Boat Rental Trieste
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Trieste seen from the Sea

The city was born looking at the sea, and from the sea it reads as from nowhere else: the row of palaces, the old port, Miramare on its spur. Three hours under way, or a whole day with a boat of your own.

See the itinerary Hire a dinghy
3 hoursthe city tour
no licencethe 5.50 m dinghies
15 April — 15 Octoberthe season

Three ways to take to the sea

With a skipper or self-drive

The first is run with a skipper and lasts about three hours. The second is self-drive, at times of your choosing. The third sets off before dawn, in the hours when the fish are moving and the gulf is still empty.

View from aboard a dinghy under way at sunset, with the teak deck and the golden sea

Illustrative image

The city seen from the sea

le Rive Miramare Duino

We cast off from le Rive and within minutes the city pulls away: you see it as those arriving by ship once did. Then Barcola, Miramare from the water, the cliffs of the coast road, a swim at Canovella degli Zoppoli and a toast off Duino.

Duration
about 3 hours
On board
up to 6 people
Boat
7.50 m, 150 hp, operated by licensed crew
Boarding
le Rive, a step from piazza Unità

100 €per person

€60 for children up to 12

Below four people the trip still costs €350.

See the itinerary, stop by stop Ask for a date
A dinghy at anchor in a clear-water cove beneath a white cliff

Illustrative image

The dinghy, on your own

Aurisina wherever you like

Three five-and-a-half-metre dinghies, forty horsepower: they are driven without a boat licence, and before you set off we explain everything you need to know. You collect them at Marina dei Filtri in Aurisina, where you can drive up and park. From there the open sea begins: the coves beneath the cliffs, Sistiana, and the whole coast as far as you care to go.

Duration
half day or full day
Licence
not required
Boat
5.50 m, 40 hp, no skipper
Collection
Marina dei Filtri, Aurisina

150 €half day

€250 the full day

Book a dinghy
The dinghy rigged for fishing, lying still on the open sea at dawn

Illustrative image

Fishing in the gulf

at dawn the right spot

We leave while it is still dark and go where the fish are feeding: the spot changes with the month, the wind and the tide, and we choose it that same morning by looking at the sea. Everything is on board — rods, reels, bait, landing net — and the man taking you out has fished this gulf all his life. All you bring is a jacket.

Duration
about 6 hours, depending on the season
On board
up to 3 people
Equipment
we provide all of it
Departure
at dawn

from €500per trip

Fuel, equipment and skipper included

The exact price depends on where we go and how long we stay out: we tell you beforehand, in writing.

Ask for a quote

The city from the sea, stop by stop

Three hours along the coast, from le Rive to Duino

We leave from le Rive and return to le Rive. In between: the whole waterfront of the city, the park of Miramare seen from the water, a swim where the sea is at its clearest, and a toast in front of the castle.

  1. Le Rive, in front of Eataly

    Boarding is in the heart of the city, a step from piazza Unità: you walk there from wherever you are staying, without moving the car.

  2. Barcola and the Topolini

    The seafront where Trieste swims. The half-moon terraces, seen from above, look like two round ears: that is why locals have always called them the Mice.

  3. Miramare castle

    From the sea you see what you cannot see from land: the white castle and the whole park sloping around it down to the water, all in one glance.

  4. The coast road and the villas on the water

    An almost untouched stretch of cliff, with historic houses facing straight onto the sea and reachable by no road.

  5. The Castelletto dei Filtri, Aurisina

    A building unlike anything else on this coast, and one you only understand by looking at it from the water.

  6. Canovella degli Zoppoli — the swim

    Here we drop anchor and swim. It is a pebble beach closed between the karst and the sea, with some of the clearest water in the gulf; the name comes from the zoppoli, the boats hollowed out of a single trunk once used by Slovenian fishermen.

  7. The Costa dei Barbari

    A kilometre of wild coast with neither roads nor houses. From here, in Roman times, the blocks of white stone quarried at Aurisina left by sea.

  8. Porto Piccolo

    The new village overlooking the bay of Sistiana, with its own marina: the sharpest contrast on this coast, right after a kilometre of rock and scrub.

  9. Duino and the White Lady — the toast

    We arrive below the castle. Beside the ruins of the old castle stands a spur of white rock shaped like a woman wrapped in a cloak: the legend behind it we tell you right here, with the engine off. A bottle of Carso prosecco is opened, fruit juice for the little ones, and we head back.

The dinghy’s deck and the open sea towards sunset
Illustrative image

Two departures a day

In the morning between 9 and 12, in the afternoon between 15 and 18. These are the usual windows, not fixed departures: you book in advance and we agree the time together. If you have a train, a flight or a child who naps in the afternoon, tell us and we will work around it.

What to bring

Swimwear and a towel for the swim stop, a sweatshirt — at sea the temperature is always lower than on land — and comfortable shoes. On-board equipment is provided.

When we sail

The sailing calendar

Current availability for trips with a skipper: days that are free, days with only one slot still available, and days that are full. Selecting a date and a slot fills in the booking request.

Where we go

The gulf, as they charted it in 1872

This is the chart the British Admiralty published of the Gulf of Trieste: depths measured by sounding line, coastal profiles as seen by those arriving. The sea is the same, and the places we go are those.

Nautical chart of the Gulf of Trieste published in 1872

Admiralty Chart No 1434, Gulf of Trieste, 1872 — United Kingdom Hydrographic Office, public domain.

And for the night

A house on the coast, with the beach below

At Le Ginestre, halfway between Trieste and Duino: one hundred and twenty square metres, three bedrooms, a terrace over the gulf. From the shared pine wood you walk down to the private beach, without taking the car. Open from May to October.

Check availability

The Trieste coast road seen from above, with the bay

The project goes on

What we are building

The sections listed below are in preparation and are published progressively.

Open

The tour itinerary

The nine stops from le Rive to Duino, with the swim at Canovella and the toast below the castle. Where we go, named one by one.
In progress

The house on the coast

A page of its own for the flat at Le Ginestre: the rooms, the terrace, the walk down to the private beach, and the free dates.

Coming soon

Where to eat and drink

A selection of fish restaurants and Karst osmize, with special terms for those taking part in the trips at sea.

Coming soon

Getting around town

Bicycle and scooter rental, the Opicina tram and the most convenient parking areas in the centre.

Coming soon

Museums, castles and tickets

Miramare, the Castle of San Giusto, the Risiera, the karst caves: what is worth it, what it costs, and tickets booked without queueing.

Coming soon

Stories from those who came aboard

The photographs and stories of those who made the trip before you. Yours too, if you like.

Before you come aboard

The questions we are asked

Do I need a boat licence?

Not for the tour: the boat is operated by licensed crew of Boat Rental Trieste. Not for the hire either: the five-and-a-half-metre, forty-horsepower dinghies do not require a boat licence. Before departure, handling instructions and safety rules are explained.

How much is the tour and what is included?

One hundred euros per person, sixty for children up to twelve. Below four people the trip still costs three hundred and fifty euros. The skipper, the fuel and the toast below the castle of Duino are included.

How many people can come aboard?

Up to six. The tour boat is seven and a half metres with one hundred and fifty horsepower; the hire dinghies also take six people.

Do we swim during the trip?

Yes, at Canovella degli Zoppoli, where the water is deep and clean. We recommend bringing swimwear: the swim stop is one of the most appreciated parts of the trip.

Can children come, and from what age?

There is no age limit. Life jackets are provided, including children’s sizes: it is enough to state age and build when booking. With small children, sea conditions are assessed on the day: if the sea is rough the trip is shortened or postponed.

What is on board?

Life jackets for everyone and an awning for shade. There is no toilet on board: the trip lasts three hours and we put in where needed.

Can we bring food and drink?

Yes, food and drink may be brought on board. The toast below the castle is included.

Can we bring pets?

No. Animals are not permitted on board, of any size.

How do I book and how do I pay?

From the calendar on this page you select the date and the slot and send the request. The date is held on payment of a one-hundred-euro deposit; the balance is paid at boarding, in cash or by card.

Where do we park?

At le Rive, where the tour leaves from, there are the paid seafront car parks and the port multi-storey: there is no free parking in the centre of Trieste. At the Marina dei Filtri in Aurisina, where the dinghies are collected, you drive up and leave the car there at no charge.

What languages is the tour in?

In Italian and English. With German- or Slovene-speaking guests, essential communication is in any case assured.

Can we keep the dinghy for more than one day?

Yes, for several days in a row. The price is quoted to measure: write to us saying how many days and when.

What if the sea is rough?

We only go out when sea and weather offer a guarantee of safety. If they do not, the trip is cancelled and we refund in full what you have paid, or we agree a new date together.