1. Cinque Terre The classic tourist spots for non Italian visitors, these five towns are a must for any tour of Italy. Cinque Terre translates to five lands. From south to north you'll find Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, Monterosso. The beach town of the five is Monterosso but you can go swimming at each one, besides Corniglia (it's on a mountain top). Head straight there for a day of delicious fruity drunk buckets, the best calamari on earth, and a beach with a view. The one downside is how crowded the beach gets! I suggest heading into Old Town for a little bit more space. Cinque overall is super touristy, and therefore, crowded. Read more about Cinque Terre HERE. 2. Viareggio If you're missing US beaches, or more specifically, sand, this is the place for you. Viareggio is a full sand beach with public areas to lay your towel out, as well as restaurants along the water where you can rent beach chairs. It is on the west coast, south of Cinque Terre, and a short hour long train ride from Florence. There is a long promenade behind the beach that feels similar to a boardwalk. This is definitely the easiest and most convenient beach in Tuscany. 3. Rimini The beach itself is similar to Viaraggio but the town is much larger. It is on the opposite coast and considered a crazy party town at night, with huge beach clubs. Rimini is also where you can catch a bus to the 5th smallest country in the world: San Marino. Read more about that HERE. 4. Castiglioncello Castiglioncello is the spot to visit for amazing views! There is a small town with a museum and castle to visit as well. The "beach" is only a 2 minute walk straight from the train station. It is beautiful, but may catch you off guard because it is all rocks! By that I do not mean pebbles, I mean rock. You can lay your towel on a small patch of sand or sit in between the rocks in a small pool of water. If you are dead set on a sand beach, walk 10 minutes up the coast and past the "downtown." Down a couple flights of steps you'll find the larger beach area with beautiful views of the mountainous coast. While it is a better place to lay out, it is still very rocky in the water and not the best place to swim. What I enjoyed was jumping from rock to rock, far out into the crashing waves. 5. Genoa Genoa is huge and underrated. The city is filled with intense architecture. While you'll find only a marina right in Genoa, go up or down the coast, a quick 10 minute drive, and you'll find Cinque Terre-like towns where you can lay out, swim, and enjoy views without the crowds. I went to both Boccadasse and Nervi. Portofino is bit further to the north, but known for picturesque views. 6. Rosignano Want to take a trip to the Caribbean for a day? Here you'll find white sand beaches and acquamarine water. This spot is super local and not crowded at all. It is absolutely stunning. It is just one stop past Castiglioncello but couldn't be more different. Side note: The beauty does have a price. The color of the sand and water comes from a factory nearby. The beach has a "blue flag" signaling it is recognized with high environmental standards. The water and sand are deemed safe, but it is definitely something to be wary about. 7. San Vincenzo Cinque may be my favorite place (mostly for Colpi di Timone aka the drunk bucket place) but San Vincenzo is my favorite beach town. Wandering through downtown and the neighborhood roads behind the beach, you will feel like you are in Florida! It is a sand beach with water perfect for swimming. We were probably the only Americans there and even so, there was a ton of space for lounging and swimming. Not to mention there is a huge nature reserve park by it. Take a bus from the town and hike in the morning, see some archeological sites, and then swim in the afternoon...or lounge all day like we did. For some light nature strolls, wander through the Parco costiero di Rimigliano right on the coast. If you take a trip, I really recommend checking out La Lantern for a drink. It was the perfect end to our beach day! PC: Lo Schermo 8. Forte dei Marmi While I haven't had the luxury of giving this spot a visit yet, it is a highly recommended. With mountain views and a classy vibe, it is a bit pricier, but beautiful and well worth it. 9. Elba
Everywhere I recommended is accessible in a single day trip, but if you are looking for a weekend beach get away: head to Elba! This is the Florentine vacation spot. Elba is an island right off of Tuscany famous for harboring Napolean in 1814, during his exile. It is accessible by Ferry. I took a train down to Piombino Marritima then a quick one hour ferry to Portoferraio. The island is fairly large and so there are many ports and beaches. I chose to stay at the camping hostel, Camping Lacona, recommended by a friend. It is the only hostel on the island, and even if you don't want to camp, I recommend staying in Lacona. There were two beaches within walking distance of it: one rock, one sand, and an amazing hiking opportunity. The hostel also has a pool and does daily snorkeling excursions where you can explore an abandoned ship! Porto Azzuro is also worth a visit. To get around the island you can either rent a car or take the bus. I very much recommend a trip to Elba, even just for one night! Blog post on my Elba experience coming soon!
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