The DonMar on RAI 1 Linea Verde — A Morning out at sea with Federico Quaranta

There are mornings on the water that you know, even as they’re happening, you won’t forget easily. Tuesday the 6th of October was one of those.

The RAI 1 Linea Verde crew arrived at Numana harbour around lunchtime — a very friendly camera crew with a drone, along with presenter Federico Quaranta, who turned out to already know this stretch of coast well. Before we even cast off, I saw him chatting with Aldo Iurini — the old craftsman at the Numana shipyard who built the DonMar back in the 1960s. That detail set the tone for the whole morning: something more genuine and more specific than a generic boat tour.

We sailed out along the Riviera del Conero, from Numana towards Sirolo, with the cliffs of the Parco del Conero rising in front of us. The sky was slightly overcast but the Adriatic was exceptionally flat and quiet, probably the flattest I've seen this whole summer, and in the grey autumn light it looked like a lake of quicksilver: the best stage for a quiet and friendly chatting onboard. Federico asked me about the boat, about the coastline, about what it means to live by the sea here. We talked about the nature of the Conero Park and about the history written into this landscape, visible from the water in a way it simply isn’t from land.

I’ve been taking people out on the DonMar for several years now, and I’m used to watching guests discover this coastline for the first time. And it's always gratifying to explain it to someone who asks the right questions. Federico was genuinely curious, and that curiosity and wanderlust is exactly what makes Linea Verde the programme it is. I'm pretty proud they chose me and the DonMar as guides for this experience.

The episode of Linea Verde STATRT will air on RAI 1 on Saturday October 24th, around 12am.

If you’ve found this post after having watched the episode, and want to know more about the DonMar and what a private tour of the Riviera del Conero actually looks like — welcome! Have a look around the website, learn what the experience would be like , what previous guests say about it, and if you’re thinking about booking for next summer, feel free to get in touch. The season runs from late May through mid-October — if you’re planning a summer trip to the Marche coast, winter is the best time to book to make sure you get your preferred date.

See you soon!