CASTIGLIONE DELLA PESCAIA
An imposing castle and the medieval village dominate a breath-taking view from the top: the clear blue sea with its beaches of fine white sand, the dunes, the amazing pinewood forest which extends for kilometres, the vast wetlands of the Diaccia Botrona inhabited numerous species of water birds. Castiglione della Pescaia is a unique locality where Nature, tradition and culture join in an atmosphere with an antique flavour, still linked to fishing, while at the same time, modern, with its quality tourist structures.
THE COASTLINE
The seaside is manly sandy with sea floors which are not too deep. Brief sections of rocky beaches can be found at Punta Capezzòlo, Punta Ala and Rocchette. The beaches are exceptionally well served with prestigious structures. Long stretches of free beaches can be found just outside the town centres.
A UNIQUE SENSATION
At sunset stop to watch the boat traffic at the port, the return of the fishing boats followed by seagulls flying against the pink background of the sky and listen to the fishermen shouting between Themselves. And stop to admire the fish which has just arrived on the Porto Canale docks. Or, after a long stroll along the main street full of shops and restoration points, reach the medieval village and meander through the labyrinth of flowered alleys: via dell’Amore, via delle Campane, via della Fortezza… and once you reach the top, up at the castle, look around... in front of you the sea and around you the primitive nature in an endless line.
PUNTA ALA - NATURE AND HIGH SOCIETY IT IS HERE THAT THE ADVENTURE OF LUNA ROSSA STARTED
One of the most exclusive localities of the Tyrrhenian coast, usually frequented by VIPs, and immersed in a rael paradise between the sea, the pinewood forest and the Mediterranean bush. Seat of a prestigious tourist port, it has gained more notoreity, especially in the last few years, as the operating base of Luna Rossa, the Italian yacht which kept millions of Italians with bated breath during the 2000 edition of the America’s Cup. Punta Ala is however the favourite place not only for yachting and all aquatic sports but also for exclusive activities like golf, on one of the biggest greens in Europe, polo and horse riding. Ideal for those who love uncontaminated Nature and the fashionable life with a hint of history: the Punta Ala also has its castle which looks over the sea from a rocky promontory in front of the Sparviero islet, which can also be reached by small boats.
BURIANO - THE SACREDNESS OF PLACES
Its name derives from the castle which overlooks a broad view from the top: what was once the wide Prile lake which has today given way to the fertile Grosseto plain. The spectacular town, with its square, its stone-paved streets, the light air, is also the starting point for a route to faith. In fact, it is from here that a short pilgrimage starts, every year, in the beginning of May to the old Romitorio, a small church built at the spot where S. Guglielmo, who chose these places to live the last years of his life as a hermit, came to pray, and according to legend this is where the Virgin appeared before him. The path is easy and the sacred atmosphere of the place is well worth a walk through the Mediterranean bush.
TIRLI - THE PLEASURES OF CUISINE
There are as many as 7 restaurants in this small fraction in the midst of the woods with its 400 inhabitants. Numbers which give an idea of the quality of the cuisine of this place which draws visitors throughout the year, thanks to its excellent game. Reaching Tirli is in itself a pleasure, with the road winding through the thick woods. In all the fractions, and Tirli is no exception, the cult of San Guglielmo is deeply rooted, and the relics are kept in the small church at the entrance to the village. Worthy of note is the summer event dedicated to Palla Eh, a tennis game ante litteram which is played in the square and involves the entire town.
VETULONIA - LAND OF OLD ETRUSCAN PRINCES
It was once Vetluna, city-state of ancient Etruria, particularly powerful starting from the end of the VIII century B.C. up to the beginning of the III century B.C. Its refi ned elegance and power are proved by an immense amount of ruins that came to light only a little over a century ago in the necropolis nearby, and most of it is on display at the archaeological museum. Today, Vetulonia is a village with an extraordinary atmosphere, in the midst of a fabulous landscape. A keen eye will also discover tokens of various historic epochs: parts of the old cyclopean Etruscan walls, Roman ruins and Medieval fortresses. Traditions are alive here too, like the famous Palio dei Ciuchi, and entire day among those in epoch costumes and local gourmet specialities.