Is  there anything better than accepting the best that mother nature can offer at this time of the year? With the sun trying to fry us alive, all the solutions point towards the sea side. Florence offers some VERY INTERESTING beach trips.

Generally in Italy, the more one travels south the better the beaches are, but there are always exceptions. On my list of beaches, the Cinque Terra is definitely one swell of a place.

Le 5 Terre

A perfect 1 day trip from Florence to discover these 5 beautiful towns. The significance of  Cinque Terra is, the five lands. They are located in Liguria, north of Spezia. These Ligurian coastal towns stand on the final landscapes before getting  gulped into the  sea.  Monterosso al mare, Riomaggiore, Vernazza, Corniglia and Manarola are the 5 towns from where the name Cinque terra derives.  Every town has their particularities. There are 2 ways to explore the towns, by train and on foot.

The towns are well connected with each other. Trains pass every 15-20 minutes, so one can take their time to move around. If you opt to go on foot, there are several trails connecting each town which makes it perfect for a days hike. The view is amazing since the trails draw near the rocky landscapes and go right above each town.

Apart from the Cinque terre, other beaches close to Florence are in Viareggio, Vada and Cecina. Viareggio is the closest! By car one can reach in an hour or two maximum. Viareggio is the perfect place for the younger crowd since it the beach is not so beautiful and the area is well known for its night life. The streets are full of bars and discs that keep you up throughout the night.  Vada has pretty beaches and the no-payment zone stretches for quite a few miles.  The same goes to Cecina, though here the beaches are not of sand but with pebbles of stone. How else could I convince you  not going too far from Florence? As all my tips prove to you,  we  don’t lack in any desire. You name it, we got it! 🙂

Photos (wikimedia)