Things to do in Cervia

Cervia is a seaside town on the Adriatic coast of Emilia-Romagna, about 20 km south-east of Ravenna. Salt is the old trade here, and the pans lie on the edge of town, inside the Po Delta Park. The resort quarter of Milano Marittima lies just north.

Salt, in the pans and in town

Walks begin at the visitor centre on Via Bova. The main route is flat and about a kilometre long. It ends at Salina Camillone, where salt is still harvested by hand.

• Roman pans. Excavations in 2015 uncovered pans from the 3rd century BC beside the path.
• Birds. Many species live, migrate or breed in the wetland. Flamingos are often around but keep their own schedule.
• By boat. A small electric boat, about 35 seats, takes 15 minutes up a canal to a wooden pier. A guided walk starts there.
• By bike. Two hours with a guide, to a lookout tower and the salt mountain at the heart of the pans.
• MUSA. The Museum of Salt fills a former salt warehouse on Viale Nazario Sauro, with tools, photographs and records of the trade.

Rain, sea and the coast

The Butterfly House suits a wet day. It sits in Milano Marittima and puts a tropical greenhouse, an insect house and a garden path on one ticket. Afternoon cruises leave Milano Marittima and Cesenatico, passing the beaches and the offshore methane platforms, with dolphins possible but never promised.

Where the day trips go

• Cesenatico. A harbour town a short way south. Its Maritime Museum keeps historic sailing boats afloat, and the poet Marino Moretti's house stands nearby.
• Bertinoro hills. Tenuta La Viola, an organic family estate making wine since 1998, runs tastings among the vines, or a picnic on a blanket.
• Ravenna. Famous for its early Christian mosaics. The trip booked from Cervia is Safari Ravenna, a wildlife park built for families.

Practical

• Weather. Summer afternoons peak around 30C. In January the days stay near 7C and nights drop to freezing. The pans are open ground, so wear a hat in summer.
• Getting here. Cervia-Milano Marittima station is on the Ravenna to Rimini line. Rimini airport is the nearest, some 30 km south; Bologna's is the bigger alternative.
• Beaches. Most of the shoreline is leased to beach clubs that charge for sunbeds and umbrellas. The season runs roughly June to September.
• Boats. Arrive 30 minutes early at the Milano Marittima pier. In bad weather a cruise is rescheduled, rerouted or refunded.