Villa Bibbona is a luxury beach villa that is the summer residence of a well-known aristocratic family from Florence. The villa is situated on a gated private estate just on the edge of the seaside village of Marina di Bibbona, right on the coastline of the Tuscan area called the Maremma. It is one hour south of Pisa, and an hour and half from Florence. Other towns that can easily be reached in an hour or less include Volterra, San Gimignano, Cecina and Massa Marittima.

The landscape of this area of Tuscany includes unspoiled beaches fringed with dunes, set against distant hills with charming villages on their crests. The flat areas between the beaches and the hills used to be the home of cattle ranches where local cowboys served as herders. Today this land has mostly become well-tended vineyards producing some of the most prestigious wines in Italy such as Sassicaia and Ornellaia. Just ten minutes from the villa is the town of Bolgheri, home to world -class wine production and innovation.

The villa sits grandly among a grove of impressive "pineti," the typical umbrella-shaped pine trees seen along Italy's coast. It was restored to a very high design standard in 2008, and has much internal modern technology in the form of computer-controlled air conditioning, heating and lighting. There is high speed Internet access, and large flat screen satellite TV. The interiors include lovely family antique pieces and artwork displayed in a very tasteful manner. The house is very elegant, comfortable, and furnished to a very high standard.

The first floor of Villa Bibbona, reached by a short flight of stairs, includes an entrance hall and powder room, along with the kitchen, living and dining areas, and the laundry with a washing machine and clothes dryer. The kitchen is very well equipped. It is the domain of the family housekeeper, who lives on the grounds and provides seven hours of service daily for six days a week, including the preparation of breakfast and a light lunch, as part of the rental price. She is an excellent cook, who can prepare dinners for guests at an extra charge. A First Shopping for groceries can also be arranged.

The living room is very large, with numerous sitting areas, fireplace, books and bookcases, and satellite TV. It has three large windows that face the garden, and bring in lots of light. One part of this large room holds a dining table that can expand to 13-15 people. All of the bedrooms are on the second floor. There are six double bedrooms, two of which have a terrace looking out over the garden. All of them have their own ensuite bathrooms. A small interior staircase leads to a large room on the third floor that serves as a children's playroom with two single mattresses; it has a bathroom.

Immediately outside the living room is a very large teak floor terrace with a pine tree growing through it. It is equipped with comfortable chairs, sofas, loungers and an outside dining table. Beyond the terrace is a lawn that leads to the estate's pine grove that separates the villa from the dunes and the sea. The garden areas around the villa are carefully landscaped, and have been traditionally planted with local trees, shrubs and herbs. A large covered parking area is just below the entrance.

There are well-tended paths through the pine trees leading to the unspoiled, natural beach. There is a designated beach area for the villa which is assured its privacy by a locked gate to which guests have the key. In the dunes behind the beach there is a cabana for picnics with a table and a refrigerator, along with lounge chairs and a shower. The housekeeper can prepare the picnic baskets, and the caretaker will bring them to the beach at the appointed time.

For those interested in outdoor and sports activities, the villa has a lot to offer. Not far away there is a sports club with an Olympic size pool, tennis courts and a volleyball court that can be used for an extra charge. Four golf courses are in driving distance, including the famous one at Punta Ala. The area is excellent for biking, and there is a bike rental shop in the next village.

On the lower level of the villa there is an independent apartment, with its own separate entrance, called Limonaia. The apartment holds four people. If there is a group of up to 16 people interested in staying at Villa Bibbona, Limonaia can also be rented to accommodate everyone. There is a description of Limonaia on this website.

Villa Bibbona is a terrific property for a get-together for a family or a group of friends who want a beach vacation. There are very few unspoiled tracts of land available that are similar to this estate, with a natural beauty that never fails to impress.