The Audit People Award for Italy’s most sustainable beach club of 2026 goes to Cattolica, in Emilia Romagna. It was won by Altamarea Beach Village and was collected in Milan, on the stage of the Gran Galà dei Beach Club d’Italia, by founder Mirella Masi. Presenting the award, alongside Stefano Bonetto (auditor, regulator and trainer at Audit People), was a special guest wearing the tricolor sash, representing the Municipality of Cattolica: city councilor Elena Leardini.

Altamarea thus succeeds the first two winners of the quality and sustainability award branded by Audit People, Bagno Alcione in Forte dei Marmi for the 2024 edition and Poseidonia Beach Club in Marina di Ascea for the 2025 edition, entering the hall of fame of the event organized by Guida ai migliori beach club d’Italia and Italianbeach.club by Andrea Guolo and Tiziana Di Masi.

“Altamarea – reads the citation – represents a point of reference for the Cattolica community, a place of social and cultural value in all its expressions. With events and activities that go beyond the horizon of pure entertainment to enter the realm of care for people and the planet, from the wellness space called Shakti, to the promotion of beach towels made using yarns derived from marine plastic recovered from the oceans, to organizing the literary festival Altamarea Book Beach. And also for this reason Altamarea has decided to be fully compliant through certifications, the latest of which to be achieved was gender equality certification“.

Audit People Award 1 Altamarea Cattolica — The award ceremony at the Gran Galà dei Beach Club in Milan

“An award that has enormous value for us“, commented the Cattolica beach establishment on social media. “Because it tells exactly what we want to build every day: a beach that is not just a place to be, but a complete experience to live. Altamarea was born as an experiential beach village, designed to unite relaxation, wellness, sports, families, culture, hospitality, sustainability and care for animals in one great ecosystem of experiences“.

Altamarea was founded in 2002 when eleven beach operators in Cattolica combined their professional experiences and within a couple of years completed the project to “merge” their beaches into a single structure capable of offering complete services to an increasingly diverse clientele. So today Altamarea meets the needs of families with children, adults who want to experience the beach as a venue for events, and those who go to the sea with their dogs. Among the services are the heated saltwater pool, with free admission all summer long, mini pools with hydromassage, playground for children, beach volleyball, football, basketball and paddle tennis courts, a gym with Technogym equipment, bocce courts, ping pong tables and reading oases. When hunger strikes, there’s no shortage of solutions including Africo Bar, with its Romagna piadinas and fresh fish dishes from Cattolica market, as well as a good cocktail menu.