When Your Overseas Home asked our readers why they were considering a move to Italy, one of the top answers was for a healthier lifestyle.
The good news, it’s easy to stay fit and healthy in Italy. You’ll be swapping grey skies for golden sun, the Mediterranean diet, and breathtaking scenery that demands you go outside. Who needs drugs to keep you fit, happy and trim?
You will be so distracted by the incredible views, you’ll hardly notice how far you have walked. Just breathing in fresh sea or mountain air can make you feel refreshed. But when combined with exercise, blue skies and good company, you’ll feel great.
If retiring or buying a holiday home, you’ll have the opportunity to take up new pastimes and sports – all those adventures you never had time for.
In Italy there are so many outdoor sports to choose, from skiing to yachting, cycling around the lakes, padel or ski mountaineering.
Then there are the sports to watch, to make friends at the match or chat about in the bar. Here is our pick of the best sporting ways to enjoy a healthy lifestyle in Italy.
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How outdoor sports in Italy can improve your health
Whether you are remote working, retired or visiting your holiday home, getting involved in outdoor sports in Italy can lead to a fit and healthy lifestyle. But you should look at it as more than simply exercise.
Outdoor pursuits are an opportunity to make new friends, bonded by a shared interest. Which can lead to meeting up for lunch or drinks after days out. You could join a club or simply get together with a group of expats.
Then there is the simple good of time outside. Many of us spend too long sat indoors, either because the weather is miserable or we live in an area that’s not interesting. An exercise bike can’t compete with fresh wind on your face, and the panoramic sea views you get while cycling around the Italian coast.
Italy’s southern regions and islands have very few wet days. For example, Brindisi province in Puglia only had rain on eight days over the three summer months last year. Between April and June 2025 there were only three days.
However, July and August can feel too hot for some sports, reaching over 35C in Brindisi and 31C in Florence. Which is why Southern Italians like to hike in the mountains and swim in the sea in August. However, Autumn, winter and spring are great for many outdoor sports.
8 Sports to enjoy in Italy
Golf
Playing golf in Italy combines fresh air, exercise, time with friends and great scenery. You could easily do 12,000 steps around an 18 hole course and the golf swing uses muscles throughout the body. You could even make new friends at the club house.
Where can I play golf in Italy?
Italy has 150 golf courses with at least 18 holes, all in panoramic locations. Many of these are in the northern half of Italy, where they make the most of the green landscape, forests and rivers. There are several golf courses around the cities of Turin, Milan, Venice and Rome.
The views can be spectacular near the Italian lakes and around the coast. Even though there are less golf courses in the south, they’re worth a visit for the sea views. Such as San Dominica golf in Puglia. You can find more details on Italy’s scenic golf courses on the Italia tourism website.
Mountain Sports
Just breathing in the fresh mountain air can make you feel fit and healthy. The Italian Alps play host to many world class events and are well equipped for various sports. The most popular are alpine skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing, especially among the outstanding scenery of the Dolomites and Aosta Valley. There are some outstanding properties for sale in the Aosta Valley.
In the mountains you will find many sports available to keep you fit and healty all year round. Such as rafting, rock climbing, hiking, and ice skating. A thrilling new sport being introduced at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics is Ski Mountaineering (SkiMo), which combines mountaineering with uphill and downhill skiing.
Where can I do mountain sports?
The Dolomites are well known for breathtaking views and winter sports. Top resorts include Cortina d’ Ampezzo, Val Gardena, and Alta Badia. The Winter Olympics will attract thousands more visitors to the areas surrounding the Olympic venues, which is good news for those who rent out their property to tourists.
For year round living Bergamo is ranked as the number one Italian city for quality of life and also has an airport. In just 30 minutes you could be on the slopes at Piani di Bobbio. Making it a convenient location to live or have a holiday home.
Mountain homes
Other areas with good snow at high-altitudes are Cervinia in the Valle d’Aosta and Sestriere in Piedmont, the latter having properties close to the slope. Another excellent choice is Courmayeur, which is known for its off-piste.
You can still find some cheap properties for sale in Piedmont and Abruzzo. Typically, they get cheaper the further they are from transport links and other facilities. Read our article on ski homes in Italy for a clearer overview and more great locations.
Tennis
If you’re looking for a sport that can keep you active and help make friends, there’s a reason Tennis is so popular in Italy. Well, that and because of the success of Italian tennis players like Jannik Sinner, Matteo Berrettini, Lorenzo Mussetti, Flavio Cobolli and Jasmine Paolini. Five Italian men are currently ranked in the top 50 in the world. Plus, Italy women’s team just won the Billie Jean King Cup, while I was writing this.
Many Italians watch tennis, with some matches broadcast on a free TV channel “Supertennis”. Its popularity has led to Italy having many tennis clubs, academies, training centres and camps for all levels.
Where can I play tennis in Italy?
Many tennis clubs and holiday resorts will allow you to book a court without being a member. Check out the local tourism websites for recommendations. Tuscany and Umbria have some good tennis clubs and properties for sale around Florence, Orvieto, and Perugia. The islands of Sardinia and Sicily also have resorts which cater for tennis holidays.
Padel
Similar to Tennis, padel is a fast-paced game, which is easy to learn. It’s a very sociable game usually played as doubles. Rome was the first Italian city to start playing “Padel” and from there it has spread across Italy. Rome also currently hosts one of the two Italian stages of Premier Padel.
Where can I play Padel in Italy?
Many cities across Italy have indoor and outdoor padel courts. However, the best region to play padel outdoors is probably Puglia, due to its mild climate. For example, in Bari they have the Di Cagno Abbrescia sport centre that has 9 padel courts as well as football, basketball, tennis, beach volleyball, and beach tennis fields.
Hiking
Hiking is a wonderful low-cost way to keep fit and healthy in Italy. As well as being great exercise, spending time in nature is also good for your mental health. Italy’s varied landscape offers so many interesting places to walk, including trails up mountains, along beaches, through villages and around vineyards and olive groves.
There are also many National parks and nature reserves, where you can combine walking with spotting wildlife. To discover what wildlife you might spot in Italy, see my previous article on Italy’s wildlife.
Where can I go hiking in Italy?
There are thought to be well over 150,000 hiking trails in Italy. Many of these are maintained by the Italian Alpine Club. Choose your favourite Italian landscape and you are sure to find a hiking trail that makes the most of the views.
Here are some of the most well known for their scenic beauty:
- Lake views: The Greenway of Lake Como, Lombardy.
- Sea views: From Camogli to Portofino, Liguria; The Path of the Gods on the Amalfi Coast, Campania; Selvagio Blu, Sardinia; Cinque Terre Coastal Trail (Sentiero Azzurro) in Liguria.
- Volcanic landscape: Germoplasma Trail in the Etna Park, Sicily
- Mountains: The Alpe Adria Trail, Friuli-Venezia Giulia; Gran Paradiso, Aosta Valley/Piedmont; Dolomites, Veneto.
- Hills and streams: Via di Francesco, from Assisi to Gubbio
- Woodland: The Via degli Dei, from Bologna to Florence, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany. Historic: Appian Way, out of Rome, Tratturo Magno shepherds trails, Abruzzo to Puglia.
Cycling
Road cycling is very popular in Italy, both for holidays, club cycling and simply getting around.
Many retired men in my local town cycle to their plots of land in the countryside to keep fit and healthy. Once there, they work in their olive groves and vineyards, then cycle to the Piazza for a chat with their friends.
Young and old can be seen cycling on countryside roads and there are many special cycle routes that take you through some gorgeous scenery and connect villages.
Giro d’ Italia
Giro d’Italia is the main road cycling event in Italy. It’s an interesting race to watch on TV, as it shows views of towns and villages from a helicopter. You may even see an area that appeals to you for a future house viewing trip. But, there are many other organised races for both road and mountain biking. The Italian Cycling federation has a calendar of amateur and championship events.
There are also cycling events that include history and culture. Such as L’Eroica, which is a cycling event held annually in Gaiole in Chianti, Tuscany. Held on the first Sunday of October, it features vintage bicycles, retro clothing, and the use of Tuscany’s old tracks.
Where can I cycle in Italy?
Every region has good areas for cycling. I’d suggest looking on the tourism website for the region you are interested in for recommended routes. If you want to try it out before buying your own bike, there are cycle holiday businesses that rent bikes, with maps of recommended routes.
Tuscany has well sign posted cycle ways, and the Italian lakes and Dolomites offer incredible scenery. For flatter rides near the sea look at the Salento area of Puglia and around Sicily and Sardinia.
Some of the best cycleways in Italy are:
- Lake Garda Cycleway, with views of the lake.
- Adige Valley Cycle path, through vineyards and pretty towns leading to Verona
- Drau river cycle path in the Dolomites.
- Venice to Mantua cycle route, through the Po Delta nature reserve.
Running
As well as running along countryside roads, for a change of scenery you could follow trails through national parks surrounded by nature. Seaside promenades and river banks are also popular places to run in Italy. When in Rome people like to run alongside the Tiber River and on the historic Appian Way. While in Milan the parks and gardens offer a green space to run in the city.
Where can I run races in Italy?
Many towns organise annual “urban runs”; my local town had theirs this morning. The AHOTU website lists many of the most well-known races. And when you are ready for a marathon, head to the big cities.
Popular marathons suitable for amateur runners are:
- Rome Marathon – A historic location which attracts runners from far and wide.
- Venice Marathon – Across bridges and piazzas.
- Florence Marathon – In the historic centre.
- Romeo and Juliet Half Marathon – Running through the romantic city of Verona.
Football
The Italian national football teams come together under the, Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio (FIGC), which is the governing body for football in Italy. They organise the leagues and manage the Italian national football teams (men’s, women’s, and youth). On their website you will also see “futsal” (five aside football) and beach soccer.
Beach soccer
On the sands of Viareggio’s beach arena the Italy team won the 2025 European Beach Soccer Championships. This high paced game is exciting to watch and play, with plenty of goals. Italy beat Spain in the Final 8-5. Playing football on sand uses a lot of muscles, and with all that sea air you are sure to feel fit and healthy after playing it. You’ll certainly sleep well.
Where can I play beach soccer in Italy?
Some free beaches and private beach clubs have multipurpose sand courts for beach volleyball and beach soccer. For example, Bibione near Venice has sand pitches right on the beach, and Lido Azzuro has private courts in Catania.
Other locations include Ventimiglia (Liguria), Rome (Veneto), Chieti (Abruzzo), Riccione (Emilia-Romagna), and Taranto (Puglia). To connect with other players and find courts to meet up at, try a community app like, BeachUp which lists city locations in Rome, Milan, Naples, Turin, Genoa and Palermo.
These are just some of the popular sports in Italy at the moment, but there are many more. Facilities for basketball, volleyball and swimming can be found across the country. You may even have the luxury of your own pool at your Italian home.
Keeping fit and healthy in Italy is easy when you get out and explore. You’ll be amazed how far you can walk just sightseeing.
Where to enjoy the Winter Olympics 2026 in Italy
If you’re more interested in watching sports than partaking, then you can see Italy at its best in the upcoming Winter Olympics.
The Winter Olympics Milano Cortina 2026 will be held from 6 to 22 February 2026 and the Paralympic Winter Games from 6 to 15 March 2026. Guaranteed to be a huge inspiration to those who enjoy winter sports, the Olympic venues will attract more visitors to their first-class facilities.
The main venue is Cortina d’Apezzo, which will host bobsleigh, skeleton, luge, alpine skiing, and para snowboarding. The following locations will also be used: Antholz / Anterselva (Biathlon), Livigno (freestyle skiing, slopestyle, snowboarding, jumps, moguls), Milan (Speed cycling, ice hockey), Predazzo (ski jumping), and Tesoro (cross-country). Plus, Bormio will host the new SkiMo event.
