Vitamin D in Italy in March: sun, UV and what to expect

Too cold Too cold here in March: afternoon highs average only 17.3°C, which is too chilly for sunbathing in light clothing. Try another month or a warmer destination.

5.5 hsun window (UV 2.5+)

4.9peak UV Index

11 minto a full dose

17°Cafternoon high

10/30rainy days

26/30sunny days

Open Italy for March on the map Find stays in Italy

How long in the sun in March?

If you travel anyway, plan your sun session around midday (roughly 11:00 to 15:00), when the UV Index peaks at about 4.9. With about a quarter of your skin bare, a full dose takes around 11 minutes for skin type III at age 30, and about 20 minutes at age 65.
Stop well before your skin turns pink. At this UV level skin type III can start to burn after about 41 minutes of midday sun, so cover up, find shade and use SPF 30+ on skin that stays out.
Water, sand and light surfaces reflect UV, so at the beach you get a little more sun than the number suggests, for the good and the bad.

Skin type	Full dose, age 30	Full dose, age 65	Time to burn
Type I	7 min	14 min	27 min
Type II	9 min	17 min	34 min
Type III	11 min	20 min	41 min
Type IV	16 min	31 min	61 min
Type V	22 min	41 min	82 min
Type VI	36 min	68 min	2.3 h

Minutes at midday for about 1,000 IU of vitamin D with a quarter of the body bare, at Naples, the median coastal place. Time to burn is the time to reach one minimal erythemal dose and does not depend on age. A rough planning guide, not medical advice.

Places in Italy in March

Place	Rating	Sun window	Full dose	Afternoon high	Rainy days
Syracuse	Too cold	7.0 h	9 min	20°C	3/30
Palermo	Too cold	6.7 h	10 min	19°C	4/30
Cagliari	Too cold	6.7 h	10 min	18°C	5/30
Cefalù	Too cold	6.6 h	9 min	18°C	8/30
Taormina	Too cold	6.2 h	10 min	18°C	7/30
Costa Smeralda	Too cold	5.9 h	10 min	17°C	6/30
Alghero	Too cold	6.0 h	10 min	17°C	9/30
Lecce	Too cold	6.0 h	10 min	17°C	12/30
Polignano a Mare	Too cold	5.8 h	11 min	17°C	9/30
Capri	Too cold	5.9 h	11 min	15°C	15/30
Naples	Too cold	5.5 h	11 min	17°C	10/30
Positano	Too cold	5.5 h	11 min	17°C	11/30
Amalfi	Too cold	5.5 h	11 min	16°C	14/30
Sorrento	Too cold	5.5 h	11 min	17°C	15/30
Elba	Too cold	5.4 h	12 min	15°C	11/30
Rome	Too cold	5.1 h	12 min	18°C	9/30
Rimini	Too cold	4.7 h	13 min	16°C	7/30
Portofino	Too cold	3.7 h	15 min	15°C	13/30
Cinque Terre	Too cold	3.6 h	15 min	15°C	12/30
Venice	Too cold	3.2 h	16 min	14°C	14/30

Other months in Italy

Best months: May to October. Full Italy guide

Other sunny places in March

All best places for vitamin D in March