Tirrenia, the sea of Pisa
Tirrenia is one of the main seaside resorts in the province of Pisa. Immersed in the green of the maritime pine forest, the city is located more or less in the middle of the Tuscan coast, between Marina di Pisa and Calambrone.
From an administrative point of view, Tirrenia is a fraction of the municipality of Pisa. As you can easily imagine, the name Tirrenia is a reference to the Tyrrhenian Sea even if the stretch of sea that bathes its coast is officially called the Ligurian Sea.
Compared with the vast majority of cities and villages in Tuscany, Tirrenia is a decidedly recent city. The city was founded on November 3, 1932, in the midst of the Fascist era, with the ambition of making it the “Pearl of the Mediterranean”, as well as the cinematographic capital of Italy. To carry out this project, the area that had been swampy until then was reclaimed, and several architects were called to design the city giving it a clear rationalist imprint. Within a few years, many hotels and villas were built, a clear sign of how the city managed to gain some recognition as a summer vacation destination.
On the other hand, success as a film location enjoyed mixed fortunes. When, in 1937, the Cinecittà film studios in Rome were opened, Tirrenia experienced a sudden decline in activities. During the golden age of Italian cinema, between the 1950s and 1960s, Tirrenia experienced a new cinematic spring but over time the dream of cinema vanished. The last film shot in the Tirrenia studios was Good morning Babilonia in 1987.
Tirrenia has never become the queen of the Mediterranean as its founders hoped, but it has nevertheless established itself as a seaside resort frequented above all by young people and by the inhabitants of the provinces of Pisa and Livorno. On its side it boasts a 5 km long beach and many services dedicated to tourists. Tirrenia has numerous bathing establishments, hotels, restaurants, clubs and discos including the historic Imperial Club.
A certain presence of foreign tourists is instead linked to the presence of the American military base of Camp Darby which has been in the vicinity of Tirrenia since 1951.
What to do and what to see in Tirrenia
- Tirrenia beach and sea
- Oasi Dune di Tirrenia
- What to do in the evening
- What to see in the surroundings
- How to get to Tirrenia
Tirrenia beach and sea
The number one reason to visit Tirrenia and spend your holidays there is clearly the sea. The city has a very long beach with light and fine sand.
Along this beach there are many bathing establishments that actually occupy most of the space. However, there are also quite large stretches of free beach, so if you want to save money you can choose this option.
This is certainly a suitable seaside destination for a family holiday with children. If you are organizing a trip with the dog, on the other hand, you may be interested in the presence of a beach equipped for dogs in the nearby town of Calambrone, just south of Tirrenia.
The sea here is clean as evidenced by the Bandiera Blu, a recognition that certifies the other quality standards of the Pisan coast and which has been assigned to Marina di Pisa, Tirrenia and Calambrone.
If you just want to enjoy relaxing by the sea or swimming, you are fine. If, on the other hand, you also want to do some activities on the beach and do some outdoor sports, you can choose from many things to do starting from classic beach sports such as beach volleyball or choose a sailing or fishing course. Furthermore, many Tirrenia bathhouses offer the opportunity to practice other types of sports, such as tennis and soccer, or to carry out numerous recreational and fun activities suitable for everyone, including children.
Oasi Dune di Tirrenia
The Oasi Dune di Tirrenia is a protected natural area managed by the WWF. Established in 1997, the oasis protects an area that extends over 24 hectares. Inside there is the typical coastal ecosystem with the Mediterranean scrub with many plant species, including rare ones, and numerous animals, especially birds. Access to the protected area is free and there are paths that allow you to move around it. There are also information signs on the various botanical species.
What to do in the evening
Tirrenia has a quite lively nightlife and in fact there are several things to do in the evening. Several bathing establishments organize aperitifs at sunset and parties by the sea. Then there are many restaurants, bars, pubs and clubs of all kinds to eat or have a drink.
What to see in the surroundings
Given the location of Tirrenia, it seems obvious to me to advise you to visit Pisa and Livorno which are really close. The other seaside resorts in this area are Marina di Pisa and Calambrone. The beautiful Parco naturale di Migliarino, San Rossore, Massaciuccoli is also definitely worth a visit. As for the towns near Tirrenia, you can take a look at the guides on Calci, Vicopisano, Pontedera and Buti.
How to get to Tirrenia
Tirrenia is located about 15 kilometers away from Pisa and 10 km from Livorno.
To reach Tirrenia from Pisa you can choose whether to use the car or take a bus. In both cases the journey is quite short: with bus line 10 it takes just over half an hour to get to Tirrenia. By car from Pisa it takes a quarter of an hour or so. From both Livorno and Pisa you have to follow the signs to go towards the coast (north from Livorno, south-west from Pisa). If you come from Florence, you have to make the Florence-Pisa-Livorno to the end and then turn in the direction of Calambrone and Tirrenia.
