Forte dei Marmi, Italy

• More about your oliver guide: Sabrina Eliasoph
• Trip type: Family, Beach
• Activity level: easy
• Ideal length of trip: 1 WEEK

to & from

Forte dei Marmi is about ½ hour outside of Pisa. There are summer nonstop flights on Delta to Pisa from JFK. We arranged a car to take us to Forte dei Marmi from Pisa.

Where to Stay

• The Hermitage --LOVED. A 10 minute walk to the center of Forte dei Marmi, a 20 minute walk to their Beach Club, with very regular shuttles to both spots. Rooms are spacious, clean and perfectly designed for families. We had a suite-- one king bedroom connected by a bathroom to a second bedroom with three twin beds. The food at both the hotel restaurant and the Beach Club restaurant is delicious though a bit pricey. There is a wonderful pool on the property surrounded by a giant lawn with play structures for the kids BUT the highlight is the Beach Club where they have yet another POOL ON THE BEACH. This is very rare and pure heaven for children and adults alike -- allowing you to bounce from sea to pool and back again.
• The Augustus is the sister property of the Hermitage. We have also stayed here and think it's better without children. It sits across the street from the wonderful Beach Club that the hotel owns and shares between both properties.

Where to Eat and Drink

• Beach Club of Augustus
• Ristorante Lorenzo: Incredible pastas and seafoods—known to be one of the best places to eat in town.
• Ristorant Osteria del Mare : Very hip and cool, sits right on the beach, near the pier.
• Bistrot : Another great restaurant that sits on the main beach/bike promenade near town center.
• Eat linguine al la vongole in Forte dei Marmi. It’s a specialty dish and it’s incredibly delicious. As the Liguarian coast isn’t too far away, pesto Genovese is also delicious.

What to Do

• Rent bikes and take a family bike ride. The streets smell like flowers and it’s very flat and meant for biking.
• Take a walk out on the pier running out to the sea near center of town. It’s a beautiful walk in the early evening out the end of the pier and a great place to capture photos. You have the gorgeous mountains in the background.
• Walk to town for gelato.
• Beach, beach and more beach. Did I mention beach?

inside scoop

• Beware of the beach peddlers. They comb the beach all day long trying to sell you beach cover-ups, handbags, “stuff”…. DO NOT LOOK THEIR WAY.
• DO get a beach massage. Offered on the beach for very little money. Not professional masseurs, but a lovely rub-down (NOTHING inappropriate). Make sure they use hand sanitizer- they usually do.
• DON'T do the family meal plan at The Hermitage. It’s expensive and, in the end, children don’t eat that many courses. Order a la carte and then you’ll also be free to eat where you like.