“My God, where have you been? To Florence?” says Stefano, the general manager of La Serena, a new hotel in the Tuscan resort of Forte dei Marmi (known locally as Forte).
He’s referring to the fact that after breakfast I set off on one of the hotel’s free electric bikes and that it’s already after 6pm.
It is time well spent. The terrain is flat, the roads quiet and a nice cycle path runs along the coast all the way to neighbouring Viareggio with its Liberty style architecture (Italy’s answer to Art Nouveau). I covered 20 miles.
Mention Tuscany and images of medieval hamlets surrounded by cypress trees come to mind. Chic beach clubs are less so, but Forte has a wide stretch of golden sand, lined with more than 80 private bagnos.
Set against the dramatic backdrop of the Apuan Alps, this 15-square-kilometre resort is a 45-minute drive from Pisa and has been a favourite with wealthy Italians for centuries.
Hot Spot: Kate Wickers travels to the Italian resort of Forte dei Marmi, set against the dramatic backdrop of the Apuan Alps
Kate explores the resort’s pier (pictured), which extends 275 metres into the Ligurian Sea
Tourism began here in the 19th century, but only really took off in the 1960s, when the likes of Sophia Loren and Luchino Visconti visited the city.
More recently, faces have been spotted in the city, including Giorgio Armani, Paul Smith and Andrea Bocelli, who all own villas. Naomi Campbell, Kate Hudson and Leonardo DiCaprio were all spotted holidaying here last summer. And Ukrainian President Zelensky also owns a pink villa here.
With 28 rooms, La Serena is an anomaly among Forte’s chic yet stuffy hotels. Built in the 1960s, it has undergone extensive renovation. The small centre is packed with cafés (the terrace of Prada’s Caffe Principe is the place to be seen), restaurants and designer shops.
I stroll across the Pontile, a pier built in 1876 that extends 275 meters into the Ligurian Sea, to take part in the passeggiata – the Italian custom of walking while socializing – and then have spaghetti and seafood at the nearby Osteria del Mare.
Kate cycles along the coast all the way to neighbouring Viareggio, pictured above
Kate checks into La Serena, above, a new 28-room hotel in Forte dei Marmi
Actress Kate Hudson spent her holiday on the Tuscan coast last year
The next evening, Nonna is in the kitchen at the family restaurant Ristorante Gilda, whipping up desserts for the it-crowd (try the tiramisu “our way”) and making the best ravioli with sage butter you’ll ever eat.
About five kilometres away, the hilltop town of Pietrasanta feels like an artistic extension of Forte.
“People go to the beach during the day and buy art here at night,” a gallery owner tells me. The city is full of galleries and has been a Mecca for sculptors for centuries.
Michelangelo worked here from 1515-18, and Moor and Miro had studios here, but it is the Colombian artist Botero who has left the greatest legacy. His enormous bronze warrior sculpture in Piazza Matteotti is hard to miss, and in the church of Sant’Antonio Abate his frescoes — Porta del Paradiso (Gate of Heaven) and Porta dell’Inferno (Hell), painted in 1993 — are conversation starters. Look for Mother Teresa and Hitler among Botero’s trademark plump figures.
Of the many beach clubs in Forte, Alpemare, owned by Bocelli, is the place to strut your stuff in your Gucci bikini (although you may be lucky to find a spot in high season).
In the shoulder seasons of April, May and October the scene is delightfully quiet and I am invited to stay as long as I like to drink my Campari and soft drinks. I accept the offer as I soak up the sun and the glamour of the Tuscan Riviera.
