The Best Beaches in Tuscany

Every year the Federation for Evironmental Education award Blue Flags to the beaches deemed clean, secure, and have good environmental awareness strategies. Tuscany has it's fair share of Blue Flag beaches, up and down its coastline. The drivers guide provides useful travel information for the best ways to reach the main beach areas in Tuscany.

Tuscan Beach Overview

In a nutshell, taking Lucca as your starting point, the further down (south) the coast you travel in Tuscany, the more beautiful the beaches become, and, unless you're in the peak season, you'll find less people too. These are obviously the beaches that take the longest to reach from Florence, but the differences are notable.

Beaches for the Nightlife

While at the beaches of Lucca (Forte dei Marmi, Camaiore, Viareggio) you'll find all the services typical of a beach resort (think Blackpool à la Toscana), you'd be disappointed if you were looking for something quiet and secluded. If you're young and looking for a weekend by the sea with clubs and bars, Viareggio will not dissapoint.

Summary: 70mins from Florence, good services and Nightlife.

Beaches for Families

By contrast, if you're a family group, the beaches of Livorno (Antignano, Quercianella, Rosignano, Cecina, Bibbona, Castagneto, San Vincenzo) are a good choice as they can be easy reached from Florence (70/90 minutes by car) and have accommodation and services with focus on family stays.

Summary: 70/90 minutes from Florence, family oriented.

Profile: Vada
This is a family resort, with a lovely town square that at night fills pleasantly with families and folk out for a stroll. The town is well maintained and clean and a large proportion of the visiting tourists are German. Market day is Friday morning and this is a short walk from the main square. There's a wide choice of accommodation available, but our preferred choice is a bungalow in a campsite right on the beach, Camping TriPesce. The campsite has good on-site services (delicatessan, restaurant, bar, doctors, free WIFI) which are priced decently. After about 10pm there is a rigorous application of silence in the campsite which means that after a day in the sun, you can be assured of a peaceful nights sleep. The town of Vada is a 5 minute drive, or equal distance on a bicycle (which can be hired). The town can also be reached via the beach, a short 10 minute walk. There is limited capacity for tents (the majority are camper vans) and you can only get tent places by turning up and hoping there is a space. Still, it must be said that the tent area is very romantic and you can go to sleep to the sound of the waves hitting the shores.

Beaches of Beauty

For the best beaches, defined here as the combination of the most beautiful landscapes with the most unspoilt waters, there is a shared consensus among Florentine's that Grosetto (Follonica, Castiglione della Pescaia, Monte Argentario) always deliver.

Summary: 90+ minutes from Florence, less services, more beauty.