American sunseekers seem to predominantly associate littoral Italy with Capri and the Amalfi Coast (Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi itself, et cetera). Lesser talked about, however, is the country's Tuscan shoreline. (Okay, Porto Ercole and the famous Hotel Il Pellicano are in Tuscany, but there's more to see.) One such outpost is Punta Ala, about two hours southwest from Florence, and a town that's long been a "hidden" retreat for wealthy Northerners (particularly Milanese).

Punta Ala is not as visually striking as Amalfi; there are no vertiginous tumbles of wooded cliffs into aquamarine waters, studded with colorful walls and hanging flowers. Here, Tuscany's ambling hills—some of which are topped with crumbling, centuries-old lookout houses—roll gradually into the sea, which is more of a bright blue, a bit like the ocean in Florida.

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Source: http://www.vogue.com/