Mountains and Beach in one Place!
First stop on our trip to Italy was Marina Di Pietrasanta, a rather pleasant spot on the Tuscany coast of Italy, just half and hour from Pisa airport.
With the mountains on one side and the mediterranean on the other, it provides a lovely place to stay a while.
Beach Ordered Italian Style
It has a great beach, though if you have never been to Italy you have to get over the shock of needing to pay to sit on the beach. Well, there are a few public beach areas, but most of the beach is neatly cut into strips, owned and managed by hotels and private beach clubs. But once you experience siting among the neat lines of sun loungers, gazebos and umbrellas, you will not want to slum it again. It’s clear Italians like everything on their beaches neat and tidy.
Though even on the private beaches, you’ll be plagued by beach sellers, selling cheap sunglasses, watches and the like.
A Place to Relax
The town has a relaxed atmosphere, much quieter than other resorts and popular with Italians themselves. There is one main shopping street, which is largely pedestrianised. There you’ll find bars, cafes, restaurants as well as a number of boutique like shops.
And of course everywhere you go in Italy has great ice cream.
The pier, where the bronze statue of St Anthony looks on, provides a great location to stroll in the evening.
Getting There
We traveled around Italy by train. Landing at Pisa airport, we took the people mover into Pisa and then a train to Viareggio. From there you can catch a bus to Marina di Pietrasanta or grab a taxi. A taxi will cost you 25 euros.
We used the buses quite a bit while staying there to get back to Viareggio for trips to Pisa and Lucca by train. You can buy bus tickets from the bar in Viaraggio train station and other places. It is best to buy them before you get on the bus. While drivers are supposed to be able to sell you tickets, some claim they can’t or have run out. You validate the ticket when you board the bus in the yellow machine.
Where to Stay
There are several hotels in the area. We stayed at the Hotel Venezia, a pleasant family run hotel. Rooms are comfortable and clean. Nice grounds and pool. Staff are friendly and helpful, and you’ll begin your day with a decent breakfast. The roof top terrace provides great views of the mountains, as seen in the panoramic image here. We’d definitely go back again.
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