Porto Ercole is a very small town on the Tuscan coast of Italy and is vibrant and stunning with its history, beautiful landscape and wonderfully loving people. It’s very calm and serene, and a great place to escape the hustle of the more touristy Italian cities. While there are some important and beautiful sights such as churches and museums and forts, there isn’t much to do here except enjoy the scenery, walk around the old, cobblestone streets and learn about the culture. This is one of the main reasons why Porto Ercole is a great place to visit, as it is very relaxing and and homey.
Porto Ercole Night Life
However, Porto Ercole is also a great place for nightlife, and has many chic restaurants, pubs and nightclubs that buzz with youngsters at night. One of the most popular tourist attractions is the port, where you can walk by hundreds of boats and yachts tied up and see some great mega yachts belonging to wealthy travelers. Along with that, you can also get great views of the water and the scenery, which is a serene walk at any time of day.
Next, you can visit some of Porto Ercole’s famous churches. Chiesa di Sant’Erasmo is a very interesting church because it has very clear Spanish influences (it even has the tombstones of some Spanish officials, which are crafted beautifully). This church was made for the patron saint of sailors and is a must-see in Porto Ercole. Next, you can head to Palazzo del Governatore which was built in the 1500’s as a home and office for the Spanish government and officials. This palace is very intricate and elegant, and is worth a trip both to see the architecture and the outside, as well as to tour the inside.
Explore the Fortress
After that, you can travel to Forte Stella which is a Spanish fortress completely open to visitors and tourists. You can walk through the fort and see the history within it, while also getting magnificent (probably the best in Porto Ercole) views of the water. You may find yourself sitting here for 30-40 minutes just looking out into the water, as it is a very calm and quiet place to relax.
After that, you may want to head to Forte Filippo which is another fort, but is more militarized and is a great place to see military architecture and infrastructure. Another fort nearby, Forte Santa Caterina is the most ruined by time and war, but is a great place to walk through the countryside.
Once you’re done with all of this, you can walk to the center of town and grab some food or a drink at one of the many restaurants and bars, and sit by the water or people watch in the town square. All in all, this city is great for relaxing, meeting locals and seeing old historical monuments and forts. It’s also an interesting place for history because of it’s Spanish influence, making it a melting pot of cultures.
