The Pisan coast – for a seaside outing
The pretty road from Pisa to the coast follows the Arno to the sea. About 6 km (4 miles) southwest of Pisa, it passes San Piero a Grado, a fine basilica which would once have overlooked the sea. Legend has it that this is the spot where St Peter first set foot on Italian soil. Once at the coast, 12 km from Pisa, you can visit resort of Marina di Pisa, if only for a stroll along the café-lined promenade. If you’re, lucky, there are distant views of the islands of Gorgona and Capraia. Tirrenia, 5 km further down the coast, offers a stretch of pine forest but is still an underwhelming resort compared with the more upmarket Forte dei Marmi, Viareggio or Marina di Pietrasanta, Still, if you’re sated of art and architecture, this makes a pleasant day out, with a seafood lunch, probably involving pasta and clams. From Pisa, the alternative coastal route, going north instead of south, takes in Viareggio and Torre del Lago. This drive best suits opera buffs as it’s a Puccini trail centred on the shores of Lake Massaciuccoli. (It’s covered in an itinerary from Viareggio).
