Costa dei Barbari

The Costa dei Barbari (Slovene: Botanjek) is a wild stretch of Karst coastline about a kilometre long, in the Municipality of Duino Aurisina/Devin Nabrežina, wedged between PortoPiccolo/Sistiana at one end and the Residence Europa (Marina di Aurisina) at the other — about 17 km from Trieste. There are no beach clubs, and it can only be reached on foot along paths, with a steep final descent to the sea between white cliffs and Mediterranean vegetation.

It is part of the same arc of coastline as the Duino Cliffs Regional Nature Reserve (see the dedicated page Duino and the Sentiero Rilke for the other end of the reserve, to the north-west): the Costa dei Barbari is its south-eastern tip, the one closest to PortoPiccolo.

What to see and why it’s special

A coast with no beach clubs. Unlike Sistiana Bay (a beach with facilities, see the dedicated page PortoPiccolo and Sistiana Bay), the Costa dei Barbari is a free public beach along its entire length: no parasols for hire, no beach bars. Pale pebbles, water shading from turquoise to deep blue, hidden coves separated by spurs of rock, and an open view over the Gulf of Trieste/Tržaški zaliv. Nearby, but outside the stretch covered by the race, there are other unofficial bathing coves along the same wild coast — a network of inlets that the people of Trieste have been coming to for generations.

A coast that is loved and championed. The “Spiaggia e Costa dei Barbari a Sistiana” stretch has been nominated in several editions of the FAI (Fondo Ambiente Italiano, the Italian National Trust) “Luoghi del Cuore” (Places of the Heart) campaign (2003, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022) — a sign of how much the local community cares about this piece of coast. The origin of the stretch’s name remains uncertain.

A story older than the beach itself. In Roman times, it was from this very stretch of coast that blocks of white stone quarried at Aurisina were loaded onto ships, bound mainly for Aquileia — the same stone that, centuries later, would be used to clad Miramare Castle and the palaces of Vienna (for the full history of the quarries, see the dedicated page Santa Croce and Aurisina). In short, for centuries the Costa dei Barbari was the loading point for that stone, long before it ever became a beach.

Cliffs to climb. The stretch of coast between Sistiana and Duino is also one of the best-known sport climbing destinations in the Trieste area, with several bolted crags rising sheer above the sea (the “Costiera”/Sistiana area) — one more reason to come here outside race weekend, for anyone after similar views from a different angle.

How to get there

By car. Park in the centre of Sistiana (paid parking in the summer season) or, for more direct access, at Ristorante Castelreggio (Sistiana Mare), where a path heads down towards the sea. From there it is about 1.5 km on foot to the water’s edge, with a steep final descent: wear proper shoes, not beach footwear.

On foot from PortoPiccolo/Bora Village. It is the same route that Corsa della Bora runners follow to the finish: from Bora Village you climb back up towards Sistiana and from there drop down to the Costa dei Barbari — the same final stretch of the S1 Borin, which non-runners can walk in reverse, no bib needed.

Public transport. There is no direct service to the beach: the nearest stop is Sistiana/Baia di Sistiana (regional buses, Trieste Trasporti city line G51, and seasonal line 70 from June to September — see the page PortoPiccolo and Sistiana Bay for detailed timetables), from where you continue on foot.

By sea. Some of the coves along this stretch of coast can also be reached by kayak or boat — an option for anyone who wants to see the cliffs from the water without tackling the descent on foot.

The Costa dei Barbari in the Corsa della Bora

The Costa dei Barbari (Botanjek) is the last wild stretch before the return to Bora Village, and 5 of the 7 races pass through it:

Two ways to get there, in the same race. The S1 Borin is the only distance that reaches the Costa dei Barbari straight from Sistiana, on a short, direct route. The four longer races (S1 Borderless Trail, S1 TransKarst Ultra, S1 Trieste Ultra, S1 Bora Ultra) come in from a different direction, after crossing the Karst — and, for Borderless, TransKarst and Bora Ultra, a stretch of Slovenia too: they pass through Santa Croce (see the dedicated page Santa Croce and Aurisina), pick up the Sentiero Tiziana Weiss (Sentiero della Salvia) as far as the Vedetta Weiss lookout, and only reach the Costa dei Barbari itself in the last few metres.

The night section of the S1 Bora Ultra. In the flagship race you cross the Costa dei Barbari twice, in completely different light: first at night, just before the PortoPiccolo Life Base at the halfway point (km 61.2); then in full daylight, in the closing hours of the race.

The final plunge. In all five races that pass this way, the Costa dei Barbari comes immediately before the final descent to Bora Village: it is the last truly wild stretch before you return to the party at the finish.

A story from 2019

The Costa dei Barbari has long been popular with naturists, among others, and is known as one of the naturist beaches around Trieste. On 6 January 2019, during that year’s Corsa della Bora, a competitor took a photo — nothing explicit — of someone sunbathing naked on the beach just as the runners were going past, despite the January cold. The organisers themselves commented on it on social media: “Yes, we knew the Costa dei Barbari was a well-known naturist beach, but we didn’t expect it to be one on 6 January too! We hope the nearly 1,500 people going past didn’t disturb this ‘heroic’ naturist’s reading”. The photo and the story did the rounds of the Italian press: among those who covered it were TriestePrima, Il Mattino and Fanpage.

An experience to enjoy beyond race weekend too

Anyone wanting to see the Costa dei Barbari outside race weekend has two quite different ways to experience it. The first is from above: a walk along the panoramic path from Sistiana, without going down to the water’s edge, to enjoy the view over the cliffs and the gulf with minimal effort — suitable for anyone, in any season. The second is to go all the way down to the sea, in footwear suited to the steep path. The low season (spring and autumn) offers the most peaceful views and the best light for photos; at the height of summer this stretch is busier and you have to pay to park in Sistiana.

Frequently asked questions about the Costa dei Barbari

For the rest of the coastline within the reserve, see also Duino and the Sentiero Rilke; to round off your walk at an osmiza, see also The osmize of the Karst; for a full, year-round overview of the trails of the Trieste Karst, see also Trail running in Trieste and on the Karst.