Italy's coastline is synonymous with summer: a vision of Aperol Spritzes sipped under blue parasols before a glass-clear sea. As an Italian who grew up in England, every summer brought the much-anticipated, post-exam ritual of spending the August holiday (called Ferragosto) at my grandparents' seaside village. I would spend long, lazy days in and out of the water in what seemed like unbeatable bliss.

But since moving back to my homeland in 2021 to pursue a PhD, I've had the chance to explore the peninsula's coastline in other months of the year. I discovered something I never expected to say - the Italian seaside is best enjoyed cold(er).