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Marina di Pietrasanta
“Pietra santa” means holy stone. Once again the name of a village in this area is dominated by the famous Carrara marble quarries. The little village Pietrasanta has had and still has a couple of factories which process marble into more or less artistic things.
Consequently the sea bath Marina di Pietrasanta – a quarter of the main town – and especially the pier sticking out into the Mediterranean Sea have the odd artistic ornament and quite a bit of marble used as building material.
The pier interrupts the usual endless stretch of “Bagni” (privately managed parts of the beach with the typical set up of a bar, changing rooms and precisely parcelled spots at the beach equipped with parasols and lounger, you have to pay to enter these Bagnis) along the endless stretch of wide beach. Right at the square in front of the pier you find some restaurants and a good equipped surf shop (open year round!). On the other side of the coastal road there is another square with more restaurants and – very important if you come in the off-season – a few bars that are open 12 months a year. Parking is easiest along the road following the coast, outside the main season there are no parking fees charged. The pier is very popular amongst fishermen.
Surfing: the pier is also very popular amongst surfers, as it usually creates some good sandbars and offers easy access to the lineup by paddling out underneath it. Outside and to both sides of the pier you find more sandbanks with varying quality. They all work best in weak and small swells and have trouble handling higher period and / or larger swells.
Windsurfing / Kiteboarding: With southerly or northerly winds there is plenty of space for sailing, as long as you come here in the off-season. In summer season the beach will be packed and access is very restricted due to the parcelled beach areas of the Bagni.
Check the galleries (2009, 2013 and 2016) for more impressions.
Related stories: “Black Rider”, “Italian Dancefloor”, “Sick days at the Med – part 2”
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