Coast and Islands
The coast of the Tuscan Maremma is the wide stretch of coastline that from Rosignano Marittimo reaches beyond the Argentario Promontory. A long coastal stretch, which affects the Livorno and Grosseto Maremma, bathed by the Tyrrhenian Sea, one of the most beautiful and cleanest seas in Italy, made up of hundreds of kilometers of beaches, isolated coves, extensive stone pine forests (with the characteristic umbrella), well-equipped bathing establishments and numerous campsites. The various locations present in the over 250 kilometers of Maremma coast have over time become privileged destinations for important figures from the world of entertainment, sport and politics. A notoriety, that of the Maremma coast, achieved in the field, thanks to the numerous Blue Flags recognized every year by the FEE – Foundation for Environmental Education for the beaches of the Maremma, thus making Tuscany one of the most awarded regions in ‘Italy. In the Grosseto Maremma, the prestigious 2013 blue flags were awarded to Follonica, Castiglione della Pescaia, Grosseto (Marina di Grosseto and Principina a Mare) and Monte Argentario. In the Livorno Maremma – Etruscan Coast – the 2013 blue flags were assigned to Rosignano Marittimo (Castiglioncello and Vada), Marina di Bibbona, Castagneto Carducci, Cecina (Gorette and Marina di Cecina), Piombino (Sterpaia Natural Park) and San Vincenzo .
The Ants of Grosseto
In the sea between Giglio and the coast of the Uccellina Park, an archipelago of rocks emerges, the Formiche di Grosseto. They are three uninhabited limestone islets, included in the Tuscan Archipelago: Formica Grande, Formica Piccola and Formica III. On Formica Grande, surrounded by dangerous shallows, there is an automatic lighthouse.
The Tuscan Archipelago National Park
An extraordinary mosaic of uncontaminated scenery unites the seven islands (and some smaller islets including the Formiche di Grosseto) protected in the Tuscan Archipelago National Park: Elba, Gorgona, Montecristo, Pianosa, Capraia, Giannutri and Giglio. A trip to this sea is a true odyssey in the Tuscan Maremma: there is no single connection that leads from island to island, but for each one you have to follow a different route. Like seven pearls in the Tyrrhenian Sea, each island is unrepeatable, will be a discovery in its own right and will hold unique surprises: monuments of art and history, natural beauty, breathtaking landscapes, all immersed in primitive and enchanted vegetation, typical of the Mediterranean scrub . Even in the meeting between the land and the sea, the seven islands maintain their own physiognomy and originality, each being of different geological origin: rocky or sandy, high or low, gray or black, yellow, red, the coasts (composed of spectacular cliffs and beautiful caves) characterize the character of each island. The sea that encloses them and unites them is part of the Sanctuary for Mediterranean Marine Mammals – Pelagos Sanctuary – an international marine protected area of 87,500 km2, established in 1999 thanks to an agreement between Italy, the Principality of Monaco and France, with which the three countries undertake to protect the marine mammals and their natural habitat.