The Esino River Greenway, from the Apennines to the Sea

The Marche has two faces that draw visitors: the spectacular caves of Frasassi and the beaches of the Adriatic. Almost no one, though, thinks to connect these two worlds on two wheels, and yet between the mountains and the sea flows a river, the Esino, which runs through one of the region's quietest and most overlooked valleys. Along its course lies a greenway made of embankments, gravel lanes and country roads, cutting through a hinterland of hills, vineyards and small villages where mass tourism simply doesn't reach: people pass through here by car on their way elsewhere, never stopping.

The route

The most striking starting point is up high, near the Frasassi Gorge, the limestone chasm carved out by the Sentino, a tributary of the Esino, home to the celebrated Grotte di Frasassi and the astonishing octagonal Tempietto del Valadier set into the rock. From here the Esino descends eastward through the Vallesina. You pass Genga, with its rugged landscape, and then the valley softens toward Jesi, a walled city of art, the birthplace of Frederick II and the historic capital of the Castelli di Jesi, land of Verdicchio. Continuing on, the Esino heads decisively toward the coast, and the scenery changes once more: the vineyards give way to farmland plains and finally to the openness of the Adriatic, where the river reaches the sea near Falconara Marittima, just a stone's throw from Ancona. It's an itinerary with the rare charm of uniting mountain, wine-country hills and sea in a single line.

How to ride it

The beauty of following a river is that the profile is naturally gentle: descending from Frasassi toward the coast, you ride on a slight and steady loss of elevation, which makes the route accessible even to those who aren't looking for a workout. The surface varies, with stretches of asphalt on minor roads and sections of gravel along the embankments, so a sturdy bike with somewhat generous tyres is a good idea, able to handle the unpaved surface without trouble. The effort is moderate overall if you stick to the valley floor, but anyone wanting to climb up to the hill villages or push on to see the Tempietto del Valadier should reckon with a few steep pitches. It's a route best done from the mountains toward the sea, riding the gradient in your favour and finishing with the reward of the beach.

When to go

The recommended window is broad, from April to October, and this comes down to the mild climate of the Marche hinterland. Spring offers green countryside, blossoms and a crisp light ideal for photographing the gorge and the villages, while autumn is the season of the Verdicchio harvest, with the vineyards turning colour and the villages carrying the scent of must. This way you avoid the humid heat of high summer, when the coast fills up and the valley air grows heavy, and the solitude of these embankments is practically guaranteed: Marche tourism concentrates on the caves and the beaches, never on the stretch of river that joins them.

Practical tips

A practical tip: plan a stop in Jesi to visit the walled old town and, if you love wine, pause at a cellar in the Castelli di Jesi area to discover Verdicchio where it's born. Bring a good supply of water, because along the embankments refuelling points can be far apart, and keep an eye on the forecast: on the gravel embankment lanes, after rain, the surface can turn muddy and slippery. Reaching the sea by bike after setting off from a mountain gorge, though, repays every kilometre of gravel.