Tourism has been my passion and my profession since 1990. I began in La Plata, Argentina, at Euromar Turismo, the agency owned by my beloved father, Orazio Filippo Greco, before continuing in Italy with Andina Viaggi. Merlintravel grows from that experience and the desire to keep exploring and sharing the world. The journey continues…
Let’s see where it takes us.
Tourism has been my passion and my profession since 1990. I began in La Plata, Argentina, at Euromar Turismo, the agency owned by my beloved father, Orazio Filippo Greco, before continuing in Italy with Andina Viaggi. Merlintravel grows from that experience and the desire to keep exploring and sharing the world. The journey continues…
Let’s see where it takes us.
Marche · Guide 07
A wooded promontory, white cliffs, monastic churches and Picene archaeology give this Adriatic coast a history deeper than its beaches.
Plan the routeWhy this place matters
The Conero changes the profile of the Adriatic coast. Here wooded slopes meet cliffs, small bays and settlements with ancient connections. Sirolo and Numana provide different bases for understanding the landscape; Portonovo belongs to another approach around the promontory. Plan beach access, cultural visits and trails separately. The park explicitly prohibits continuing down from Passo del Lupo to the Due Sorelle beach.
The guide separates documented history from suggestions for reading the site. Named buildings and landscape relationships follow institutional sources; the illustrations are editorial interpretations, not measured surveys or records of current access.
A wooded promontory, white cliffs, monastic churches and Picene archaeology give this Adriatic coast a history deeper than its beaches.
The route
Combine the two town centres with the Antiquarium if opening allows. Give the upper mountain and Portonovo their own outing. Use current beach and trail arrangements; do not treat a cliff viewpoint as a pedestrian beach entrance.
Combine the two town centres with the Antiquarium if opening allows. Give the upper mountain and Portonovo their own outing. Use current beach and trail arrangements; do not treat a cliff viewpoint as a pedestrian beach entrance.
Ten chapters
The chapters connect history and terrain. Mountain areas and outlying towns are separate options, not a single continuous walking route.
The inhabited landscape
The compact centre and public outlooks reveal the coast from above. Streets, homes and the square remain a lived setting around the view.
This remains an inhabited place. Use pedestrian routes, keep entrances clear and check municipal mobility notices for any restricted area.
Sirolo’s story extends beyond modern seaside tourism. Nearby Picene discoveries show a much older landscape of settlement and exchange.
Read the drop between the town and the beaches. A short distance on a map can include substantial steps or a restricted descent.
The inhabited landscape
The relationship between the older upper settlement and the lower shore is central to understanding Numana. Give both their own pace and approach.
This remains an inhabited place. Use pedestrian routes, keep entrances clear and check municipal mobility notices for any restricted area.
Ancient Numana participated in extensive exchange networks. The present town and its museum preserve different kinds of evidence for that history.
Distinguish a town walk from movement through the working harbour. Confirm the route back uphill before committing to a descent.
Evidence and interpretation
The museum turns a coastal visit into an encounter with ancient connections. Objects from local excavations help explain relationships with other Mediterranean communities.
Check the institution’s current opening, booking arrangements and accessible route. Individual rooms, exhibitions and approaches may have separate conditions.
Established as a state museum in 1974, the Antiquarium collects material from Numana, Sirolo and nearby areas. Its collections cover more than one archaeological period.
Read findspots and dates carefully. Imported objects reveal contact and exchange, but should not automatically be taken as proof that their owners came from the place of manufacture.
Evidence and interpretation
An exceptionally rich burial offers evidence for status, ritual and networks of exchange. Its modern name is memorable but needs explanation.
Check the institution’s current opening, booking arrangements and accessible route. Individual rooms, exhibitions and approaches may have separate conditions.
Discovered at I Pini in Sirolo in 1989, the burial belonged to a high-ranking woman of the late sixth century BCE. The title “Queen” is conventional, not a securely documented personal identity.
Distinguish original finds, restored elements and display reconstructions. The archaeological site and the museum presentation are separate destinations with separate access arrangements.
Terrain and access
A woodland walk can offer shade and a close reading of vegetation without needing to reach a beach or cliff edge. The park’s numbered routes provide the starting framework.
Conditions depend on the exact route and the day. Check the responsible operator, weather and local access notices; a viewpoint is not the same undertaking as a mountain traverse.
The protected promontory contains contrasting habitats shaped by geology, exposure and human use. Its wooded character differs from the open shore below.
Select an actual route appropriate to the day and your ability. Carry a current map and follow closures rather than joining trails from unrelated descriptions.
Worship and memory
The church near the upper mountain gives a cultural focus to an inland outing. Its solid stonework belongs to a different atmosphere from the busy coastal squares.
Worship and local religious life continue here. Visitor access may pause for services; consult the church or managing institution before planning an interior visit.
The Benedictine church’s history reaches back to the medieval period. Monastic presence is one of the human layers of the wooded promontory.
Look at the masonry and simple volumes before seeking an interior visit. Check current religious and visitor arrangements instead of assuming a permanently open church.
Terrain and access
The two pale offshore rocks give the bay its name. Their familiar image should never obscure the practical distinction between seeing the beach and reaching it.
Do not continue down from Passo del Lupo to the Due Sorelle beach: the park explicitly prohibits that descent. Check the current status of the approach and any sea-access service separately.
The park’s trail information explicitly prohibits the continuation from Passo del Lupo down to the Due Sorelle beach. Older walking accounts are not evidence of permission.
Use only the currently authorised part of a viewpoint route. For a sea visit, consult the responsible operator and current coastal conditions; do not attempt the prohibited descent.
The inhabited landscape
The bay offers another approach to the promontory, with pebbles, wooded slopes and buildings close to the shore. Its access arrangements can differ sharply by season.
This remains an inhabited place. Use pedestrian routes, keep entrances clear and check municipal mobility notices for any restricted area.
Fishing, religious life, coastal defence and later tourism all form part of Portonovo’s history. The bay is more than a single beach facility.
Confirm transport and parking arrangements before arrival. Respect working premises and use signed public shore routes.
Worship and memory
The small Romanesque church sits close to the sea beneath the wooded promontory. Its architectural character is especially clear when read with that setting.
Worship and local religious life continue here. Visitor access may pause for services; consult the church or managing institution before planning an interior visit.
The medieval abbey church is one of the important religious monuments of the Conero coast. Its compact form differs from the larger urban churches of Ancona.
Compare the small apses, roof levels and pale masonry. Opening is managed separately from beach access, so verify the intended visit with the church’s custodian.
Terrain and access
The small bodies of water behind the shore reveal a habitat that a beach-only visit can easily miss. Their quiet edges deserve a slower and less intrusive approach.
Conditions depend on the exact route and the day. Check the responsible operator, weather and local access notices; a viewpoint is not the same undertaking as a mountain traverse.
The lagoons form part of the protected coastal landscape. Their ecological role differs from the sea only a short distance away.
Stay on permitted paths and avoid disturbing vegetation or wildlife. Treat these as sensitive habitats, not alternative bathing pools.
The territory through time
A concise chronology linking the documented sites to the wider story.
Archaeological finds preserve evidence older than the coastal towns seen today.
The high-status burial conventionally called the Queen’s Tomb is created.
Numana and the surrounding area participate in Mediterranean networks.
San Pietro and Santa Maria di Portonovo express monastic presence on the promontory.
Fishing, settlement and travel continue to shape the shore.
The Antiquarium is established as a state museum.
The Queen’s Tomb is discovered at I Pini in Sirolo.
Park management distinguishes protected habitats, authorised routes and prohibited descents.
Before your visit
Choose a manageable set of visits and allow for transport, booked entries and the return journey.
The Marche contain separate valleys, towns and coastal approaches. Confirm the precise locality and route rather than treating nearby names as one destination.
Opening hours, tickets, exhibitions and religious access change. Use the linked managing institution shortly before visiting.
A town walk, gorge walkway, lift arrival and mountain path have different demands. Use current route information, weather and closures for the option you choose.
Historic interiors and mountain approaches can include steps, gradients or uneven surfaces. Ask about the specific route instead of assuming an entire destination is step-free.
Farms, workshops, churches and historic streets remain in use. Follow signs, keep entrances clear and ask permission before entering private spaces.
Method and sources
Prepared on 9 September 2026 from the institutional sources linked below. Historical claims are separated from editorial observations and itinerary suggestions. Older institutional brochures are used for stable cultural context, never as current timetables. Prices, transport schedules, trail status and admission are deliberately left to the responsible operators. Illustrations are not photographs, measured reconstructions or evidence of current conditions.
The eleven images are AI-generated editorial watercolours guided by photographic references. They interpret named places and are not photographs or substitutes for measured plans. Opening hours, tickets, accessible routes, temporary exhibitions and conservation work can change; consult the linked official pages shortly before visiting.
