I Cipressi

If you are interested in a sun holiday in Italy, then one of the best holiday destinations that you could possibly choose is the Tuscan Coast. Combining the unique foodie and cultural charms of the region with pretty seaside towns and picture-perfect beaches, a vacation and a villa on the Tuscan Coast ensures a perfect getaway by the sea in Italy full of fun and sun. An unfamiliar concept for some who have found a villa in Tuscany or a villa in Italy and are planning days on the beach is that many beaches in Italy have fees for their use. This is because these stretches of sand are usually well-kept and offer various facilities and amenities such as bathrooms, changing rooms, snack bars, showers, loungers, umbrellas and more. However, there are also some public beaches that you can use free of charge. Oftentimes these beaches are a little busier and don't have the same kind of services but if that doesn't bother you and you're looking to save a little money to spend on other parts of your vacation then they're just the thing! On the Tuscan Coast, in particular, these beaches are few and far between. In fact, one of the few remaining free beaches in Tuscany is the beach of La Lecciona.

While it was hard to pick out just 10 of the best pools in our Italian villas, it was harder still to limit what we could say about them! For this reason, we had to split the list into three posts.

Here is the second batch of choices in our “10 Of Our Best Pools In Italy” series, all villas and farmhouses that are particularly recommended for their wonderful pool set-ups.

If you're looking for a holiday that involves a lot of lounging by the pool, dining al fresco and going for a dip or that features letting the kids tire themselves out by swimming all day, these are the perfect options for you!

All this week on Italy Villas, we have been drooling over some of the most amazing villas and apartment rentals on our site that not only have wonderful pools but pools that boast truly extraordinary views. With picks for various purposes (family holidays, weddings, etc), price points, locations and more, there is something for everyone. To round out our list, here are the last of our picks of some of the best of the best...

8. Masseria Ilary (No long available)

Masseria Ilary is a beautiful six bedroom farm property located in the countryside near Ceglie Messapica, in Apulia. Surrounded by ancient olive trees and peace and quiet in a traditional area, the property consists of trulli, typical traditional Apulian houses, and another building. It is this attractive, historic and charming complex of buildings that forms the backdrop to this incredible pool.

Spend a few wonderful days of touring around the Renaissance walled city of Lucca in Tuscany during your next Italian vacation! Lucca is a beautifully preserved town situated at the foot of the Apuan Alps and only a half hour’s drive from the Tuscan coast.

Book a pretty vacation villa in Lucca and get ready to explore one of the most beautiful towns in Tuscany!

Lucca is a relatively easy place to reach and is mostly flat which makes it very easy to explore by foot. Start off your day of exploration with a visit to the ancient Roman amphitheatre here in Piazza dell’ Anfiteatro.

Climb up some of Lucca’s beautifully preserved towers such as the clock tower and Guinigi tower and walk along the unusual tree and grass lined paths built on top of the ancient thick walls of Lucca. These scenic garden walls were actually designed by Renaissance Master, Leonardo da Vinci!

Continuing on from our last post, in which we discussed the proliferation of incredibly picturesque ghost towns in Italy and the reasons behind their considerable number, here are some more of our picks of the most beautiful among them. If you are a fan of such things, of exploring abandoned buildings and taking in the sight of nature reclaiming land and buildings decaying beautifully, keep these extraordinary towns in mind during your next trip to Italy.

Fabbriche di Careggine is a town in the area of Lago di Vagli, or Lake Vagli, in Lucca. Although it would be more correct to say that it is beneath the lake. The medieval town, a long-time home to talented metal-working artisans, was flooded in 1953 in order to create the artificial lake, a hydroelectric basin and every decade it makes a ghostly reappearance when the lake is drained for maintenance work. Hundreds of thousands attend every time to watch as it slowly rises out of the lake but the town is often still visible underneath the water, with the top of the church poking out on days that the level is low.