Cesenatico is not just a beach. Just a few steps from the sea, you'll find a small town that still has the rhythm of a real fishing village, perfect to explore with the whole family, perhaps on a day away from the beach umbrella or on a late-summer evening.

The Porto Canale Leonardesco The heart of Cesenatico is its Porto Canale, designed in 1502 to a plan by Leonardo da Vinci. Strolling along the quays, past the colourful moored boats and the houses overlooking the water, is a little spectacle in itself: for children it can become a game, looking for sails, anchors and funny boat names. Don't miss the little ferry that crosses the canal in a few seconds — a short experience, but one the little ones always ask to repeat.

The Museo della Marineria Right on the canal is the Museo della Marineria, the only one of its kind in Italy: a floating section, which you can visit freely while walking along the water, where the colourful sails of the historic boats are raised every summer, and a section on land, with an admission charge, where children can get close to the on-board instruments and find out how people sailed before engines. It's the easiest way to tell the little ones the story of the fishermen who built this town.

The fish market and the flavours of Cesenatico You can't say you've seen Cesenatico without visiting the old Pescheria and Piazzetta delle Conserve, where freshly caught fish used to be preserved. This is where you can truly feel the soul of the town. And then there's the food: a warm Romagna piadina, Adriatic blue fish, a Cesenatico brodetto made to the fishermen's recipe — simple, authentic flavours, the same ones local children have always eaten.

A different afternoon, among the greenery For a quieter break, Parco di Levante offers green spaces, a small lake and play areas: perfect for a picnic or for letting the little ones run around away from the sand.

The hinterland, close by If you feel like going a bit further, perhaps by bike or car for half a day, you'll find a Romagna hinterland full of discoveries: the village of Longiano, with its castle; San Mauro Pascoli, birthplace of the poet Giovanni Pascoli; Bertinoro, nicknamed the "balcony of Romagna" for the view from its fortress. Little journeys back in time, perfect for families.

Between the sea, the harbour and the flavours of Romagna, Cesenatico reveals itself slowly — and it's in this very pace that its charm lies.