There are some places in Italy that everyone seems to know about. Rome, Florence, Venice, the Amalfi Coast, Lake Como…

And then there are places you stumble across and immediately wonder: why had I never heard of this before?

For me, that place was Numana.

I visited Numana during a summer trip to Italy, combining a few days on the Adriatic coast with a road trip through the beautiful Marche and Umbria regions. We spent time in Numana, Urbino, Gubbio and Assisi and it turned into one of those trips that felt like a real adventure rather than simply ticking off the usual Italian destinations.

If you’re looking for somewhere beautiful on the Italian coast that feels a little different, Numana and the surrounding Conero Riviera are well worth putting on your list.

Discovering Numana

Numana sits on the Adriatic coast in Italy’s Marche region, on the beautiful Conero Riviera.

What immediately struck me was how pretty it was.

The town has a wonderful combination of colourful buildings, little streets, flowers, restaurants and sea views. It feels much more intimate than some of Italy’s better-known coastal destinations, while still having that unmistakable Italian summer atmosphere.

One of my favourite places to wander was La Costarella, a charming stepped street leading through the old town towards the harbour. I loved the colourful flowers and pastel painted houses.

It was exactly the sort of place I love discovering when travelling: beautiful enough to photograph at every turn, but still feeling like somewhere people actually live and spend their summers.

And then there is the sea. The lovely pebble beach is great if you’re not a fan of sand!

The Conero Riviera has a completely different character from the flat, sandy stretches of coastline you might associate with the Adriatic. Here you have the dramatic Monte Conero landscape, clear blue water and beaches tucked beneath the cliffs.

Where to Eat in Numana: 3 Restaurants I Loved

One of the things I loved about Numana was the sheer amount of beautiful places to eat and drink. During our stay, we tried three very different restaurants, from a pink-painted café perfect for people watching to a seriously gorgeous restaurant that quite literally feels like it’s sitting out over the sea.

If you’re visiting Numana and wondering where to eat, these are three places I’d put on your list.

Le Petit Café

Let’s start with our first stop: Le Petit Café, right at the lookout point.

I was immediately in love with the pink-striped paint on the outside, which allowed me to live out my pink coastal dreams. In fact, I later used it as a sneaky photo backdrop when I was wearing a new tweed pink skirt from Alice + Olivia!

The pink paint stretches all the way around the building, so wherever you’re sitting, you have a very photogenic backdrop.

We chose to sit on the square side for drinks, underneath this beautiful umbrella canopy covered in flowers — all pink, of course.

But my favourite thing about this spot was actually the people watching. It’s right by the lookout point, so there was a constant stream of people stopping to take photographs. I dread to think how many people’s holiday photos we accidentally appeared in!

We didn’t eat here because our meal times were slightly out of sync after having a club sandwich at the hotel, but it’s definitely somewhere I’d go back to for food.

Around the back, you get a similar pretty atmosphere but with a coastal view instead. So I don’t think you can really lose.

I very much enjoyed the aesthetics of Italy on this trip. As my mum said, Italians are so lucky that they get to enjoy beautiful things everywhere.

Ristorante da Franca

For our second night in Numana, we went to Ristorante da Franca, right next to the lookout point.

We hadn’t booked, and I think we were quite lucky to get a table, so if you know you want to eat here, I’d definitely recommend making a reservation.

We sat outside so that we could enjoy the view as the sun set and the moon began to rise over the sea. It felt like a very special setting for dinner.

This is a slightly more luxurious option, with white tablecloths and beautiful sky-blue glassware.

As it’s a fish restaurant, we were desperate to try the oysters — and they were so satisfying with lemon and salt. I could definitely get used to the oyster life! I first discovered oysters when I was visiting South Africa, and now I tend to have them as a special treat whenever I’m away at the coast.

We then shared a fish gnocchi dish, which was absolutely gorgeous. I could happily have eaten it all over again.

My one regret was ordering the mixed seafood rather than the catch of the day. We were struggling to make the Venn diagram work between the fish my boyfriend liked and the fish I liked, as you had to order a whole fish. Looking back, I think the catch of the day would have been the better choice for me, as I’m not the biggest fan of coated fish.

But everything was still very good, and the setting made it feel like a lovely Italian holiday dinner.

La Torre

I’d been in love with La Torre ever since I started researching Numana.

A restaurant that looks like it stretches out into the ocean? Yes please!

I kept telling my boyfriend, “I want to sit in the sea!”

We saved La Torre for our final night. We’d initially tried to make a reservation through our hotel, but they told us they were fully booked. Luckily, my boyfriend downloaded the restaurant’s app and managed to make a reservation about an hour beforehand.

I was extremely sceptical that he’d actually managed to book it — but somehow, he had!

I made sure we arrived early, at around 7pm, and this turned out to be a really good decision. Firstly, it was still light, so we got to experience the restaurant during the transition from day to night. Secondly, it was almost empty when we arrived, which meant we could grab a few photographs before it filled up.

I wore a lemon dress from Mango that I’d previously worn in my Wimbledon video, along with my white Valentino sandals — sadly, their only outing of the holiday!

I loved feeling as though I was sitting right out in the sea, although my boyfriend thought the premium seats were actually up on top of the little rockery. Either way, this was definitely the most boujee and modern restaurant we visited in Numana.

We started with oysters, which were beautifully presented. I could definitely get used to the oyster life!

For our mains, my boyfriend once again made the better choice and gave me serious seafood envy. He ordered a seafood curry, which I thought might be too spicy for me, but it looked absolutely amazing.

I chose a calamari and tomato dish, which was honestly delicious — although we could probably have eaten the whole thing twice over. We also ordered a salad made with local ingredients.

And then came dessert. My boyfriend had tiramisu with vanilla ice cream, but I was thrilled with my choice: hazelnut, pistachio and salted caramel, all presented in different textures.

It was the perfect final dinner in Numana, a  beautiful setting, delicious food and exactly the kind of slightly extravagant Italian holiday experience I’d hoped for.

My Numana restaurant picks

If I were choosing based on the experience:

💗 For the prettiest setting and people watching: Le Petit Café

🌊 For a classic seafood dinner with a view: Ristorante da Franca

✨ For a special, modern and seriously photogenic dinner: La Torre

And if you’re anything like me, you may find yourself choosing restaurants partly based on how beautiful they are. In Numana, that’s actually not a bad strategy — because there seems to be something gorgeous around almost every corner.

Where we stayed in Numana

We stayed at a View Place Numana hotel overlooking the sea and harbour, and for this trip I was particularly glad we chose a room with a sea view. Click here to check out View Place Numana here AFF Link.

Numana is somewhere where I think the view really does add to the experience. Having a balcony overlooking the water meant we could enjoy the scenery even when we weren’t out exploring.

We also had a pool, which became particularly welcome during the very hot summer weather.

One afternoon a storm rolled in, meaning we unexpectedly spent more time at the hotel than planned — but it was actually rather lovely watching the weather change over the Adriatic. Click here to check out View Place Numana here AFF Link.

Exploring Urbino

From the coast we headed inland to Urbino, another highlight of the trip.

Urbino is a beautiful Renaissance city and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with winding streets, steep lanes and impressive historic buildings.

The city is particularly associated with Federico da Montefeltro and its magnificent Renaissance architecture.

It was a very different experience from Numana,  instead of sea views and beach cafés, we were wandering through historic streets and grand palaces.

A day in Gubbio

Next came Gubbio, one of the oldest and most atmospheric towns we visited.

Gubbio is a medieval hill town in Umbria, with beautiful stone buildings, narrow streets and spectacular views across the surrounding countryside.

It was also very hot when we visited!

One of the things I loved most was simply wandering around and looking at the architecture. We discovered beautiful interiors, carved wooden doors and unexpected details around the historic centre.

I’d love to return with more time because there was so much more I wanted to see.

Finishing in Assisi

Our final stop was Assisi.

Even with limited time — and temperatures reaching around 37°C — Assisi made a huge impression.

The medieval town is famous as the birthplace of St Francis and St Clare, and the Basilica of St Francis is one of the most extraordinary sights of the trip.

The scale, architecture and artwork inside the Basilica are incredible, and it was a fitting final stop before we headed back towards Perugia Airport.

Why I loved this part of Italy

What I particularly loved about this trip was the contrast.

We went from:

🌊 Adriatic coast
🏛️ Renaissance city
🏰 Medieval hill town
⛪ Historic Umbrian town

And yet they were all relatively close enough to combine into one road trip.

The Marche was completely new to me, and Numana was the biggest surprise. If you’re looking for an Italian destination that feels beautiful, romantic and slightly off the beaten track, I think the Conero Riviera deserves a place on your list.

Would I go back?

Absolutely.

In fact, there are several places I didn’t have enough time to explore properly, particularly around the Conero coast.

I’d love to return and spend longer exploring Numana, Sirolo and Portonovo, rather than simply passing through.

Sometimes the best travel discoveries are the places you didn’t originally plan to visit.

And Numana was definitely one of those for me.

Have you heard of Numana before? Let me know in the comments — I’d love to know whether this little corner of Italy is already on your radar.

This post is based on my own experience travelling through Italy and is intended as inspiration for planning your own trip. Travel details, opening hours and prices can change, so always check directly with individual hotels and attractions before travelling.