Tuscany - Resorts & Travel

[KWH]

Hi. My wife and I are travelling to italy for the first time and have arranged the following trip:
Venice: 2 nights
Portofino: 2nights:
Tuscany: 3 nights

We would like to add a few more nights but are trying to decide where to do it. (I know its a Tuscany forum, but is it worth adding another night in Portofino?). We would like to add another 2 nights in Tuscany but would like a resort on the coast. We were going to go to Port Ercole/Il Pelicano but since we have excluded Rome, we don't feel like driving. Does anyone know any resorts on the coast in the Tuscany area?

It may seem like we're crazy for not doing Rome etc, but its not our style. We like the country and waterfront.

Thanks for any replies.

[Lourdes]

Ciao KWH,

I am not sure I understand whether you will be moving around solely with public transport or have your own car while in Italy:

We were going to go to Port Ercole/Il Pelicano but since we have excluded Rome, we don't feel like driving.

How many days total were you planning in Tuscany, 5 days? Did you already exclude Porto Ercole completely? If you love the sea and being in nature, I highly recommend spending your 5 days in Tuscany at the island of Elba. Lots of beautiful crystal clear water, both sandy and pebbly beaches, with lots of walking trails in the hills above for a bit of hiking.
You didn't say when you're coming but since you want waterfront I am assuming you are coming in the summer months. Elba can get a bit crowded then but it is still beautiful. Here are just a few choices for resorts in Elba to start your search!

[KWH]

Thanks for that information. I'll look into Elba. We are driving from Venice to Portofino to Tuscany. We haven't totally excluded Port Ercole, it just seemed like 2.5 hrs from Firenze, we thought there may be something closer. I had a friend from Italy recommend Il Pelicano on Port Ercole. Your help is so much appreciated.

[Lourdes]

Ah if you're driving down from Portofino, you definitely should make a quick stop of even just one night along the Cinque Terre. You can stop in Riomaggiore and take the "Way of Love" along the rocky cliffs and walk to Manarola (just a 30 min walk) and get to see a bit of this wonderful part of the coast. As you head down into Tuscany, the cliffs of the Ligurian coast disappear and the Versilia area is sandy beaches.

The Argentario in Maremma is a beautiful area, the Pellicano resort near Porto Ercole looks beautiful with its location on the waterfront although it doesn't seem to have a beach where you can access the water. Is that important for you? The sandy beaches in the Maremma are on the northern strip of land of the Orbetello lagoon and to the north of the Maremma natural park. Elba has a mix of sandy and pebbly beaches, beautifully clear blue water... just thinking about it makes me want the weather to be warmer already so that I can convince DH to go back this year!

[Lourdes]

Forgot to add that, yes, both Elba and Maremma area are further from Florence but they are both really worth the drive (and ferry in the case of Elba) to get there!

[KWH]

Lourdes- Looking at your reccs now. Was looking at Tombolo Talasso in Carducci. Looks like a nice resort on the coast and close to town. Thinking about that for 2 nights. We are splurging there and at the Splendido in Portofino so I am trying to find a place for 3 nights in Tuscany(other than Talasso) that won't break the bank. Any reccs near Florence but also near wineries and the countryside? THANKS.

[Lourdes]

The area of Castagneto Carducci, where the Tombolo Talasso is located, is very beautiful. You wouldn't go wrong there either.

What period are you coming? Because I would recommend staying in the countryside at an "agriturismo" or villa hotel surrounded by vineyards and olive groves but a few during the high season only take week long stays but in other periods take just a few days.

One that would be perfect for two nights in Chianti would be Villa il Poggiale, a Renaissance villa converted into a beautiful elegant hotel with gardens and a pool, surrounded by vineyards and olive trees. It has a spa area as well as restaurant for guests.

The Fattoria Il Milione is a farmhouse in the hills of Florence surrounded by vineyards and olive groves. It offers apartments for 2, with restaurant and pool and is one of the few agriturismo I know that allows stays in high season by the night. It would be perfect for being in the countryside but very close to Florence for a day trip or two.

Hope you're enjoying planning the trip! It sounds like you'll have a wonderful time in each place you're visiting