Enjoy the old-style charm of the Italian Riviera
Plates of food just keep coming at Caffè Shelley.
I’m on a side street a stone’s throw from Viareggio’s pedestrianized Passeggiata a mare – the town’s wide, three-kilometre-long promenade, lined with shops and cafes, that runs just behind the golden beach that dominates this small Tuscan town matters. Just stopped for a glass of wine before heading out somewhere for dinner.
Sitting on a high stool at an outdoor cask table, I was drawn here by the twinkling fairy lights on the bar’s street-facing terrace and the hum of chatter from the clientele – all of whom, I now see, appear to be locals.
Only when I sit down do I notice that everyone is eating. There are plenty of small sharing plates loaded with all sorts of delicious nibbles.
As soon as my own drink is here, the young waiter is back and this time brings a plate full of mixed delicacies – three small slices of pizza, a few slices of hot salami and some lightly toasted bread with wafer-thin slices of eggplant soaked in olive oil. And everything for me.
What a nice touch I think. Then, 10 minutes later, I see that a small portion of penne carbonara is also being passed in my direction. Well how could you not? “Si” and “grazie” are the words that jump out of my mouth immediately.
Another glass of wine is ordered and the food comes anyway. And so dinner as such is abandoned for the night. Later, venturing into the lovely old bar to pay, I discover that Shelley has a foodie night every Thursday night and charges for drinks only.
It’s just one of the surprises that Viareggio has when I visit for a few days at the end of April. Last but not least the weather, with beautiful clear blue skies and temperatures well into the 20’s every day I’m there.
Viareggio, where is it? That’s what most people ask themselves when I mention this seaside town on the Tuscan coast, not far from the well-known inland city of Lucca.
I’d never heard of it myself until a decade ago, when me and my husband, trying to escape Florence’s suffocating 42-degree July heat, took the train to the coast and landed in Viareggio. We went for the day, but as we loved the lush Art Deco architecture and old-fashioned Italian Riviera vibe, we stayed for the night.
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The charm of the Italian Riviera in Viareggio will surely seduce you
It hasn’t really changed. Although the summer season has not yet reached its peak, all seaside cafes and shops are open, although some of the private beaches have yet to open their doors.
Yes, private beaches are big business here, all with names like Marco Polo, Amore, Maurizio or Eden emblazoned over their front gates. Last time I was here I couldn’t really understand how the beach system works. Did you pay for the privilege of just strolling on the sand? Did that include a sun lounger and was that billed by the hour or by the day or what?
Ten years ago we had walked all the way to the other end of town, beyond the marina and port area, and there we found what they call “spiaggia libera” in Italy, a public beach (which is still there and is still public ). no money changes hands, but no real facilities either. So no beach chairs, umbrellas, restaurants or the like.
Still confused by it all the time, I venture through one of the open gates on my first morning, determined to get the facts. The people I meet here on Milan’s private beach could not be more helpful.
Yes, I can walk down to the beach at any time (even with my dog) without paying anything. If I want to rent a sun lounger it costs me 10 euros per day at this time of year, a sun bed and umbrella 13 euros.
The confusion is over, I take a stroll down to the beach – gloriously golden and immaculately clean – and enjoy the view of the city from this vantage point. The colors of the Art Deco buildings that line the palm-lined promenade sparkle in the morning sun, while the Apuan Alps soar behind the city.
From here you also get a real feel for the private beach set up, the tenures along the beach defined by different colored sunbeds all arranged in perfect lines and ready for summer arrivals.
Viareggio isn’t as posh as its fancier neighbor Forte dei Marmi, which sits right on the coast, but still has the feel of a real town. It is an Italian resort frequented by Italians since the 19th century.
Away from the touristy promenade (where pizzerias and the occasional seaside slot machine can be found dotted among the Gucci, Max Mara, and designer sportswear shops) you’ll also find a working seaside town where yacht building and servicing take center stage.
It’s still a fishing village, the boats moored along the waterway at the port end are a testament to the fact that many Viareggio residents still make a living.
Meanwhile, I’m on a mission to find out if a place we passed a decade ago still trades, and so I find myself here at 1pm on my first full day here, making my way to the city’s permanent market area , which is located between the train station and the seafront and are spread around Piazza Cavour.
To my delight, L’Acciuga is still around, still as spit and sawdust as ever, and still serving up excellent seafood — if you don’t mind eating out of a tinfoil take-out, helping yourself to plastic cutlery, and drinking from a plastic cup, that is.
It’s actually a fishmonger who also serves a variety of seafood and L’Acciuga is the real deal.
I settle on a Tuscan-style paella, with prawns, mussels, squid and mussels all competing for space in my brimful aluminum foil, with a few beans thrown in, giving the dish its Tuscan twist. What a party, and all for €9.
On my last evening, I cross the Burlamacca Canal, the waterway where many fishing boats dock, and take a stroll through the city’s old port area.
The sun is starting to go down, a few locals are sitting outside some of the bars just catching the breeze and having a beer, and I spot a fisherman slowly chugging his boat down the canal and home for the night. It feels like a completely different world from the more boisterous “Passeggiata” just over the bridge.
That’s the great thing about Viareggio; It’s not just one city, there are several. And from the seafront, to the side streets around the market, to the fishing port and marina, I love them all.
get there
Roslyn was a guest at the Hotel Plaza e de Russie, a 44 room/suite hotel in Piazza Massimo D’Azeglio affiliated with Relais et Chateaux. Double room incl. breakfast from €285 per night in June; plazaederussie.com
Fly Ryanair to Pisa (ryanair.com) or Aer Lingus (aerlingus.com). Viareggio is only 20 km away.
For packages see Topflight (toplight.ie).
Eat at Buonamico (trattoriabuonamico.com), a family-run restaurant since 1901; L’Acciuga, Piazza Cavour, 0039 0584941570; Shelley Cafe, Shelley Square, 0039 0584945845
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The island of Ischia offers an authentic Italian experience
Five more Italian resorts to enjoy
1 ISCHIA
Easily accessible by ferry from Naples, this picturesque island has beautiful beaches and thermal baths. It is also a long-established summer playground for Neapolitans and features in Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan trilogy. Choose from small but lively resort towns or quieter, laid-back seaside towns.
To fly: Dublin to Naples direct with Aer Lingus
Spend the night: Hotel Grifo, Casamicciola Terme; grifohotel.it
2 RAPALLO
Located between Genoa and the Cinque Terre in Liguria, this coastal town is famous for its lace, orange trees and open-air cafes. A plus point is the almost completely traffic-calmed old town.
To fly: From Dublin to Milan with Aer Lingus or Ryanair. Two hours by train to Genoa, then a 30 minute train ride to Rapallo
Spend the night: Hotel delle Rose; hoteldelleroserapallo.it
3 MONOPOLI
This Puglia town in southern Italy boasts an abundance of good beaches (Cala Porta Vecchia, a lovely cove in the old town is a real gem), but is also, apart from the beaches, a wonderland for those interested in art and history
To fly: Dublin to Bari with Ryanair, then the city is less than an hour away by train or bus
Spend the night: Palazzo Indelli; palazzoindelli.com
4 SCIACCA
Sitting on the seafront but built into the cliffs that rise behind it, Sciacca on Sicily’s south coast is a town with strong North African influences, a fantastic fish market and a number of beautiful beaches. It is also famous for its ceramics and its proximity to the Greek ruins of Agrigento.
To fly: Dublin to Palermo with Ryanair, then 2 hour bus ride
Spend the night: Melkart Hotel; melqarthotel.it
5 GABICCE MARE
Located in the Marche region and facing the Bay of Angels of the Adriatic Sea, Gabicce Mare is a large town popular with Italian holidaymakers. Known for its scenic location and long, wide sandy beach, the resort is a prime area for beach and cycling holidays.
To fly: Dublin to Bologna with Ryanair, then 2 hour train ride via Rimini
Spend the night: Blu Star Hotel; hotelblustar.com
https://www.independent.ie/life/travel/revel-in-some-old-style-italian-riviera-charm-41622138.html Enjoy the old-style charm of the Italian Riviera