The hills above Cecina (Riparbella, Montescudaio, Guardistallo, Casale Marittimo, Castellina Marittima)
Most of our houses on this coast are in the hills just inland from Cecina, in olive groves and farmland around small villages. Riparbella, Montescudaio, Guardistallo and Casale Marittimo each have a bar, a church and a view down to the sea, and the beach at Marina di Cecina is 15 to 25 minutes away. Castellina Marittima, further north, was known for alabaster quarrying. Pisa airport is about an hour away.
Best for: Countryside quiet and views, with the beach a short drive away
Not for you if: You want to walk to the sea or a supermarket: villages are small and the roads wind.
Cecina, Vada and Rosignano Marittimo
Cecina has big supermarkets, a weekly market and Marina di Cecina, its beach suburb, along a pine-backed shore. Vada, to the north, has shallow water and long sandy beaches. Between them, near Rosignano Solvay, are the much-photographed white beaches, which owe their colour to discharge from the Solvay chemical works next door. Rosignano Marittimo is the older hill village above. Pisa airport is around 45 minutes away.
Best for: Families who want shops, sand and a short transfer
Not for you if: You want a pretty historic centre: Cecina is a practical market town.
Castiglioncello, Quercianella and the rocky coast towards Livorno
North of Rosignano the coast turns rocky. Castiglioncello is a small resort of coves and pine-shaded villas where Marcello Mastroianni and other Italian film actors spent their summers in the 1960s. South of Livorno, Quercianella and the coast road pass small bays with clear water over rock. Livorno has ferries to Corsica and Sardinia. Pisa airport is around 35 to 45 minutes away.
Best for: Couples who prefer coves and snorkelling to long beaches
Not for you if: You have small children who need gently shelving sand: the bays here are small and rocky.
Bibbona and Marina di Bibbona
Marina di Bibbona is a low-key seaside village with a wide sandy beach backed by pine woods, and a lot of campsites and holiday villages behind it. Bibbona, the old village, is about 10 minutes inland on a hill. The Macchia della Magona forest above it has marked walking and cycling trails. Pisa airport is around an hour away.
Best for: Families who want a wide sandy beach without a big resort
Not for you if: You want nightlife: Marina di Bibbona goes quiet after dinner.
Bolgheri and Castagneto Carducci
This is the home of the Super Tuscan wines, including Sassicaia and Ornellaia, with estates along the local wine road. The approach to Bolgheri village is lined with cypresses for around five kilometres. Castagneto Carducci is a hill village looking out to sea, and Marina di Castagneto below it has a long sandy beach. Pisa airport is a little over an hour away.
Best for: Wine lovers who still want beach days
Not for you if: You plan to drop into wineries on a whim: most big estates take tastings by appointment.
San Vincenzo, Campiglia Marittima and Suvereto
San Vincenzo is a seaside town with a marina and long beaches running south to the Rimigliano park. Inland, Campiglia Marittima and Suvereto are medieval hill villages with good restaurants. The Gulf of Baratti, with the Etruscan tombs of Populonia above it, is around 20 minutes south, and ferries to Elba leave from Piombino. Pisa airport is about an hour and a quarter away.
Best for: Etruscan sites, Elba day trips and beach days
Not for you if: You want a short airport transfer: this is the far end of the coast from Pisa.
Val di Cecina (Montecatini Val di Cecina, La Sassa)
Further inland, Montecatini Val di Cecina and the hamlet of La Sassa sit in quieter, wooded country. Volterra, with its Etruscan walls and alabaster workshops, is 20 to 30 minutes away, and San Gimignano is within an hour. The coast is 40 minutes or more by car. Pisa airport is around an hour and a quarter away.
Best for: Touring inland Tuscany, with Volterra close by
Not for you if: You want the beach every day: it is a long drive down each time.
