Marina di Pietrasanta

On Tuscany's Versilia coast, the town of Marina di Pietrasanta is a resort with some of the area's best beaches. It is connected to the municipality of Pietrasanta, a pleasant old town founded in the 1200s, which has been an important center of marble extraction and working for centuries. In fact, Pietrasanta is known as the city of artists and has many artists studios in town, along with an interesting museum dedicated to marble sculpture, the Bozzetti Museum.

Located between Viareggio and Pisa, Marina di Pietrasanta has enormous expanses of beach that stretch out for five kilometers along the coast. The wide beach means it never feels overcrowded, even in the height of the summer, and there is plenty of room between chairs and umbrellas to not feel like sardines. There are open spaces of free beach, along with lots of vendors that offer umbrella and chair rentals, restaurants, bars and snacks.

The town itself is along strung along the coast, with plenty of shops, restaurants, pizzerias, cafes and gelaterias to keep everyone happy. There are some parks and gardens, and you can take the bike path that leads to the historic center of Pietrasanta, about 5 kilometers away. Summer brings a full schedule of concerts, music, dances, festivals and cultural programs to enjoy.

Marina di Pietrasanta is a great homebase for exploring Tuscany and the Cinque Terre of Liguria.