Rivabella, Rimini’s quiet side: shallow sea, families and Bagno 10

When we say we are in Rimini, some people immediately picture Marina Centro: the big wheel, the bars, the August crowds. Then they arrive, step out of the car on Viale XXV Marzo, hear the sea and ask: “Is this really Rimini?” It is. This is Rivabella, the northern end of the seafront, and it is the Rimini we like best: the same beach, the same Adriatic, far fewer people.

Where exactly we are

Rivabella is the first district of Rimini as you come from the north, just past the harbour canal and before Viserba. The promenade here is the last stretch of the city seafront: it carries on a little further and then turns into the cycle path towards Bellaria. From our hotel the beach is 30 metres away, across the road. The historic centre is 2.5–3 km away, the Expo Centre 2.2 km, the railway station about 3 km and Fellini Airport 9 km. Everything is close, but none of it is under your window, and that is exactly the point.

To get around you have three options: the bus, which stops 20 metres away and reaches the centre in about 15 minutes; our free bikes, with the centre a flat twenty-minute ride away; and the car, which you can leave in our car park (subject to availability, with an EV charging point) and pick up only when you need it. All the details are on the getting here page.

The shallow sea: what families always ask about

The first question from anyone travelling with children is “What is the sea like?” At Rivabella the seabed slopes gently for many metres. The breakwaters off the coast keep the water calm even on windy days, and the result is a kind of large natural pool where small children can stand knee-deep while their parents read a book without worrying. We do not say this to sell rooms: it is the reason families come back every year, often asking for the same room.

Bagno 10 “Vatikaki”

The beach club in front of the hotel is Bagno 10 “Vatikaki”, and we have an agreement with them. In practice, you can book your room with beach service included: one umbrella and two sunbeds for the whole stay, at a better rate than you would pay turning up at the beach. It is not automatically included in the other rates: you choose it when booking, and the beach page explains how.

Bagno 10 has showers, a bar, play areas for children and a covered refreshment area with stone tables where you can shelter at midday. The full list of services is on their website; we will only add that it is a family-run beach club like our hotel, and that the relationship with the people who work there is the kind you build over many summers.

What a day in Rivabella looks like

Early in the morning the promenade belongs to runners, dog walkers and cyclists. The beach fills up slowly towards ten. At lunchtime many people go back to their hotel or eat at the beach club; the afternoon is long and slow, with the light changing on the breakwaters. Towards evening people stroll along the seafront, children play, and the local restaurants fill up early because families eat early. At ten at night, in high summer, you can hear the sea from your room.

If you want the Rimini that never sleeps, it is not far: the bus runs to Marina Centro and the centre in the evening too, and a taxi back does not cost a fortune. The beauty of Rivabella is that you can choose every day, and come back to a place where you sleep well.

Why not Marina Centro

Nothing against Marina Centro, we go there ourselves. But in August it is a different world: more noise, more traffic, different prices, a more crowded beach. People who come to Rivabella usually want the opposite: somewhere to park the car and not touch it again, a sea that works for children, an evening walk without the crowds, a hotel where the person at reception is the same one who answered your WhatsApp. We are 21 rooms and one family. We could not do it any other way even if we wanted to.

Practical information about Rivabella

• Beach: 30 metres from the hotel, in front of Bagno 10 “Vatikaki”. Fine sand, shallow water, breakwaters.
• Beach service: umbrella and two sunbeds, bookable together with the room at the agreed rate.
• Promenade: pedestrian walkway and cycle path; north to Viserba and Bellaria, south to the harbour and Marina Centro.
• Bus: stop 20 metres away, centre in about 15 minutes.
• Restaurants and shops: restaurants, pizzerias, bars and a few neighbourhood shops are a short walk from the hotel. We have no restaurant, but we are happy to recommend.
• Children: free cot on request for children aged 0 to 2 (except in the single room and the ground-floor room), extra beds on request. Details in the FAQ.
• Pets: one pet per room, with bowls and a bed. The promenade is perfect for walks.

Which room to choose

For families, the superior rooms with a terrace and the four-person apartment with kitchen are the most requested. For couples, the superior room with balcony and sea view: you wake up with the Adriatic in front of you, literally. In summer the sea-view rooms sell out first, so if you want one, book early. You will always find the best rate on our website: check availability, or write to us on WhatsApp and we will help you choose.