LIDO DI CAMAIORE

Sea and countryside fare
The cuisine in Lido di Camaiore is typical of all Versilia, a renowned area for its home cooking which can be enjoyed in sophisticated restaurants as well as in countryside trattorias. The coast specializes in sea food, whereas inland is known mostly for its traditional cooking. Some of the most recommended dishes are: risotto con le seppie (rice with cuttle fish), cacciucco (fish served on toasted bread), zuppa di cozze (mussel soup), grilled fish. In countryside restaurants old-fashioned dishes can be enjoyed like: polenta and cabbage, beans and mushrooms prepared in many different ways; in addition: tordelli (pasta with meat filling), gnocchi, pasta coi fagioli (bean soup with pasta) torta coi pizzi (pie with rice and chocolate or vegetable filling), castagnaccio (chestnut cake) scarpaccia (pie with courgettes and panzanella (salad with soaked dried bread, Italian dressing).

Excursions
Lido di Camaiore is ideally situated for touring its scenic countryside rich with places of historical interest, giving visitors the possibility to alternate sea life with the mountain scenery in just a short time. The area is also a good tourist base for trips to the main art cities and tourist centres in Tuscany and Liguria:
- Pisa
- Lucca
- Florence
- Volterra
- Siena
- San Gimignano
- Carrara and the marble quarries
- The Tuscan archipelago
- The gulf of La Spezia and Lerici
- Portovenere and the Cinque Terre
It has good road, rail and air links with all parts of Italy and the main European cities. The airport in Pisa also caters for intercontinental flights.

Sporting activities
Enjoy yourself with a good variety of sporting activities: swimming, windsurfing (with lessons) sailing, boating; there are facilities to hire pattini (small wooden boats), pedaloes, boats, and bicycles. Other sports include: outdoor and indoor tennis (with lessons) foot-ball, horse riding, game fishing, squash, basketball, volleyball, rolle, skating, bowis. 8 kilometres away from Lido di Camaiore at the locality Montiscendi a new 18 hole golf course. For children there are a good number of playgrounds with a variety of original games. Go trekking in the countryside with some Associations which organizes excursions in cooperation with the local town council.

Shopping
During your spare time you can browse in the shops in Lido di Camaiore some of which are smal boutiques, also selling hand-made articles. Versilia boasts many artists so it is easy to find a good number of antique shops and art galleries.
A few kilometres inland be sure to visit the wide range of artisan shops and art hand-craft studios: wrought iron work (at Candalla and Gombitelli), locally woven fabrics (at Vado), hand-made toys and gift ornaments, ceramics and artistic stained-glass windows.
Don't miss the local weekly open air markets including Lido as well as the antique market frequently held in Camaiore.

Entertainement and events
Seaside holidays will be brightened with entertainment facilities: discoteques, piano-bars, open air cinemas, music-halls, like "La Bussola" that have hosted world-famous musicians and artists.
Visitors will find a good variety of events throughout the year: cultural meetings (such as the Camaiore Literary Prize for Poetry), classical and pop concerts, art and antique exhibitions and agricultural shows. In summer, between July and August , you can watching Puccini's Festival in beautiful Torre del Lago Puccini, where the famous composer realized his most famous Operas.

Inland
About 9 km. inland from Lido di Camaiore you will find, in a wide and green valley, the town of Camaiore. This ancient and historic town has important monuments such as the romanesque church of S. Maria Assunta, called "Collegiata" (13th cent.), the 14th cent. bell tower and the 7th cent. Benedectine Abbey. Well worth a visit is the Sacred Arts Museum, containing remarkable works of art, among which is the famous Flemish tapestry dating from 1516 attributed to Peter de Pannemaker.
For archaeology lovers, findings of prehistoric civilization are exposed in the museum of Camaiore housed in the Palazzo Tori and in the Museum of Viareggio.
The slopes of the Apuan Alps are sprinkled with charming and ancient villages within easy reach of the coast, many of them offering breathtaking sea views. For example the ancient village of Monteggiori with the Rotaio castle and Pieve, where a church has existed on the same site since 816.
Not far from Versilia you can visit Celle di Pescaglia where is the 16th century home of Puccini's grandparents, whereas he was born in Lucca.

Tourist information
APT Versilia
V.le Colombo, 342 Lido Tel. 0584 - 617397
Ass. Albergatori Lido
V.le Colombo, 65 Lido Tel. 0584 - 66704
Ass. Balneari Lido
Via S. Caterina, 7/19 Lido Tel. 0584 - 619363
AIRPORTS
International "Galileo Galilei"
Pisa Tel 050 - 500707
Aeroclub Cinquale (aerotaxi)
Massa Tel. 0585 - 309088

USEFUL NUMBERS
Polizia Tel. 113
Carabinieri Tel. 112
Ambulanze Tel. 118