24/02/2025
Earlier this year, we got to surf some of the Italian west coast. We got out the log and had some super mellow waves here with some friendly locals in the water.
However, not all ‘post card’ white-sand beaches are what they seem…
Between Rosignano and Vada, we found this stretch of impossibly bright sand and amazing turquoise water—beautiful, but with a secret. The reason? A nearby plant releases bicarbonate of soda (yep, baking soda) as a byproduct into the sea. While it’s a natural mineral, it’s also alkaline and slightly abrasive, turning the water a milky white instead, but as you can see from the pictures, it’s deceptive, it looks amazing.
It’s still a beautiful place to soak up the sun, but as for swimming? Next time we would probably trust our instincts and stick to clearer waters. But when there is a wave, we rocked up and…