Italy: Harbours, bridges and formalities for sailors

715 harbours · 15 bridges and locks · 15 inland lakes

Italy: 715 harbours, 15 bridges and locks, clearing in, papers and fees. Plan your trip with weather, tides and route.

Formalities

EU memberSchengen AreaEU customs unionCurrency: Euro

Clearing in: No clearance within the Schengen area. From a country outside Schengen and the EU customs union (Montenegro, Albania, Tunisia): border control by the Polizia di Frontiera in a port with a border crossing point and customs declaration with the Agenzia delle Dogane; the Capitaneria di Porto knows which ports these are.

Documents: Licence according to your home country's rules, SRC for the radio, boat papers and third-party insurance; it is mandatory in Italy for boats with an engine, and the proof must be on board.

Fees: Harbour dues per night, high in season in Liguria, Tuscany, Campania and Sardinia; in some marine protected areas, buoys and navigation are subject to a fee.

Fairway: Hardly any tide, except in the northern Adriatic (Trieste and Venice, range around one metre at springs, high water with Scirocco). Mistral and Libeccio in the Ligurian and Tyrrhenian Seas, Bora with violent gusts and Scirocco in the Adriatic. In the Strait of Messina tidal streams of several knots and dense ferry traffic, in the Strait of Bonifacio accelerated winds.

Inland waters: Northern Italian lakes (Garda, Maggiore, Como) with regional and provincial rules: speed limits near the shore, licence from 40 hp as at sea. On Lake Maggiore and Lake Lugano the border with Switzerland runs through the lake (customs for goods, Swiss authorisation for trips in Swiss waters with a longer stay).

Nature: Marine protected areas (Aree Marine Protette, e.g. Portofino, Cinque Terre, Tavolara, Egadi Islands) with zones A to C: in zone A no navigation or anchoring, restrictions in B and C. La Maddalena National Park requires a permit with a fee. Seagrass meadows (Posidonia oceanica) are protected; anchoring on them is prohibited in many areas.

Emergency: 1530 (Guardia Costiera) or 112; VHF channel 16 and DSC.

Sources: Guardia Costiera, Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli (as of 2026-10-20)

Local winds

Bora: falls in gusts from the mountains of the eastern shore and often sets in suddenly; gusts are often twice the mean wind and stronger than the models show, fiercest close inshore near Trieste and in the Kvarner; on the Italian coast it builds high seas across the Adriatic
Jugo (Adriatic Scirocco): humid and hazy, slowly builds high, long seas along the whole length of the Adriatic and pushes water into the northern Adriatic (flooding in Venice); often rain and poor visibility
Maestrale (Mistral): the Mistral reaching Corsica and Sardinia; funnelled and strengthened in the Strait of Bonifacio, high, steep seas on the west coasts
Libeccio: south-westerly with a long fetch over open water, high seas on the Ligurian and Tuscan coasts and off western Corsica; harbours with south-west-facing entrances become difficult
Gregale: north-easterly from the Ionian Sea that builds high seas; feared in harbours and bays open to the north-east, for example on Malta and the east coast of Sicily
Scirocco: warm south-easterly from the Sahara, humid and hazy over the sea, often with dust and poor visibility; high seas on south- and east-facing coasts

Harbours by cruising area

Apulia (Barletta, Bari, Brindisi, Otranto)

Campania (Bay of Naples, Amalfi, Cilento)

Eastern Liguria (Genoa to La Spezia)

Eastern Sardinia (Arbatax, Cala Gonone, La Caletta)

Eastern Sicily (Messina, Catania, Syracuse)

Elba and Tuscan Archipelago

Friuli and Gulf of Trieste (Lignano, Grado, Trieste)

Gallura and Costa Smeralda (Olbia, La Maddalena)

Ionian Sea (Taranto, Gallipoli, eastern Calabria)

Lazio (Civitavecchia, Rome, Anzio, Gaeta)

Marche and Abruzzo (Pesaro to Vasto)

Molise and Gargano (Termoli, Vieste, Tremiti)

North-west Sardinia (Castelsardo, Porto Torres, Stintino)

Northern Sicily (Palermo, Cefalù, Aeolian Islands)

Northern Tuscany (Carrara, Viareggio, Livorno)

Pantelleria and Pelagie Islands (Lampedusa, Linosa)

Pontine Islands (Ponza, Ventotene)

Romagna and Po Delta (Cattolica to Rosolina)

Southern Sardinia (Cagliari, Villasimius, Teulada)

Southern Sicily (Sciacca to Pozzallo)

Southern Tuscany (Piombino, Argentario)

Venice and lagoon (Chioggia to Bibione)

Western Calabria (Maratea to Reggio)

Western Liguria (Ventimiglia to Arenzano)

Western Sardinia (Alghero, Oristano, Carloforte)

Western Sicily (Trapani, Marsala, Egadi Islands)

Inland lakes

Bolsenasee 1 harbour
Braccianosee 2 harbours
Caldonazzosee 2 harbours
Comer See 31 harbours
Gardasee 44 harbours
Idrosee 1 harbour
Iseosee 5 harbours
Lago di Santa Croce 1 harbour
Lago di Varese 1 harbour
Lago Maggiore 56 harbours
Luganer See 12 harbours
Ortasee 1 harbour
Trasimenischer See 3 harbours
Vicosee 1 harbour
Viverone-See 3 harbours

Bridges and locks

Locks

Movable bridges

Fixed bridges (1)

Brücke bei Porto Regionale di Locarno

Frequently asked questions

Italy: Do I need to clear in?

No clearance within the Schengen area. From a country outside Schengen and the EU customs union (Montenegro, Albania, Tunisia): border control by the Polizia di Frontiera in a port with a border crossing point and customs declaration with the Agenzia delle Dogane; the Capitaneria di Porto knows which ports these are.

Italy: Which documents do I need on board?

Licence according to your home country's rules, SRC for the radio, boat papers and third-party insurance; it is mandatory in Italy for boats with an engine, and the proof must be on board.

Italy: What fees apply?

Harbour dues per night, high in season in Liguria, Tuscany, Campania and Sardinia; in some marine protected areas, buoys and navigation are subject to a fee.

Italy: What is the emergency number at sea?

1530 (Guardia Costiera) or 112; VHF channel 16 and DSC.

Italy: Which local winds blow there?

Bora, Jugo (Adriatic Scirocco), Maestrale (Mistral), Libeccio, Gregale, Scirocco.

Italy: How many harbours does Sailseer cover?

Sailseer covers 715 harbours with harbour info, weather and route planning. Plus 15 bridges and locks with opening times and clearances.