Surf & Yoga Escape on the Tuscan Coast at Hotel I Pini

Lido di Camaiore is one of the better-known surf spots in Versilia, and Hotel I Pini is a short walk from the water. The hotel works with Aloha Beach Caffè Surf School and Water Academy Surf School to put guests on boards, with lessons running for complete beginners through to people who already surf and want to sharpen their technique. Private lessons are one-to-one or one-to-two; group lessons run with two to six people; kids get their own weekly courses.

The surf pricing is straightforward. A private hour is €35, four hours is €120, and a 12-hour private training package is €300. Group lessons are €25 per person for an hour, €90 per person for four hours, or €200 per person for the 12-hour package; kids' training is €100 for six hours. If you've got a group of at least eight, the full-day surf camp is €50 per person. Boards can be rented separately — €15 an hour, €25 for a half-day, €35 for a full day — so you're not stuck if you don't own one.

Beyond surfing, the hotel runs a full activity programme. Yoga sessions are held on the Tuscan coast and are open to guests wanting to move and stretch between beach days. There are Tuscan cooking courses on site, oil painting courses with the painter Riccardo Corti, and Italian courses for foreigners that can be taken at the hotel or in Versilia, Pisa or Lucca. Outdoors, you can join guided walks in the Versilia hills and the southern Apuan Alps, take an e-bike tour along the coast, paddle a SUP on the sea, a river or a lake, or try climbing in Camaiore and canyoning with a descent down a local waterway.

What separates this from a plain beach hotel stay is that the activity is genuinely organised rather than just available nearby — you book lessons and courses through the hotel, instructors are certified, and the day's plan can be built around surf conditions, weather, or whatever else you've signed up for. A surfer can spend the morning in the water and the afternoon on a bike or in a cooking class; a non-surfing partner can do yoga, paint, or take the Italian course while you're out on the waves.

The hotel is in Lido di Camaiore, in the province of Lucca, on the Versilia coast. Pisa and Lucca are both within easy reach for day trips, and the Apuan Alps are close enough for a half-day hike. The Versilia Horse Show also runs in Lido di Camaiore, and the hotel puts together packages for it when the event is on.

What's included

- Accommodation at Hotel I Pini (booked separately as part of your stay) - Access to the hotel's activity programme (cooking, painting, Italian courses, yoga) - Surf lessons with certified instructors (booked and paid per session/package) - Surfboard use during lessons - Beach access within walking distance

What's not included

- Flights and travel to Lido di Camaiore - Airport transfers - Meals and drinks (unless specified in your hotel rate) - Surfboard rental outside lesson times - Optional activities not included in your package (e.g., e-bike tours, climbing, canyoning) - Travel insurance - Personal expenses