Looking for a villa near Pisa?

Pisa is one of the most recognisable cities in Italy, and one of the most misunderstood. Most visitors see the Piazza dei Miracoli and leave; the city itself has a university, a river, a long history and a life that continues after the coach park empties. This guide explains what Pisa is, and where Roc Villa Bay is in relation to it.

Where Pisa is

Pisa is a provincial capital in Tuscany, built on the river Arno, inland from the Tyrrhenian coast. It is not a seaside town. The coast near Pisa is a separate strip of shoreline, with its own villages and beaches, and the city centre is a place of streets, bridges and squares rather than sand.

Roc Villa Bay is in Castiglioncello, in the province of Livorno, on the coast. Pisa and Castiglioncello are both in Tuscany, but they are not the same place and we do not describe one as the other.

What Pisa is known for

The Piazza dei Miracoli — formally Piazza del Duomo — is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the great architectural ensembles of Europe. It contains the cathedral, the baptistery, the Camposanto and the Leaning Tower, the bell tower whose tilt has made it famous worldwide. The tower is a real piece of engineering as well as a photographic subject, and the square is best understood slowly, early or late in the day.

Beyond the square, Pisa is a university city with a strong student presence. The Lungarni along the Arno, the Borgo Stretto shopping street, the church of San Michele in Foro and the medieval streets around Piazza dei Cavalieri give the city a texture that the postcard does not show. Galileo was born in Pisa, and the city's scientific history is part of its identity.

Roc Villa Bay as a coastal 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.

A coast base makes sense if the sea is the centre of your holiday and Pisa is a day out. It makes less sense if you want to spend several days in the city, go to museums in the morning and eat in the centre in the evening. We say that plainly because it is true.

Who should choose Pisa

Choose Pisa if the tower, the square, the university atmosphere and the Arno are the point of the trip, or if you are passing through and want to stay in the city. Choose Castiglioncello if you want a private house by the sea and are happy to visit Pisa as an excursion. The two holidays can be combined, but they are not interchangeable.

The art cities guide places Pisa alongside Florence, Siena, Lucca and the smaller Tuscan towns. The villas near Tuscany index lists the other destinations we cover.

Practicalities

We do not publish drive times or distances, because the honest answer depends on the route, the traffic and the season. If you are planning to visit Pisa from the coast, tell us your dates and starting point and we will confirm what the journey involves. Start with the enquiry form.