Piombino in April 2026 Trip Report

We set off again on a Sunday. The motorway between Brescia and Cremona is never busy and today is almost deserted. We arrive by the coast in Marina di Massa just as the rosticceria Andrea found is opening. There's reasonably safe parking on the main road because there are quite a few people around but we take the backpack with our computer and other essentials with us just in case.

The food is good and I order plenty. Prices are by the etto or one hundred grams not by the portion, except for the rotisserie chicken.

We have a chicken, a portion of melanzane alla parmigiana, some tasty grilled courgettes with red onions and a portion of chips. With coperto and bread and a beer it comes to 27 euros, eaten at the clean wood tables. It's a sunny April Sunday and just about warm enough to eat outside.

So far I've been doing well, but there isn't really time for us both to get coffee if we want to make the agreed arrival time at the apartment and the last hour and a half is an effort even though I'm just sitting and driving. But then.....

...the view is as good as we remembered from our last stay in Piombino in 2023 and the ferries back and forth to Elba island and the very occasional fishing vessel provide animation.

Once we've settled in, we go for a stroll. Piombino is much as it was last time we came. It hasn't got grittier but nor has it got smarter, despite the attractive Piazza Bovio and a historical centre which could be prettier. Anyway it's a pleasant walk on a Sunday afternoon and nice to breathe in the sea air with views of Elba island in the distance.

The weather forecast for Monday is poor. Rain from 10 o'clock. So we are out and about early to get in a walk around Punto Falcone before it starts. It's an area of outstanding natural beauty just 5 minutes from a residential area and even on a cloudy day, the spring flowers don't disappoint. We leave our car parked and walk down to the marina in Salivoli and then up to the macelleria we discovered on our previous visit.

Cinta senese for lunch. We catch up on the news of the friendly butcher and make it back to the car as the first drops arrive. We have a leisurely lunch, a long rest, and in the afternoon just go to do the shopping for the week.

On Tuesday we go to Massa Marittima and have a quick look at Follonica sea front on the way back. More here

On Wednesday morning there’s the market in Piombino and it’s sunny. It’s an excellent market with a good choice of local vegetables and cheese etc and lots of stalls selling clothes for all price ranges, so we have no excuse for returning empty-handed to our apartment.

We get an early start in the afternoon and park near La Barcaccina  restaurant to walk along the Rimigliano beach south of San Vincenzo. The sea and sky are blue, it’s not too hot and not too cold, there’s nobody around  and the Hottentot-figs (an unattractive name for a deep pink flower which colours the coast in spring) are flowering. What more can we want?

We go south as far as the end of the walkway and then north as far as San Vincenzo itself where a solitary beach bar is open and we eat an ice-cream in the shade enjoying the sea breeze and the view. 

That evening, we go to see the sunset from Piazza Bovio in Piombino. Perfect!

On Thursday we visit Castiglione della Pescaia in the morning and hike from Marina di Scarlino to Cala Violino in the afternoon. More info here

Theoretically, on Friday we take it easy. In the morning we have a slow walk around Punta Falcone to enjoy the views of the sea and Elba island and fantastic spring flowers in the sun. The bright pink of the Carpobrotus edulis the Hottentot-fig  covers the steep rocks down to the sea, with the flowers now open to enjoy the sun, like us. We are lucky because the Associazione ‘Microcosmo’, a cultural association dedicated to promoting the area's environmental and historical heritage, has opened the museum in the former Galeazzo Sommi Picenardi naval battery because some students are due to arrive. We get an impromptu guided visit to the area below (not for the claustrophobic) where there are interesting panels, photos and articles regarding the defence of the area during the two world wars. Walking around, taking photos and this impromptu visit takes us all morning.

After lunch and a rest we go for a walk along Via dei Cavaleggeri, the hiking trail along the coast which starts from the area above Cala Moresca and continues to Baratti and Populonia. We do the short but very panoramic stretch we always do – between Cala Moresca and Fosso Canne. We are lucky. There’s nobody around, no bikers, it’s sunny, there are flowers everywhere. Fosso Canne is now a little deserted but the low wall to sit on with the Tamerix to shade us and the waves breaking on the stony beach are as evocative as ever.

We sit and enjoy the place for so long that we are almost late for the sunset again….

On Saturday we visit the Geothermal park are in Monterotondo Marittimo and the fascinating village of Castelnuovo Val di Cecina and its murals in the afternoon. More information here

This is the fourth time we have visited the area of Costa degli Etruschi and Piombino but it does not disappoint. During the shoulder season it is almost untouched by tourism despite having a wealth of picturesque villages, pretty countryside and wilder areas of woods, excellent beaches like Rimigliano and a relaxed feel of authenticity. Spring has the advantage of the flowers of the Mediterranean undergrowth along the coast while autumn the countryside is especially beautiful as the leaves of the vines start to change colour. So it's one of our favourite areas in Italy.

April was a good time to visit for walking along the coast and exploring towns and villages before it gets too hot. We had a couple of half days of rain but temperatures were mostly around twenty degrees. The towns and villages inland have a good choice of restaurants offering reasonably priced and excellent local food since they rely on residents and those who have second houses as much as tourists. Instead fish based eateries near the sea are as expensive as elsewhere in Italy. It's an area where a car is useful, not so easy by public transport especially to get to the most natural beaches and for hiking. Driving is easy out of season because the roads are quiet, just a little busy on a sunny Sunday. 

This time we stayed a week, but if you are new to the area you could definitely stay longer without getting bored, especially if you want to include some beach and/or hiking time. And we still haven't got to Elba island......I expect we will return for a fifth time, sooner or later!