Rimini off-season: the empty beach, trade fairs, cycling and Romagna food

There is a Rimini most visitors never see: the one from October to April, when the umbrellas are folded away, the promenade belongs to the people who live here and the sea takes on a colour it never has in summer. We stay open through these months, and we will tell you something in confidence: sometimes it is the season we like best.

The empty beach

The first thing that changes is the beach. At Rivabella, in front of the hotel, in winter you find smooth sand all the way to the breakwaters, a few people running or walking their dogs, the gulls, and no sound but the waves. You can walk for kilometres along the shore and meet almost no one. Misty November mornings, crisp January days with sharp air, March sunsets with the first brave swimmers: each has its own character. People who come off-season often come for exactly this.

The trade fairs

The engine of winter Rimini is the Expo Centre. From November to May the exhibition district, 2.2 km from us, hosts one show after another: Ecomondo in early November, SIGEP World in January, Beer & Food Attraction in February, KEY in March, through to Rimini Wellness at the end of May. On fair days the city changes face: restaurants full on weeknights, people from all over the world, taxis coming and going. If you are coming for work, we have written a dedicated guide: hotel for the Rimini trade fairs, with the up-to-date calendar. If you are coming for pleasure, check the dates: during Sigep, rooms are scarce across the whole city.

Cycling, in the cool

Cycling at midday in summer is hard work; in autumn and spring it is a pleasure. Our bikes are free all year round. The simplest route is the Riviera cycle path: north takes you to Viserba, Torre Pedrera and Bellaria with the sea beside you almost the whole way; south you pass the harbour canal and reach Marina Centro and then Miramare. The old town is a flat twenty-minute ride, and in November you can photograph the Tiberius Bridge with nobody in front of it.

If you want something more demanding, head inland: Santarcangelo di Romagna is about fifteen kilometres away on country roads, and from there the road climbs into the Montefeltro hills. Bring a windproof jacket: you feel the wind off the sea.

The old town, which in winter belongs to the locals

Off-season, the centre of Rimini goes back to being a provincial town, and it is a better place to wander. Piazza Cavour and Piazza Tre Martiri on market days (Wednesday and Saturday), the Tempio Malatestiano with low winter light coming through the windows, the Fellini Museum with no queue, Borgo San Giuliano with its osterie full of local people. In December the centre lights up and the Christmas markets arrive, with wooden chalets in the squares and an ice rink; on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve there is always something happening in the piazza, and on the Marina Centro seafront the new year is celebrated facing the sea. Dates and programmes change every year: ask us and we will tell you what is on during your stay.

The food, which is the real reason

Let us be honest: Romagna eats better in the cold. Tagliatelle al ragù, cappelletti in broth, passatelli, hot piadina with squacquerone cheese and caramelised figs, grilled meat, Sangiovese. In winter the local restaurants work for their regulars, prices are the usual ones and the cook has time to talk to you. We do not have a restaurant, but a few steps from the hotel there are trattorias and fish restaurants open all year, and we know where to send you: ask at reception, the recommendation changes with the season.

For a food excursion, Santarcangelo and the hill villages have a sagra (food festival) almost every autumn weekend, with chestnuts, new wine and formaggio di fossa, the cheese aged in pits. In spring the first outdoor grills light up. And in February, if you are in Rimini for Beer & Food Attraction or simply passing through, the theme of the trip chooses itself.

Why come off-season

• Prices: our off-season rates start from €70 a night with breakfast included, and the sea-view rooms that sell out first in summer are available.
• Space: empty beach, no queues in the centre, easier parking. Our garage is subject to availability in winter too, but outside fair days there is almost always a space.
• Climate: the Riviera has mild winters compared with inland; you can walk the promenade almost every day and clear sunny days are not rare.
• Time for you: off-season we are less rushed and have more time to chat, recommend and help you plan an itinerary.
• Pets: with the beach empty, walking your dog along the shore is a joy. One pet per room is always welcome.

A few things to know

The sea is 30 metres away in winter too, but Bagno 10 and the other beach clubs are closed in the cold months: the beach service deal resumes with the bathing season. Breakfast stays from 8:00 to 10:00, WiFi is always free, and the rooms are heated. Reception closes at night: if you arrive after 20:00, a WhatsApp message to +39 375 704 9900 and we will send you the instructions to get in. For everything else, the getting here page and the FAQ answer almost everything.

If we have convinced you, check the dates on our website: off-season, the best rate is always here. And if you want advice on when to come, write to us. We will tell you honestly whether there is a fair filling the city on your dates, or whether you will have the beach all to yourselves.