Cecina
Cecina is a town in the province of Livorno, Tuscany, facing the Tyrrhenian Sea along the Etruscan Coast
Updated 19 July 2026
This season · July · Summer
What to do in Cecina now
The story
The story of Cecina
Introduction and location
Cecina lies in the province of Livorno, Tuscany, along the stretch of Tyrrhenian coastline known as the Etruscan Coast. The municipal territory stretches from the shoreline, where the seaside hamlet of Marina di Cecina is located, inland to the hills of the Cecina Valley, crossed by the Cecina river that flows into the sea nearby. Well connected by the Via Aurelia road and the coastal railway line, the town is a convenient base for visiting the Livorno coast, combining town life, beaches and rural landscapes only minutes apart.
History and origins
The name Cecina comes from the river of the same name, already known in Etruscan and Roman times, when the area belonged to the coastal territory of ancient Etruria. For centuries the plain was covered by marshes and wetlands, gradually reclaimed from the eighteenth century onward under the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, as part of the large land-reclamation works promoted by the Lorraine rulers. Only after the land was drained and the railway arrived in the nineteenth century did the small settlement grow into a proper town, expanding further in the twentieth century into a residential, agricultural and tourist hub of the Livorno coast.
Nature and landscape
Cecina's landscape alternates shoreline, pine forest and countryside. Along the coast lies the Tomboli di Cecina nature reserve, a belt of pine woods and sand dunes protecting a valuable coastal ecosystem, crossed by paths and cycle tracks ideal for walks in the shade of maritime pines. A little further south, the mouth of the Cecina river forms a wetland frequented by various bird species. Inland, the municipal territory gradually gives way to the countryside of the Cecina Valley, with rows of vines, olive groves and cultivated fields marking the gentle transition from the coastal plain to the first Tuscan hills.
Things to do and see
In Cecina, the sea is the main draw: the hamlet of Marina di Cecina offers a long sandy beach with both equipped bathing establishments and free stretches, plus a seafront promenade suited to walking and cycling. In the town centre, visitors can explore the archaeological museum, which houses Etruscan and Roman finds from the area, and the streets of the old town with shops, markets and cafés. Nature lovers can spend a day on the paths of the coastal pine forest or cycle into the countryside, while nearby it is easy to reach other towns along the Etruscan Coast and the surrounding Tuscan countryside.
Flavours and traditions
Cecina's cuisine blends the flavours of the sea with those of the Tuscan countryside. Local tables regularly feature dishes based on fresh fish, alongside country recipes such as vegetable and legume soups and homemade bread, dressed with extra virgin olive oil produced in the area. The surrounding countryside, part of the Cecina Valley, grows vines and olive trees that supply a small local wine and oil production, often served in restaurants and sold at local farmers' markets. Popular traditions linked to the sea and to farm work remain alive in seasonal festivals and events held in town and in its hamlets.
Not to be missed
- The beaches of Marina di Cecina
- The Tomboli di Cecina nature reserve
- The archaeological museum of Cecina
- The mouth of the Cecina river
- The seafront promenade and pine-forest cycle paths
To see
What to see in Cecina
Routes · Trovido Route
