Marina di Massa

Marina di Massa is Versilia's northern neighbour — separated from Forte dei Marmi by the Cinquale canal. The beach landscape is similar but less exclusive and more affordable, with the same excellent Ligurian sea conditions. The town of Massa sits 5km inland between the marble quarries and the coast, dominated by the extraordinary Rocca Malaspina — a 14th-century fortress above the medieval historic centre. Marina di Massa beach clubs are excellent quality and significantly cheaper than their Versilia neighbours. The stretch between Marina di Massa and Cinquale has some of the finest fine-sand beaches on the entire Tuscan coast. The Malaspina castle, perched dramatically above the city, was the seat of one of Italy's most extraordinary aristocratic families — who sheltered both Dante and Petrarch.