THE AREA
PortoPiccolo and Sistiana Bay
The car-free village among the white cliffs, and the logistical heart of the Corsa della Bora.
PortoPiccolo is a recently built tourist village on the site of a former stone quarry in Sistiana/Sesljan, a hamlet of 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) set within the Duino Cliffs Nature Reserve.
Coordinates: 45.7633° N, 13.6350° E – 2 minutes from the A4 “Sistiana” motorway exit.
Next to PortoPiccolo lies Sistiana Bay, the natural cove with its public beach managed by Parco Caravella (plus several bathing establishments, including Cohiba), distinct from the private village of PortoPiccolo but part of the same stretch of coast, 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 quarried until a few decades ago. The redevelopment of the site, completed in the early 2010s, transformed a former industrial quarry into a residential and tourist village, with architecture designed to blend into the landscape of the cliffs and no cars on its streets.
The marina and the beach club. The private marina provides berths for pleasure boats, while PortoPiccolo’s beach club, run by Tivoli, is one of the area’s main hubs of summer seaside life.
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. Trieste’s historic beach, with bathing establishments and a motorhome area: this is the stretch of coast where the white cliffs of the Karst drop straight into the Adriatic, a stone’s throw from the entrance to the Rilke Trail (see the dedicated page on Duino and the Sentiero Rilke).
How to get there
By car. A4 motorway Venice–Trieste, “Sistiana” exit: 2 minutes from PortoPiccolo/Sistiana Bay, with local signposting at the junction.
By train. Sistiana-Visogliano station (regional trains) is about 500 m from Bora Village/PortoPiccolo. From Trieste Centrale, which is also served by Frecciarossa trains from outside the region, continue by regional train or local public transport.
By bus. The Trieste Trasporti G51 bus (Airport–Trieste) stops at the entrance to PortoPiccolo, about 700 m (a 10-minute walk) from Bora Village. In summer, line 70 also links the town hall square in Cave di Aurisina with Sistiana Bay, with hourly departures.
By sea. From June to September the Delfino Verde, the TPL FVG boat service, connects Trieste to Sistiana (stopping at Barcola and Grignano) and, on the Trieste–Monfalcone route, also calls at Duino and Sistiana: an alternative way to reach the bay in the warmer months.
By air. Trieste Airport (Ronchi dei Legionari) is about 20 km from PortoPiccolo: the G51 bus from the airport stops at the entrance to PortoPiccolo (about 700 m, a 10-minute walk from Bora Village). From Ljubljana, Treviso or Venice, a private transfer is the most convenient option.
Parking – summer season and visits
PortoPiccolo (the village/resort) and Sistiana Bay (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 the 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 on site or via the Municipality’s official channels before you visit.
PortoPiccolo (village/resort car park). The village has a large underground car park reserved for the resort: a private facility with its own seasonal rates, which are not reliably published online – check on site or via the village’s official channels before you visit.
PortoPiccolo in the Corsa della Bora
PortoPiccolo is the logistical heart of the event: start and/or finish of all 7 races, home of Bora Village.
| Race | Start | Finish |
|---|---|---|
| S1 Borin (5.5 km) | PortoPiccolo | PortoPiccolo |
| S1 Family Hike & Trail (14.8 km) | PortoPiccolo | PortoPiccolo |
| S1 Half Trail (23 km) | PortoPiccolo | PortoPiccolo |
| S1 Borderless Trail (36.2 km) | PortoPiccolo | PortoPiccolo |
| S1 TransKarst Ultra (55 km) | PortoPiccolo | PortoPiccolo |
| S1 Trieste Ultra (61.2 km) | Trieste city centre | PortoPiccolo |
| S1 Bora Ultra (116.2 km) | Trieste city centre | PortoPiccolo (also at km 61.2, Base Vita) |
Six of the seven races starting or finishing at PortoPiccolo (Family, Half, Borderless, TransKarst, Trieste Ultra, Bora Ultra) share a common landmark, at the start or the finish: the climb from the White Cliffs right after the start from Bora Village for the daytime races, and the final descent towards Bora Village at the finish of the S1 Bora Ultra, which returns to PortoPiccolo after passing through Santa Croce.
The S1 Bora Ultra (116.2 km) also makes PortoPiccolo a turning point at the halfway mark: 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 be classified over the shorter distance, the S1 Trieste Ultra, which in fact finishes here.
Bora Village. The covered, heated space overlooking the Gulf of Trieste, in Sistiana, houses bib and race pack pick-up, hot refreshments for finishers, showers and changing rooms, the post-race rest area, the prize-giving and the get-together afterwards.
Parking on race weekend
During the Corsa della Bora weekend, parking availability differs from the rest of the year: more than 2,000 spaces in all, across the bookable car parks at PortoPiccolo and Parco Caravella and the free areas in the bay and outside it, with three controlled access points. Bookable spaces are chosen in your Runner Profile after you have entered the race. A dedicated motorhome area in Sistiana Bay also remains available. Prices, access points and times are on the page: Parking.
An experience to enjoy beyond race weekend too
Anyone visiting PortoPiccolo outside race weekend can combine three things in a single day: a stroll through the car-free village to the marina, a swim or an aperitif at Sistiana Bay during the bathing season, and – with comfortable shoes – the walk along the Rilke Path to Duino (1,700 m, 30–40 minutes, entrance just a few steps from Bora Village): a way to take in, at your own pace and without a bib, the same stretch of coast that the competitors cover at a run. Full details on the dedicated page. Duino and the Sentiero Rilke.
During the Corsa della Bora, PortoPiccolo is the event’s base: start, finish and all services are at Bora Village. For logistical details – parking, motorhome area, post-race services – see PortoPiccolo — Race Hub and Bora Village.
Frequently asked questions about PortoPiccolo and Sistiana Bay
Where is PortoPiccolo?
In Sistiana/Sesljan, a hamlet of the municipality of Duino Aurisina/Devin Nabrežina, on the Adriatic coast between Miramare Castle and Duino Castle. It is a car-free village built on the site of a former stone quarry, two minutes from the A4 “Sistiana” motorway exit; coordinates 45.7633° N, 13.6350° E.
Where can you park at PortoPiccolo and Sistiana Bay?
They are two separate systems. Sistiana Bay has a public car park under municipal management, with paid parking regulated by the Municipality of Duino Aurisina since 2016. PortoPiccolo, by contrast, has its own underground car park, a private facility belonging to the village. On race weekend a separate arrangement applies.
How much does parking cost at PortoPiccolo?
Rates are seasonal and change over the course of the year: those for the bay are set by the Municipality of Duino Aurisina, while those for the village car park are set privately and are not reliably published online. It is worth checking them on site or through the official channels before you visit. On race weekend, bookable spaces are chosen in your Runner Profile.
How do you get to PortoPiccolo?
By car, the A4 “Sistiana” exit is two minutes' drive away. By train, Sistiana-Visogliano station is about 500 m from Bora Village. By bus, the G51 bus (Airport–Trieste) stops at the entrance to PortoPiccolo, about 700 m (a 10-minute walk) from Bora Village; in summer, line 70 also reaches the bay. From June to September the Delfino Verde boat service links Trieste with Sistiana.
What is Sistiana Bay?
It is the natural cove next to PortoPiccolo, with the public beach managed by Parco Caravella and several bathing establishments: Trieste’s historic beach, on the stretch of coast where the white cliffs of the Karst drop straight into the Adriatic. There is also a motorhome area.
Are PortoPiccolo and Sistiana Bay the same place?
No. PortoPiccolo is the private, car-free village, with its marina, beach club and resort; Sistiana Bay is the public cove next door, with the beach. They are two distinct places on the same stretch of coast, between the same white cliffs, and they have two different parking systems.
For a complete overview of the trails of the Trieste Karst, all year round, see also Trail running in Trieste and on the Karst.