Looking for a villa near Lucca?

Lucca is the Tuscan city that people fall in love with after they have already seen Florence and Siena. It is smaller, flatter, greener and quieter, and its walls are not a ruin but a promenade. This guide explains what Lucca is like and where Roc Villa Bay is, without pretending that the coast and the city are the same place.

Where Lucca is

Lucca is a provincial capital in Tuscany, inland from the coast, on the river Serchio. It sits on a plain at the foot of the hills that separate it from the Versilia coast. It is not a seaside town, and it does not have a harbour.

Roc Villa Bay is in Castiglioncello, on the Tyrrhenian coast in the province of Livorno. The two places belong to different landscapes: Lucca to the inland plain and its walls, Castiglioncello to the coastal promontory and its small bays.

What Lucca is known for

The Renaissance walls are the defining feature of Lucca. They form a complete circuit around the historic centre, wide enough to walk or cycle on, and they have become the city's collective garden. Inside them, the street plan still follows the Roman grid, and the Piazza dell'Anfiteatro is built on the outline of a Roman amphitheatre.

The Guinigi Tower is another emblem: a medieval tower with holm oaks growing on its roof. The city has a remarkable concentration of churches — San Michele in Foro, San Frediano, the cathedral of San Martino — and a musical history that includes Giacomo Puccini, who was born in Lucca. The composer's house is now a museum.

Roc Villa Bay as a different base

Roc Villa Bay is a private seafront estate in Castiglioncello with four bedrooms, three private units, more than 4,000 m² of Mediterranean garden and two private accesses to the sea. It is a house for families and small groups, with a sandy beach reached by a private path and a rocky cove reached by stone steps.

Lucca is a city for walking, cycling on the walls and eating in squares; Castiglioncello is a village for swimming, reading in the garden and walking down to the sea. A stay at Roc Villa Bay can include Lucca as a day trip, but the house is not a city base and we do not pretend otherwise.

Who should choose Lucca

Choose Lucca if you want a city holiday with walls, churches, music and restaurants, and if you prefer to be inside the historic centre. Choose Castiglioncello if the sea is the centre of the trip and Lucca is an excursion. The art cities guide explains the difference between Lucca and its neighbours.

The villas near Tuscany index collects all the places we cover, and the Tuscan coast guide explains the coastal side.

Practicalities

We do not publish distances or drive times. If you are combining Lucca with a coastal stay, write to us with your dates and starting point and we will confirm the practicalities for your trip. Start with the enquiry form.