After the Pisa Marathon: Marina di Pisa
The Route: Pisa → Marina di Pisa → Pisa Logistics: A city bus on line 10, about every 30 minutes, taking about 22 minutes. The village and the promenade are flat. Marathon Month: December Duration: Day trip
Pisa (Livornese bus stop) ──(bus line 10, about 22 mins)──> Marina di Pisa
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promenade and river mouth, flat
On the Monday after the Pisa Marathon, Marina di Pisa gives you a chance to see the bit of the course that you ran at about 30 km, without the hurry. The village stands where the Arno meets the Ligurian Sea, 12 km west of the city, with a long seafront, a grid of villas from the late nineteenth century and a quiet, closed-up feel in winter. Check the bus timetable with the regional operator, Autolinee Toscane, before you go.
December in Marina di Pisa: the beaches are empty, many shops and restaurants shut for the season, and the wind off the sea is cold. Bring a coat and check that your lunch place is open.
Getting there
Bus line 10 runs from a stop on Via Livornese in Pisa to Marina di Pisa, about every 30 minutes according to the information available, in about 22 minutes. Ask at the stop or check online which stop is nearest your hotel. A taxi is possible but costs more.
On the coast
The seafront promenade is flat and runs along the shore, and it is the simplest walk. To the north is the mouth of the Arno, where the river meets the sea, and a path leads to it. The old villas along the front are in a mixture of styles, and many are shut in winter.
The basilica of San Piero a Grado, a Romanesque church on the flat land between Pisa and the sea, lies inland near the road to the coast and was passed at about 11 km on the marathon. Check whether a bus stops near it and the church's opening hours.
Lunch
Fish restaurants line the seafront. In winter many shut, so choose one that you know is open, and book if you can.
Getting back
Take line 10 back to Pisa. Check the time of the last bus, and allow a margin if you have a flight that evening.