Getting out of Town: An Overview of Tuscan Beaches
Dateline: 05/16/97
Folks, this has been a long week, and the thermometer's pegged far above the seasonal average – we're not in the asphalt-melting swelter of August yet, but it's still hot. So tomorrow morning Elisabetta and I are going to pack up and head on down to the beach with Riccardo.
Tuscany has all sorts of coastlines – beaches good for lounging and socializing, beaches good for listening to the wind, coves that make for wonderful diving, and marshlands (if you'd rather be birding). Tuscany's coastline begins at Bocca di Magra, the mouth of the Magra River. This is a quick north-south rundown of some of the beach towns (and their beaches, if I've been to them):
- Marina di Carrara: sandy beaches and large campgrounds.
Popular with families, singles, and foreigners.
- Marina di
Massa: The construction of Carrara's port has interrupted the flow of sand
south from the Magra, and the beaches are thin. However, the town is bustling,
with lots of hotels, and if you have a car this is a good base from which to
visit Pietrasanta, or
the Lunigiana, with its ethnographic museum. Or see
the Lizzatura, a reenactment of how they got the
marble down from the quarries
- Forte dei
Marmi: Wide beaches and elegant bathing establishments. The coastal scenes
of The English Patient were filmed here, and the town is posh, with
exclusive boutiques and fine restaurants. This is where Florentines come to
spend the weekend, though during the week it's deserted until August. Lots of
hotels.
- Viareggio:
Very wide beaches, was once the winter home of the Czars. Some sections are
very elegant, and others somewhat run-down. Lots of nightlife, however, and
dynamic. Also has a good small craft port, and lots of hotels; during the
winter there's the Carnevale.
- Torre del
Lago: Genteel, has a turn-of-the-century feel to it. Is sandwiched between
Lake Massaciuccoli and the sea, which makes it more humid. However, nice
beaches (family oriented), and hosts the Puccini festival every summer –
out-door operas on the lawn of Puccini's summer home.
- Marina di Pisa
and Tirrenia: Not familiar with this section, which hosts the mouth of the
Arno, and the Camp Darby NATO base (US troops). The beaches are sandy, but
that's all I know.
- Livorno is
a port city. Continuing south the coastline becomes rocky, with lots of bays
and coves that are fun to snorkel in when the water's calm. When it's rough, on
the other hand, you sun where the spray from the waves can cool you off (this
is an excellent way to REALLY burn). There's a
fine restaurant at Calafuria, called La Torre di Calafuria, which is
famous for its cacciucco, a spicy fish stew.
- Rosignano
Solvay: the site of a bicarbonate manufacturer; has spectacularly white
beaches with very fine sand (byproducts of making bicarbonate). The perfect
place to work seriously on your tan.
- Marina di
Cecina: Rocky coast, and that's all I know.
- Marina di
Castagneto di Donoratico: Nice beaches. There is also a large amusement
park, which was hokey when I last went in 1982, but has been rebuilt and looks
like it would be a great place to take a toddler. The town also has a Club Med,
which is geared towards family vacations (as opposed to singles).
- San
Vincenzo: Another family-oriented resort town, with wide beaches, lots of
hotels, and not much in the way of nightlife. The sort of place that the
parents of teenagers will appreciate. The town also has Il Gambero
Rosso, one of Italy's best restaurants. Lots of campgrounds between San
Vincenzo and Baratti.
- Baratti: A little cove below the promontory of Populonia.
Wonderful water, calm even when the sea is rough, with Etruscan ruins nearby,
and a medieval fortress up above. A great place to
rent a small boat and go exploring, with wrecks and such for divers. It's
not far from San Silvestro, a fascinating mining
town.
- Piombino:
The port that most people pass through on their way to Elba. It's also the town
Napoleon gave his sister, who devoted considerable energy to transforming it
into a small jem. The newer industrial section has blast furnaces that used to
light the night sky, but now considerably more energy is being devoted to
tourism than once was. There are some nice beaches, and beautiful coves.
- Elba:
Spectacular, and in retrospect Napoleon was a fool to leave (he ended up at
Waterloo). Beautiful coastline, with wonderful diving, lots of hotels and
campgrounds, hiking in the mountains and more.
- Il Golfo di
Follonica: Also known as Il Golfo del Sole (the sunlit gulf) because
it rarely rains. Nice flat beaches, though built up and touristy. Family
oriented; Follonica is where the Sienese go for the weekend.
- Punta Ala:
Beautiful beaches, a nice small craft port, golf, and more. In a word,
Exclusive. This section is also known as the Argentario.
- Castiglione
Della Pescaia: Pretty resort town, with beautiful rocky coastline, ideally
suited for snorkeling. The perfect place to rent a boat.
- Marina di
Grosseto: Wide sandy beaches, quiet, with lots of hotels and such. Quiet
& family oriented, perfect for small children.
- Parco
dell'Uccellina: South of Grosseto, wild empty beaches where you can be one
with nature. Indeed, it's a nature preserve, and accommodations are in old
farmhouses and such. A nice place to spend an alternative weekend; some nude
beaches.
- Porto Santo
Stefano-Orbeterllo-Port'Ercole: A promontory formed by a small island that
is joined to the coast by two barrier beaches. Sunning along the beaches, and
fantastic diving along the seaward coast of the promontory. Perfect for boats,
with two small-craft ports. Lots of hotels and places to stay, though very
exclusive – has the summer home of the King of Belgium, and is a favorite
spot for wealthy Romans.
I know nothing about Lazio's beaches, save for Lido di Ostia, which is rather like Coney Island.
A few practical considerations:
- Every town has
hotels, and many will be listed on the Net. Most also have campgrounds.
- Depending upon the
type of vacation you want, you can either take your towel and head for the
beach, or go to a bagno, or bathing establishment, which will rent you
an umbrella, chairs and a cot (excellent for broiling). Prices of bagni vary
from minimal to ruinously expensive, and almost every town will have a wide
selection; ask your hotel who they suggest (they my have their own bagno).
- Though bagni can
keep you from spreading your towel between their umbrellas, they cannot deny
you access to the swash zone (where the waves run up) – in other words,
you can walk by the commercial establishments on the way to the free beach,
which every town has.
A final, very important consideration: BATHING SUITS. There are some nude beaches, especially in the Parco dell'Uccellina, but most Tuscan towns would rather that people keep their bottoms on. Tops are another matter – if a woman wants to bare her breasts (on the beach), she's free to do so. However, toplessness is nowhere near as popular as it was in the early 80s, perhaps because today's lasses have discovered that by revealing less they leave a lot more to the imagination.
Have a great time and
try not to burn,
Kyle Phillips
