CA 40 – Via del Conero [Le Marche]

The starting point of this route is Cattolica, reachable from Emilia-Romagna along the Ciclovia Adriatica, or from the town's train station. Within a few kilometres of cycle paths you reach Gabicce Mare, the first coastal town of Le Marche, at the foot of the Parco Regionale del Monte San Bartolo, which leads to Pesaro — the city of bicycles — via scenic secondary roads perched above the sea.

From Pesaro we reach Fano on the Pesaro–Fano cycle-pedestrian path, then cross the Metauro river on a provincial road — take care. From Fano, continue on cycle paths, cross the cycle-pedestrian bridge over the Cesano and head towards Senigallia and Marina di Montemarciano. Here you can continue along the seafront on a very rough unsurfaced stretch, pushing the bike, or take 500 metres on the main road with great care, then reach Falconara Marittima on cycle paths and secondary roads.

At Falconara Marittima we recommend avoiding the official route, diverting inland along village secondary roads and a path that passes over the main road, arriving in Ancona on less busy roads than the coastal highway. From Ancona, take the Biciclovia del Conero, a cycle path leading into the heart of the Parco Regionale del Conero.

Inside the Conero, scenic secondary roads take you to Sirolo and Numana, two gems of Le Marche. From Porto Recanati you leave the coast for the interior, reaching Potenza Picena via secondary roads — avoiding the main road, though still finding a slightly busy stretch. A further detour takes you to Civitanova Marche via Civitanova Alta on the hill, avoiding the main road.

The exit from Civitanova Marche is on a main road (with space on the side for cyclists), then you ride against traffic through an underpass to join the seafront cycle path, while awaiting the cycle-pedestrian bridge over the Chienti, due by end of 2025. From here you can cycle on seafront paths to Marina di Massignano, then there is about 2 km on the main road towards Cupra Marittima, mostly on a wide verge. From Cupra Marittima, return to seafront cycle paths towards Grottammare and San Benedetto del Tronto, ending the itinerary at Porto d'Ascoli, the last coastal town of Le Marche. There is a train station here if you wish to end your journey or travel elsewhere.

Please note: in some sections the route deviates from the Bicitalia BI6 track, following variants considered safer with fewer stretches on main roads.