By bike or running along the Walls of Lucca, swimming at Isola Bella. The favorite places in Italy for sport – Corriere.it

Italy is in the top 10 of the favorite countries for tourism by running, swimming and cycling enthusiasts. The French site went around the virtual world in search of the best places to play sports Sports shoes. The research focused on more than 100,000 mentions of the terms “running”, “swimming” and “cycling” in different languages, which were then linked to more than 700 different itineraries reported by users of the travel site Tripadvisor. The three general classifications drawn up, each for each discipline, have revealed the preferences of millions of people who do not give up their passion for sport even away from home. The site then went further by drawing up internal rankings for each country.

An irresistible destination for sports enthusiasts is the United States, in first place in the three general classifications. The paths of Central Park in New York, the promenade of Venice Beach in California and the large parks are the dream of many runners. The Californian coast remains the favorite place for swimmers too, while once again Central Park together with the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail in Alaska are on the list of unmissable places to cycle. Second in the running rankings is Great Britain thanks to the spaces of Hyde Park in London, the hilly paths that lead to Arthur’s Seat with its panoramic view of Edinburgh and the “green heart” of Cardiff, Bute Park. Spain comes third with the Retiro Park in Madrid, the Turià gardens in Valencia, but also the Ruta de la va via Verde in Benicàssim and the Playas de las Canteras in Gran Canaria. Closing the overall swimming podium is instead Australia, considered the second best destination just before Spain. Among the most popular places are the Harvey Bay region – a tourist attraction for whale and shark watching – and the crystalline waters of Exmouth and Airlie Beach on the Coral Coast. Barceloneta beach in Barcelona or Playa de la Concha in San Sebastian remain the dream of many swimmers traveling to Spain, however it is Lago de Martiánez in Tenerife, one of the symbols of Puerto de la Cruz and one of the main attractions of Tenerife to be the most popular destination. In both rankings, Italy reached 7th place thanks to its coasts, the beaches of southern Italy and the sea of ​​the islands, while for the race it is the places immersed in greenery and surrounded by history that attract tourists the most.

For cycling, Canada is in second place with a favorite destination being the Seawall in Vancouver, the longest uninterrupted track in the world overlooking the ocean, while Italy won the bronze medal with the experience of the bike route along the Walls of Lucca, considered among the most evocative to experience in our country. Among the itineraries preferred by lovers of two wheels – which make up the podium of the only Italian ranking – there are also the Drava cycle path in Dobbiaco, in Trentino-Alto Adige, and the Sigurtà Garden Park in Verona. It follows the Area24 cycle path of Sanremo, the Royal Palace of Caserta, the Monza Park, the Lungomare Europa from Cogoleto to Varazze, the Val Pusteria Pusterbike cycle path, San Candido in Trentino, the Lungomare San Benedetto del Tronto, in the Marches, and the itineraries along the Cancano lakes in Bormio. The Walls of Lucca also lead the Italian ranking dedicated to running, with the Monza Park and the Valentino park in Turin in the top positions.

In the Top10 of the favorite places there are then the Poetto beach in Cagliari, which extends for 8 km of coast, the Ducal Park in Parma, the Walls of Ferrara, the Sempione Park in Milan and the Area24 cycle path also used for San Remo; the ranking is closed by Bosco di Legnano in Lombardy and Parco San Giuliano in Venice. The most beautiful places for swimming instead see Isola Bella in Sicily, the Gulf of Sorrento and the Spiaggia del Relitto in Pomonte, in Liguria in the lead. Sicily also boasts two other of the most popular destinations: the Cala Rossa beach in Favignana and the Zingaro Nature Reserve in San Vito. Sardinia also has three places in the rankings: Cala Goloritzé, in the province of Nuoro, Tuerredda beach and La Pelosa di Stintino. In Puglia the destination of excellence is instead the beach of Grotta Verde, while in Calabria the island of Dino, in front of Praia a Mare. Now all that remains is to pack your suitcase and choose your destination.