Canovella de'Zoppoli can only be reached by boat or on foot, by taking the panoramic track which has been used for centuries by fishermen from the Carso plateau who clambered down the embankment to launch their nets from the primitive wooden boats - the Zoppoli - that give their name to the area. From Aurisina or from the coastal road if you want to shorten the distance, you walk down through first a wood and then an area of terraces laboriously dug into the hillside, some stretches of the walk giving splendid views over the Gulf. Finally you arrive at a small harbour with showers, toilets and a restaurant at the side of which starts the stony path leading to the free-access beach which is very popular in summer, not least for all-night parties. The bathing area is sheltered and quiet and by walking along the sandy shore for a further ten minutes you can come to the naturalist beach of Liburnia in an area that is reminiscent of Puglia in the south of Italy, Corsica or some of the rocky Greek islands.

Point of interest
The Zoppolo, a boat used for centuries along the Trieste coastline, was a simple, primitive boat dug out of a single tree-trunk so it had a solid hull which was ideal for dragging over the rocky beaches without moorings or harbours where the Carso meets the sea. It was used by the local peasants for fishing or to reach otherwise inaccessible costal farmland.