Piombino: An underrated beach town in Tuscany

Piombino, a charming little beach town located in Tuscany, was hands down our favorite destination during our trip to Italy. We were lucky enough to have our own private beach house with incredible views of the sea right outside of our window.

It was a beautiful sight, every single day.October is considered the offseason, but even with the lack of tourists, there were still places to shop, eat, and grab a beer late at night. During the day, we walked around the shops and strolled around the beaches in total peace and quiet. At night, the streets became lively filled with beer drinking on the patios and singing inside the restaurants. The hospitality was unlike the other cities in Italy. The servers were incredibly nice and welcoming, food and drinks were not overpriced, and most menus were translated in English and German.

Here is a list of our favorite places:

Pictured: Il Gusto Giusto

All natural gelato made with quality ingredients. In addition to being incredibly delicious, it was also not expensive! My kind of place.

Not pictured: Da Rosa Alimentari

 Two doors down from Il Gusto Giusto, on the corner, is a small deli that sells fresh fruit and other groceries. We were able to get 2 large sandwiches, a slice of cake and a liter of water for less than 10 euros. The sandwich was delicious, fresh and introduced me to pecorino cheese! And that was literally the cheapest food we had during our entire trip.

Pictured: Osteria Da Mamma Carla

We came here for dinner twice and it was definitely one of the best restaurants we ate at during our entire trip. In addition to the amazing food, the owner’s son/our server was incredibly friendly. We felt so at home at this place. Try the pesto lasagna and calamari!

Not pictured: Pizzeria Tonino

We had pizza around 10 o’clock at night and the place was filled with young locals enjoying beer, clams, and pizza! The quattro formaggi was delicious, but be aware, individual pizzas in Italy are really big so either share or come with a big appetite!

Cafes:

I failed at writing down or taking pictures of the cafes in Piombino. I was drinking about 3 cappuccinos a day, so I got to a point where I stopped taking note of every place I got a coffee! Luckily, the 4 cafes we stopped at all had great drinks and desserts, so I think it’s hard to go wrong in the area.

The beach:

October is not a popular time to go swimming. Actually, while we walked around in shorts and spent time at the beach, locals were dressed in their fall attire looking at us like we were crazy. We live in the mountains, so we had to take full advantage of the water. My advice, take a dip even if it’s not in season!

On our way out, we took the train, Trenitalia, back to Rome. It was about a 3-hour train ride and cost 18 Euros each. Prices vary and tickets can be purchased at a machine at the train station.

I highly recommend Piombino to anyone looking for a quiet and relaxing break from the crowds in Italy. If it wasn’t for my long list of places I had to see during our trip, I would have stayed in Piombino the entire time.

Next stop, the bustling city of Rome!