PortoPiccolo and Sistiana Bay

PortoPiccolo It is a recently constructed tourist village, built on the site of a former stone quarry at Sistiana/Sesljan, a hamlet within the municipality of Duino Aurisina/Devin Nabrežina (province of Trieste), on the Adriatic coast between Miramare Castle and Duino Castle. It is entirely pedestrianised (“car-free”): traffic-free streets, a private marina, a yacht club, a beach club, boutiques, and a hotel resort (Falisia, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa) integrated into the Duino Cliffs Nature Reserve.

Coordinate 45.7633° N, 13.6350° E — 2 minutes from the A4 “Sistiana” motorway exit.

Next to PortoPiccolo is the Sistiana Bay, the natural cove with its public beach managed by Parco Caravella (plus several beach establishments, including Cohiba), distinct from the private village of PortoPiccolo but part of the same coastal stretch, between the same white cliffs.

What to see and why it's special

A village born from a quarry. Where the houses of PortoPiccolo now stand, limestone was extracted until a few decades ago: the recovery of the area, completed in the early 2010s, transformed a former industrial quarry into a residential and tourist village with architecture designed to integrate into the cliff landscape, with no cars circulating.

The marina and the beach club. The private marina houses pleasure boats; PortoPiccolo's beach club, managed by Tivoli, is one of the area's focal points for seaside life during the summer season.

Between two castles. Its position – between Miramare Castle (southeast, towards Trieste) and Duino Castle (northwest) – makes PortoPiccolo a natural base for exploring both, as well as the surrounding Duino Cliffs Nature Reserve.

Sistiana Bay. The historic beach of Trieste, with seaside resorts and a camper site: this is the stretch of coast where the white cliffs of the Karst descend directly onto the Adriatic, a stone's throw from the entrance to the Rilke Trail (see dedicated page). Duino and the Rilke Path).

How to get there

By car. A4 motorway Venice–Trieste, “Sistiana” exit: 2 minutes from PortoPiccolo/Sistiana Bay, local signs at the junction.

On the train. Sistiana-Visogliano Station (regional trains) approximately 500 m from Bora Village/PortoPiccolo. From Trieste Centrale, which is also reachable by Frecciarossa from outside the region, continue by regional train or urban transport.

On the bus. Urban line Trieste Trasporti E51 Airport–Trieste, with a stop in Sistiana (approx. 300 m from Bora Village). During the summer months, line 70 also connects Aurisina Caves Town Hall Square to Sistiana Bay with hourly services.

By sea. From June to September the Green Dolphin, the TPL FVG navigation service connects Trieste to Sistiana (with stops in Barcola and Grignano) and, on the Trieste-Monfalcone route, also stops in Duino and Sistiana: an alternative way to reach the bay during the warmer months.

On a plane. Trieste Airport (Ronchi dei Legionari), approximately 20 km away: direct bus E51 to Sistiana (~300m from Bora Village). From Ljubljana, Treviso or Venice, a private shuttle is a more convenient alternative.

Parking — summer season and visits

PortoPiccolo (the village/resort) and the Bay of Sistiana (public beach) have two separate parking systems, with seasonal rates that change through the year — both different from the arrangements reserved for competitors on race weekend (see next section).

Sistiana Bay (public car park managed by the municipality). The Municipality of Duino Aurisina has regulated paid parking on the bay since 2016, with seasonal rates — check locally or on the Municipality's official channels before visiting.

PortoPiccolo (Borgo garage/resort). The village has a large underground covered car park reserved for the resort: a private facility with its own seasonal rates, not published online in any stable way — check locally or on the village's official channels before visiting.

PortoPiccolo in La Corsa della Bora

PortoPiccolo is the logistical heart of the event: start and/or finish of all 7 races, location of the Bora Village.

The “section by section” descriptions of the six races starting or finishing in PortoPiccolo (Family, Half, Borderless, TransKarst, Trieste Ultra, Bora Ultra) all open or close with the same geographical reference: the Ascent of the White Cliffs immediately after the departure from Bora Village for the daytime races, and the final descent towards Bora Village to close for the S1 Bora Ultra, returning to PortoPiccolo after passing through Santa Croce.

The S1 Bora Ultra (116.2 km) also makes PortoPiccolo a halfway turning point.: at km 61.2 you will find the Base Vita, with hot showers, a hot meal and camp beds, where competitors can rest before setting off again or stop and classify for the shorter distance, the S1 Trieste Ultra, which indeed finishes here.

Bora Village. The covered and heated space overlooking the Gulf of Trieste, in Sistiana, houses the bib and race pack collection, the hot refreshments for finishers, showers and changing rooms, the post-race rest area, the prize-giving ceremony, and the 'third half'.

Parking on race weekend

On the weekend of La Corsa della Bora availability changes compared to the rest of the year: besides the free public parking between the Bay of Sistiana and PortoPiccolo, competitors have access to 120 covered “VIP parking” spaces, with a direct access gate onto the finish line, bookable from the runner profile. A dedicated camper area also remains available at the Bay of Sistiana.

An experience to be had even outside of competition

Those visiting PortoPiccolo outside of a race weekend can combine three things in a single day: a stroll through the car-free village to the marina, a dip in the sea or an aperitif at Sistiana Bay during the bathing season, and – with comfortable shoes – crossing the Rilke Path fino a Duino (1,700m, 30-40 minutes, entrance a short walk from Bora Village): a way to discover, from a standstill and without a race bib, the same stretch of coast that the competitors cover when running. All the details on the dedicated page. Duino and the Rilke Path.

For a comprehensive overview of the trails of the Trieste Karst, all year round, also see Trail running in Trieste and the Karst.