Pammie1

Have three nights to spend in Tuscany and have decided to try someplace a little less traveled. We love the coast and scenery is a big deal to us. That being said, we are considering staying at the Hotel Torre de Cala Piccola in Porto Santo Stefano on the Monte Argentario Peninsula or Hotel Cala Del Porto in Punta Ala I have read that these areas are more popular with vacationing Italians than American Tourists. Don't speak a word of Italian except for the pleasantries. Will we be totally out of place? This is our third trip to Italy and love every place we have been. Please share any information, recommendations. I have tried google and others and just can't find much info. Thinking of visiting the "Tenuta Ammiraglia" Marchesi di Frescobaldi wine cellar and taking a day trip to Castello Banfi in Matalcino. When all else fails..... past experience always leads me to the Fodor's Forum for information from the "real" experts. Oh, we will be arriving September 23!! Yikes!!! Yes, I have checked for availability and that doesn't seem to be a problem.

kybourbon

If you put Porto San Stefano in the search function, and then click to search full topic and adjust the dates to include 2006-2009 you will pull up quite a few threads including a recent argument about it. lol

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...nd-livorno.cfm

Pammie1

Thanks kybourbon. Loved the thread. Anyone out there that knows anything about these sea towns??

Vincenzoda

Do you want to consider also Orbetello ? It is in the area of Monte Argentario and it is a lovely small town with gorgeous two coasts. Also Orbetello has its Laguna. as Venice.
If you consider Orbeetello, a smart place where to stay is, in my opinion, the Agritourism FATTORIA IL CASALONE (www.agriturismocasalone.com).
Then, as restaurant I reccomend I PESCATORI (www.ristoranteipescatori.it).
For a day trip, if you go to Follonica, not far from Orbetello, a gorgeous restaurant is IL SOTTOMARINO with delicious seafood (www.ilsottomarino.it). This restaurant, believe me, deserves the trip to Follonica, really !
Ciao.

Vincenzo

jnjfraz

I have been to both and prefer Porto Stefano. Not many tourists and very pretty. When you google the town you will see that there are two harbors. The first is more of a working harbor with lots of fishing boats and the second is full of yachts. There is a great restaurant at the end of the second harbor past the really big yachts

_jinx_

We spent one night at Porto Stefano a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it. Excellent dinner at the harbor with the locals was a highlight. Scenery is excellent. A pleasant interlude on the way to the Amalfi coast.