Comune di Cervia

At the end of the long coastal road of Ravenna’s beaches is Cervia, the ancient “city of salt”, today one of the most modern and popular centres for quality seaside vacations. The site maintains a truly unique charm: the Adriatic paints it with its blue-green waves; the surviving ancient salt flats, inhabited by herons, flamingos, and other numerous species of birds, create a magical chequerboard of bodies of water and canals protected by the large pines of the centuries-old pine grove that surrounds the entire area.
Over recent years of the past century, the city of salt has discovered a vocation that has evolved constantly over time, until today when it is recognised as a seaside resort. In 1883 there was the inauguration of the first “bathing establishment”, a platform on water that offered wooden cabins that were rigorously separated for women and men. It was the initial service structure for the practice of bathing in the sea, which was discovered and propagandised for its healthy effect. During the evening the establishment came to life with lights and music, to welcome the rituals of a worldliness that would then be revealed as a typical characteristic of a vacation at the seaside. 
The year 1912 saw the onset of Milano Marittima, the famous “garden city” woven with Art Nouveau and Neo-Gothic villas, constructed within one of the most beautiful pine groves of the Adriatic coast.
Today Cervia Milano Marittima, with the contiguous towns of Pinarella and Tagliata, attracts tourists from all over Europe and offers and ample range of accommodations – hotels, campgrounds, apartments, vacation homes – which are flanked by services that are both efficient and cordial. Its beaches wind along the coast for ten kilometres of soft sand, where hundreds of bathing establishments guarantee a safe, serene relaxation for adults and children alike. Cervia Milano Marittima still presents itself as a “green centre” immersed in more than two hectares of municipal pine grove, to which the pine groves of Pinarella and Tagliata add their own touch, together with the suggestive naturalistic oasis and very popular Salt Flats Park. The tradition of green is enhanced with the blooming May gardens: thanks to the unique work of master gardeners from multiple Italian and foreign towns, in May the flower beds and green areas put on a show of lively choreographed colours. Another spectacular, vast green area is the Casa delle Farfalle – or Home of the Butterflies – where an exotic environment was cultivated to host an extraordinary variety of Amazonian, African, and Indo-Australian butterflies. 
Cervia has also become the centre of excellence for beach sports and active living, to which it has dedicated interest and structures: indeed, the city boasts hundreds of beach volley courts and bocce courts, dozens of beach basket courts, and even sailing associations, windsurfing schools, water skiing schools and a giant water slide. The first stadium for beach sports was built here for competitive events. The enthusiasts of trending beach sports find spaces and initiatives dedicated to beach soccer, beach handball, and foot volley. Other sports and fitness activities can be practised in the numerous sports facilities for tennis, basketball, karting, bowling, horseback riding, track and field, football, skating and archery. The jewel in the crown of this “open-air gym” is a splendid 27-hole golf course that stretches out over 60 hectares.
In addition to the wellness of the body, there are also the sophisticated pleasures of the spirit: the various spaces dedicated to culture, including the renovated Municipal Theatre and the beautiful Salt Warehouses constructed between the late XVII and early XVIII centuries document the importance of the production of this precious mineral, rightfully considered “white gold” in the economic history of the city, offer exhibitions, concerts, theatrical presentations and ballet, as well as literary events. And there are obviously night-time adventures under the stars that have made the Adriatic coast with its many local amusements and entertainment options famous worldwide.