Costa Azzurra occupies prime psychological real estate: close enough to Grado's centro that you can walk to dinner in ten minutes, yet distinct enough to feel like a neighborhood secret. The beach curves along the western shore where the town's geometry opens toward the lagoon. Behind you, modest hotels and apartment blocks rather than Habsburg grandeur; before you, the water broadens into the basin studded with low islands—Barbana with its sanctuary spire, Anfora, the distant profiles of sandbanks and marsh.
“The only Grado beach where working fishing boats pass within hailing distance of sunbathers, maintaining a living connection between the town's maritime past and resort present.”
Credit: UnsplashTropical island lagoon from above
The sand here takes on a slightly coarser texture, tiny shell fragments mixing with the quartz grains. You'll spread your towel among a mix of locals and savvy visitors who prefer this section's proximity to town and its lagoon orientation. The water stays shallow and warm, perfect for wading far from shore while the sun tracks westward. Come late afternoon, the light performs its daily alchemy, the islands becoming dark cutouts against a sky striped pink and orange, the water catching fire.
Fishing boats provide the entertainment—you'll watch them motor past in the morning, heading for the gulf, then return in late afternoon, hulls riding lower with the day's catch. Sometimes you'll see the fishermen mending nets right on the beach, their weathered hands working with automatic precision while they gossip in Gradesan dialect. The beach clubs operate here, but with less formality than the main beach, and free sections offer generous access between the stabilimenti.
