Monte Argentario
     
   

Monte Argentario

 
   

Monte Argentario is one of the most famous spots in the Maremma and Tuscany. The promontory, which was originally an island, is characterized by a high, rocky coastline covered by a thick Mediterranean thatch, interrupted by olive groves and vineyards. It is now connected to the land by the Feniglia and Giannella sand bars, two strips of uninterrupted sandy beach and thick maritime pine. The sandy isthmuses are separated by the Laguna di Orbetello, an area protected by the WWF because it sits on one of the most important migratory routes and is one of the principal wintering sites for birds that nest in Europe. The serene tranquility of this lagoon contrasts with the high jagged Monte Argentario coast that hides small inlets in rocks that are inaccessible from the land.

Tuscany | Monte Argentario

 
   

Porto Ercole - Forte Filippo
  
   

Ansedonia
Directly across the harbor from Porto Ercole lies Ansedonia, an almost sleepy little town with some of the best beach front in Tuscany. Rather than the rocks and pebbles that greet you on so many Italian beaches, Ansedonia offers soft, velvety sand.
Ansedonia flourished in the 60's, with well-known architects of the time designing villas for the rich and famous, mostly in the mass-media circuit. Now, it is seen more as a retro relic of the past society.
Above Ansedonia, in the archeological zone, lie the ruins of the Roman city of "Cosa". Below, on the slopes near the sea, lies the peaceful residential zone with numerous villas set in green vegetation offering direct contact with nature.
The ancient city of Cosa, situated on a small rocky promontory 114 meters above sea level, was in historic times connected to the primitive island of Argentario by a thin strip of land referred to as the Tombolo di Feniglia.
Its foundation dates back to 273 B.C. in which it became a Roman colony after the territory was conquered by the Consul Tiberius Coruncanio. The name Cosa itself derived from the ancient name "Cusi" or "Cusia", corresponding to a small Etruscan center established where Orbetello lies today.
It seems that Cosa was developed as a strategic point in the water in the middle of the Tyrrheanian Sea since battles with Carthage were anticipated, thus its location was not by chance.
The Romans, thanks to new military techniques acquired during the Samnite war and the campaigns of Pyrrhus, erected, also in Cosa, a mighty enclosed wall with three access ports to the city, which were constructed with enormous polygonal masses of limestone embedded between them; they also erected 17 square towers situated on the side facing the sea.

The Cosa Museum | Via delle Ginestre, Ansedonia | url (it)
The museum has been established by the American Academy in Rome in collaboration with the Archeological Office. It contains archeological documents from excavations in the area of the city and the ancient port of Cosa. It is divided in three sections: the Acropolis, the Casa Romana (Roman house) and the Forum.

 
Monte Argentario | The Beaches
 
    1 - Bagni di Domiziano
  2 - La Soda
  3 - Il Pozzarello
  4 - La Bionda
  5 - Punta Nera
  6 - La Cantoniera
  7 - Viareggio
  8 - La Marinella
  9 - Il Moletto
10 - La Caletta
11 - Il Siluripedio
12 - La Cacciarella 13 - Cala Grande
14 - Cala Moresca
15 - Cala del Gesso
16 - Cala del Bove
17 - Cala Piccola
18 - Capo d'Uomo
19 - L'Acqua Appesa
20 - Cala dell' Olio
21 - I Sassi Verdi
22 - Il Mar Morto
23 - Le Cannelle
24 - Il Purgatorio 25 - La Ciana
26 - Cala Piazzoni
27 - Le Ficaie
28 - L'Acqua Dolce
29 - Lo Sbarcatello
30 - La Spiaggia Lunga
31 - La Piletta
32 - Le Viste
33 - Le Pietrine
34 - Cala Galera
35 - La Feniglia
36 - La Giannella
Tuscany | Tuscany Beaches in Maremma | From Principina a Mare to Ansedonia
 
Tombolo di Feniglia, view from Monte Argentario
 
Monte Argentario harbors the largest lagoon on the Tyrrhenian Sea as well as one of Italy's most important bird sanctuaries. About halfway between Rome and Florence, it makes a wonderful choice for birdwatchers. Take a guided tour of the WWF oases at Orbetello (open Sept. 1-April 30) and Burano (open Aug. 1-May 31) at 10 am and 2 pm on Thursdays and Sundays. Or you can go on your own: for Orbetello drive along the southern edge of the promontory (called Tombola di Feniglia); for Burano Lake take the northern shore road and then walk along the dunes. Or take the 4-hour walk around the coast from Feniglia to Burano.

Walking in Tuscany
Capalbio Burano Lake, Lago di Burano

Extending parallel to the coast, Lake Burano and the immediately surrounding district make up one of the most important wetland habitats in Italy in terms of the integrity of the environment and accommodation and teaching facilities. Lago di Burano is a typical Mediterranean coastal lagoon behind a line of sand dunes.

[read more]
Tombola di Feniglia

This protected area, the Tombola di Feniglia, is known for its long sandy beach lined with pines and protected lagoons for birds including herons, pink Flamingos and Corsican Seagulls.

[read more]
The islands of the Tuscan archipelago
The islands of the Tuscan archipelago, a nature sea park, and an extraordinary place for the beauty of its depths and the cleanliness of the seawater. The Isles known as Giglio and Giannutri in particular are not to be missed.
[read more]