Albergo Italia
Piombino - Via XX Settembre 39
Located in the center of Piombino, Albergo Italia storico offers en suite rooms with free Wi-Fi and air conditioning.
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In the heart of the Val di Cornia, at the southern tip of Livorno province, lies Piombino, a town of over 30,000 inhabitants.
For many, it’s simply the port where you board ferries to Elba Island and the other islands of the Tuscan Archipelago, but in truth Piombino has much more to offer: a vibrant and interesting historic centre to explore, some lovely beaches, a magnificent protected natural area along the coast stretching for almost 300 hectares, and the unmissable hamlets of Baratti and Populonia, famous among both locals and tourists for the beauty of their waters and their glorious Etruscan heritage.
For these and countless other reasons, consider Piombino seriously as a destination for your next summer holiday. Combined with excellent hotel facilities, plenty of tourist services and the beauty of the surrounding area, you’ll enjoy wonderful days exploring the Tuscan coastline in all its splendour, admiring picture-postcard views.
Piombino’s beaches are numerous as the municipal territory includes several localities, but there are 3 closest to the town centre, easy to reach and very popular with locals during summer: Spiaggia Sotto i Bernardini, Salivoli Beach and Quagliodromo Beach.
Spiaggia Sotto i Bernardini is the only Piombino beach right next to the town centre; it’s a mixed sand and pebble beach, near Via Giordano Bruno and the monumental cemetery. From the water you’ll enjoy a lovely view of the Piombino channel, with Elba Island, Giglio Island and Montecristo Island. You reach it by walking a very short path from the car park, which is usually packed in summer.
Located north-west of the town centre, alongside the Salivoli Marina tourist port, it’s a sandy beach, small in size and divided into a free area and an equipped zone thanks to the Bagnetti Salivoli beach establishment, which is very charming. The beach attracts families with children and young people alike, the water is clean and from the shore you can enjoy a lovely view of the Piombino coastline.
Quagliodromo Beach sits on the coast east of the port, about 10 kilometres’ drive from the town centre. It’s a long stretch of sand with beautiful clear water; behind it stands a wind farm, so you can get a close look at the characteristic rotating blades. Mostly a free beach, Quagliodromo also has several beach clubs where you can hire sun loungers and parasols.
You don’t typically come to Piombino for cultural sightseeing, but if you fancy a break from beach life or want to discover aspects many tourists miss, spend a few hours exploring the historic centre and its main monuments.
In the centre, entering from the north through the ancient city gate under the Rivellino Tower4, walk along the elegant Corso Vittorio Emanuele II lined with shops and restaurants until you reach the lovely Clock Tower5, now part of the town hall. Then visit the abbey church of San Antimo Martire, that is the Piombino Cathedral6.
Don’t miss the beautiful Piazza Giovanni Bovio7, south of the centre, entirely pedestrianised and surrounded by sea on two sides, ending with the Rocchetta Lighthouse, one of the city’s symbols. Piombino also has three fascinating museums, conveniently all close to each other near the town centre. These are the archaeological museum of Populonia territory, the Maritime Museum and the Castle Museum.
Following the south-west coast of Piombino, past the port and Quagliodromo Beach, begins the vast Sterpaia Coastal Park, a protected natural area. A Blue Flag recipient since 2008, the park’s beaches occupy much of Piombino Gulf, extending to the border with Follonica, which also marks the boundary between Tuscany’s Livorno and Grosseto provinces.
The park covers a total area of 296 hectares and includes 8 kilometres of beaches. You access it via the road connecting Piombino to Riotorto, which has numerous car parks so you can leave your car safely while regulating access to the park’s many beaches.
The Sterpaia Coastal Park beaches are all fine sand, with the seabed sloping gently into the sea. The water is crystal clear and behind them is a narrow strip of dunes, which becomes a pine forest further south. Here begins Carbonifera Beach, an integral part of the Sterpaia park’s beach system and undoubtedly its most famous. The others are Perelli, Carlappiano, Mortelliccio, Il Pino and Torre Mozza.
Along the entire Sterpaia park coast you’ll find various services, including food outlets, toilets and showers, picnic areas and camper stops.
Baratti is one of Piombino’s hamlets, but it’s certainly one of the most famous, thanks to its small gulf, located north of the Piombino peninsula. It’s part of the Baratti and Populonia archaeological park, but beyond the important Etruscan finds, many tourists visit Baratti for the beauty of its waters.
Populonia, once one of the most important Etruscan cities and later a Roman one, is another hamlet of Piombino absolutely not to be missed. The tiny settlement sits on high ground, in the heart of the headland forming Baratti Gulf; here you can see impressive fortifications dating from the 15th century, along with numerous monuments and sites of interest, and of course stunning views over the sea and Baratti Gulf.
West of Populonia, the coastal strip is entirely natural; beaches and coves are only accessible on foot or by boat. The sea here is beautiful, as is the setting. Notable names include Cala Buia, Buca delle Fate and Punta Galera.
In the following map you can see the location of the main places of interest mentioned in this article.
In Piombino, especially during the warmer months, there are several outdoor nightclubs where you can have fun late into the night. This is the case with Baricche, located in Piazzetta del Mare, whilst those seeking a more relaxed evening can certainly take a stroll through the town centre, stopping at one of the numerous bars for an after-dinner drink.
There are also many aperitivo bars, often featuring seafood, both in the centre and in the outlying areas.
In Piombino’s centre there are numerous accommodation options, some with sea views, although there isn’t a proper beach right in town. They’re mostly apartments, but there are also some hotels, particularly near the railway station.
There are also some apartments in the north-west area of Piombino, near Salivoli Marina and the beach of the same name: the ideal solution for those seeking more peace and quiet whilst still being close to the sea.
Unfortunately, you can’t stay near Piombino port for easy walking access to Elba ferries, as there are no accommodation facilities there. However, there are various facilities near the sea, especially in the localities of Baratti, Torre Mozza and Carbonifera.
We offer a selection of hotels at Piombino to suit all categories of travellers. The most booked by tourists are the sea-facing hotels, often right on the beach. If you want to play it safe, choose one of the following: they are among the most booked hotels in Piombino, sorted by number of reviews.
If you prefer space, privacy and the ability to prepare your own meals to a hotel holiday, book a holiday home at Piombino. We recommend a few below, but in this case we advise you to book early because houses and apartments for rent at Piombino are in high demand.
The Venturina exit of the SS1 Aurelia is the main access point to Piombino from Tuscany’s road network. It’s about 10-15 minutes’ drive from the town centre.
Getting to Piombino from other Tuscan towns means eventually taking the Aurelia and exiting at Venturina. From Florence for example it takes about 2 hours, via the SGC FI-PI-LI motorway until the A12 junction, which you follow south until the end at Rosignano Marittimo, where it becomes the SS1 Aurelia.
From Siena it takes about 1 hour 45 minutes, travelling through inland Tuscany, reaching Grosseto first and then continuing along the coast. From Arezzo the distance is about 2 hours 20 minutes, first reaching Siena and then taking the same route.
From coastal Tuscan towns like Pisa and Livorno, it takes about 1 hour 20 minutes to reach Piombino, taking the A12 motorway south and continuing along the SS1 Aurelia once you exit at Rosignano Marittimo.
Those travelling by public transport can comfortably reach Piombino by train: the town has a main railway station not far from the centre, served by trains to and from Florence Santa Maria Novella, Pisa Centrale and Campiglia Marittima. The direct train from Florence Santa Maria Novella takes about 2 hours 20 minutes, but you can also choose connections, which may be cheaper depending on departure times. You change at Pisa Centrale, and the whole journey usually takes between 2 hours 20 minutes and 3 hours.
Piombino also has a second railway station, called Piombino Marittima, located right opposite the Elba Island ferry terminal, near Piombino port. Trains between the two stations run very frequently, and the journey takes just 5 minutes.
What's the weather at Piombino? Below are the temperatures and the weather forecast at Piombino for the next few days.
Piombino faces the sea at the southern tip of the Livorno coast. It's also the closest point as the crow flies to the island of Elba, just over 10 kilometres away.
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