MAREMMA COAST: CASTIGLIONE DELLA PESCAIA
An ancient hamlet overlooking the sea, standing between Punta Ala and Marina di Grosseto, a balcony over the Tyhrrenian sea and a tourist port offering daily excursions to the Tuscan Archipelago's islands.
It dates back a long long way; there are even traces of settlements in this area which go back sixty thousand years. But the first real urban settlement is to be found at Vetulonia, the ancient city which the Etruscans founded near Lake Prile (which no long exists).
After the Fall of the Roman Empire and the barbaric invasions, in 962 Castiglione was given to Pisa by the German Emperor Ottone I of Saxony, who made the most of its wealth but who did not look after the port which was taken over by sand and by Lake Prile whose water, stagnating, was the cause of increasingly frequent epidemics of malaria.
MAREMMA COAST: MONTE ARGENTARIO AND ITS SEA
Monte Argentario is a promontory that juts out into the Tyrrhenian Sea at the two southernmost islands of the Tuscan Archipelago; the Island of Giglio and the Island of Giannutri. Even Argentario was born as an island, but over the centuries the joint action of the sea currents and the Albegna river created two isthmuses, the Tombolo di Giannella and the Tombolo della Feniglia, effectively joining the island to the mainland, forming at the same time the Orbetello Lagoon.
Monte Argentario reaches its highest point at Punta Telegrafo (635 m.) and is characterized by a completely mountainous territory, softened only by the work of man who has created over time terraces mainly cultivated with vineyards. The coast, very indented, offers coves and coves, mainly stony, of remarkable beauty from a naturalistic point of view. The two towns, both with a seafaring vocation, which form the municipality of Monte Argentario, fit into this context; facing north is Porto Santo Stefano, where the town hall is located, while Porto Ercole, smaller, faces south.
MAREMMA COAST: ISLAND OF GIGLIO
THE JEWEL OF THE TUSCAN ARCHIPELAGO. The coastal perimeter is 27 km long and is largely rocky, except in some points, where the Campese beach and other smaller beaches located on the eastern side of the island (Arenella, Cannelle and Caldane) open up. Giglio Porto is located on the east coast of the island, constituting the landing place for boats and ferries coming from Porto Santo Stefano and the port of Talamone. A day on a cruise to Giglio is a must for all guests who want to make their holiday in Maremma unforgettable.
The town, originally made up of fishermen's houses, develops around the port, and is characterized by the seafront and streets that open onto the characteristic Piazza della Dogana, considered the living room of the island, with small restaurants on wooden stilts and shops local crafts. The island is of great interest for the practice of diving and is often considered one of the most loved by divers in Italy.
It is known for its undemanding diving, but above all for the beautiful red gorgonians visible over 35 meters deep, accompanied by a rich marine fauna also characterized by rarities, such as starfish called gorgon stars.
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