Best beach area for a day trip from Lucca
#1
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Best beach area for a day trip from Lucca
First let me say thank you for all of the help so far for our upcoming trip. We leave a month from today!
We would like to go to the beach one day during our stay in Lucca (weather permitting of course) It would most likely be on a Friday (I'm sure Saturday and Sunday would be a zoo) so Septmeber 12th (of course not set in stone..need to check the weather)
I can't decide between Monterosso and Lerici. It looks like parking is restricted in Lerici until Sept 16th (end of high season) not sure if that means the lot that I have heard about falls under that? We have 3 children so don't want to park miles away.
So what I need suggestions for is:
Best town to go to that has easy access and parking (I know we won't be driving "into" either town)
Best place to rent beach chairs from (Eco de Mar in Lerici?)
Any other tips will be greatly appreciated
We would like to go to the beach one day during our stay in Lucca (weather permitting of course) It would most likely be on a Friday (I'm sure Saturday and Sunday would be a zoo) so Septmeber 12th (of course not set in stone..need to check the weather)
I can't decide between Monterosso and Lerici. It looks like parking is restricted in Lerici until Sept 16th (end of high season) not sure if that means the lot that I have heard about falls under that? We have 3 children so don't want to park miles away.
So what I need suggestions for is:
Best town to go to that has easy access and parking (I know we won't be driving "into" either town)
Best place to rent beach chairs from (Eco de Mar in Lerici?)
Any other tips will be greatly appreciated
#3
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You should elaborate on what kind of beach experience you are seeking for your family, because many people would not consider Tuscan beach towns "nicer" than the Ligurian towns. Also be warned that Forte dei Marmi can also be startlingly expensive when it comes to renting beach chairs.
But surely Kybourbon can describe her trips to Forte dei Marmi and Lerici and say why she preferred Forte dei Marmi, and perhaps steer you to an affordable beach club for a family of 5. I've never been to Forte dei Marmi simply because the overwhelming presence of so many Russian visitors in summer isn't really the experience of Italy that I look for when in Italy, but maybe it is "nicer" than Lerici (although I don't know how it could possibly be a beautiful -- the Tuscan beaches near Lucca are not known for their beauty at all).
I couldn't find a website for the Lerici tourist office, but this one from the neighboring town of San Terenzo might be useful
http://www.santerenzo.eu/viabilità__en.htm
But surely Kybourbon can describe her trips to Forte dei Marmi and Lerici and say why she preferred Forte dei Marmi, and perhaps steer you to an affordable beach club for a family of 5. I've never been to Forte dei Marmi simply because the overwhelming presence of so many Russian visitors in summer isn't really the experience of Italy that I look for when in Italy, but maybe it is "nicer" than Lerici (although I don't know how it could possibly be a beautiful -- the Tuscan beaches near Lucca are not known for their beauty at all).
I couldn't find a website for the Lerici tourist office, but this one from the neighboring town of San Terenzo might be useful
http://www.santerenzo.eu/viabilità__en.htm
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Isn't Forte dei Marmi the one that is known as being topless? Not looking for that kind of experience lol!
We have been to SM and CT in the past so know not to expect lush beaches like we have here.
We are looking for a place to just let the kids relax and play in the water a bit. Somehwere that has a little town to walk around and get lunch kind of thing. Probably don't need the whole beach club experience I would think.
Thanks!
We have been to SM and CT in the past so know not to expect lush beaches like we have here.
We are looking for a place to just let the kids relax and play in the water a bit. Somehwere that has a little town to walk around and get lunch kind of thing. Probably don't need the whole beach club experience I would think.
Thanks!
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You could also consider Lido di Cammaiore, about an hour's drive from Lucca. If you look one or two blocks behind the beach area, you can probably find street parking. Restaurants are much much better there as opposed to those on the beach.
I am wary of swimming in waters off the Italian coast. Check out the World Health Organization's website for updated information on water safety.
Carol
I am wary of swimming in waters off the Italian coast. Check out the World Health Organization's website for updated information on water safety.
Carol
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I am mystified by the report that swimming off the coast of Italy is somehow unsafe!
dc2002,
Don't know about topless in Forte dei Marmi. We'll just have to await kybourbon's response based on her personal experience of visiting there.
Lerici seems ideal for what you are looking for, if you can solve the parking issues. Another possibility might be Levanto, which is just a bit further from Monterosso. However, it is one of the very few beaches on the Riviera with waves strong enough for surfing, so if you have small kids then you might not find it ideal.
It is just over a one hour drive from Lucca to Sestri Levante, which I think is the very best with kids and where you might not face a lot of parking issues midweek in September. The trip to Sestri Levante is actually shorter than going to Monterosso al Mare because you don't have to navigate the twisting mountain roads down to the sea -- you just exit the autostrade and you are there -- and your kids might appreciate skipping the mountain roads if they get carsick. Also, you get sand beaches and a great town to walk around in, all flat with no hot climbs like Lerici.
dc2002,
Don't know about topless in Forte dei Marmi. We'll just have to await kybourbon's response based on her personal experience of visiting there.
Lerici seems ideal for what you are looking for, if you can solve the parking issues. Another possibility might be Levanto, which is just a bit further from Monterosso. However, it is one of the very few beaches on the Riviera with waves strong enough for surfing, so if you have small kids then you might not find it ideal.
It is just over a one hour drive from Lucca to Sestri Levante, which I think is the very best with kids and where you might not face a lot of parking issues midweek in September. The trip to Sestri Levante is actually shorter than going to Monterosso al Mare because you don't have to navigate the twisting mountain roads down to the sea -- you just exit the autostrade and you are there -- and your kids might appreciate skipping the mountain roads if they get carsick. Also, you get sand beaches and a great town to walk around in, all flat with no hot climbs like Lerici.
#7
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There is a not ending stretch of well equipped sandy beaches just a few miles from Lucca (from Marinella di Sarzana up to Viareggio). If you prefer more remote and small stone and pebble beaches, you may go to 5Terre.