 September in Le Marche. Outside the official period, sampling stops and temporary bans lapse along with the ordinance that imposed them. Beach clubs, on the other hand, follow regional and municipal beach ordinances: they may close early or stay open with shorter hours and fewer services, and lifeguard cover may not last the whole period.

Where to look among the Blue Flag beaches

In 2026 there are 257 Blue Flag municipalities and 525 beaches, according to Italy's Ministry of Tourism, which matches the national press (some outlets report 256 municipalities). Liguria leads with 35 awards, followed by Puglia and Calabria with 27 each. For a late-September trip, the best bets are regions whose bathing calendar runs to the end of the month or beyond, such as Puglia, Calabria and Sicily. Before you go, check the town hall's website for the beach clubs' closing date, whether lifeguards work every day, and what the flag on the beach is signalling. If there is no lifeguard, stay close to shore, don't swim alone, and only go in when the sea is calm.