Parco Regionale della Maremma (Parco dell'Uccellina)
Just 20 kilometres south of Grosseto, the Parco Regionale della Maremma protects 9,000 hectares of untouched coastline, Aleppo pine forest, medieval watchtowers and the last truly wild stretch of Tyrrhenian beach in central Italy. It is the kind of place that makes you wonder why the rest of Tuscany gets all the attention.
The Trails and the Towers
The park's trail network fans out from the main visitor centre in Alberese. Trail A1 (about 12 km round trip) climbs through macchia scrubland to the Torre dell'Uccellina, a 13th-century Aldobrandeschi watchtower perched above the sea — the views from the top are extraordinary and the path is well-marked.
Trail A2 leads down to the Cala di Forno, a wild beach accessible only on foot or by boat, where the sand is coarse and golden and the water an improbable shade of turquoise. You will need a park entry ticket and, in summer, a timed reservation.
Wildlife and Landscape
The park shelters a free-roaming herd of Maremma cattle (the long-horned white breed tended by the legendary butteri cowboys), wild boar, fallow deer, porcupines and, along the river Ombrone estuary, flamingos in spring. Birdwatching is exceptional during the autumn migration.
The coastal dunes behind the beaches support rare endemic plants including sea daffodil (Pancratium maritimum) and sea holly, which bloom in July and August.
Planning Your Visit
The park entrance and ticket office are in Alberese, reachable by a dedicated shuttle bus from Grosseto train station (runs daily in summer). Entry costs around €10 per adult; beach access in peak season requires advance booking via the park website.
Go early — the gate opens at 07:00 in summer and the trails are coolest and most atmospheric in the first two hours of daylight, when deer are still grazing in the clearings.
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