Discover Maremma

a land that ignites passions and Italy's best kept secret

Discover Maremma in Tuscany and Lazio: a land that will ignite a passion in your heart like no other.

This Maremma Guide is an insider travel guide to a breathtakingly beautiful land - Italy's best kept secret - and its special places and is written by a person who lives there. It is especially for the independent traveller who not only likes to explore and discover new places away from the crowds, but who also likes to just sit sometimes and watch the world.

Photo by Dario Morelli

A warning! It is not difficult to fall in love with Maremma: this very special place has a way of capturing your heart before you know it and leave you dreaming of returning again and again... until one day you just stay forever.

For some it is the natural beauty of the undiscovered wildernesses and national parks that touch and find a deep resonance in their souls. This is the wildest part of Tuscany.

For others it is the spectacular 250km Mediterranean coastline with prestine blue flag beaches stretching for as long as the eye can see. Secluded white sand coves that look as though they are the set of a James Bond film.

And the crystal clear blue, turquoise, and green waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea with it's fishing villages, ports, marinas and islands.

Or the medieval hill top villages and towns, unspoilt and steeped in history. Where the tranquility is profound and it is so very easy to imagine life centuries ago.

The wonderful home-cooked traditional food, with wild boar or hare from the densely wooded hills, fresh fish from the sea .... And the renowned DOC and Super Tuscan wines.

But it is more than that. It is the life that it offers that leaves you wanting nothing else. Those who were born and live here hold a deep resonating passion for this land, no more eloquently expressed than the fact that they have never desired to travel far away. Neighbouring cities of Pisa, Firenze, Siena and Roma, even though only a short drive away, remain unvisited. And when you talk to locals who have visited them, you quickly learn that it was by necessity for a hospital appointment and no more!

If you are planning a visit to Italy and to Tuscany or Lazio, I hope that this web site will entice you to consider a detour off the well beaten tourist routes to experience La Maremma for yourself. I have packed it with tips and suggestions from my own experiences to help you plan an unforgetful vacation. Read about:

• Maremma's cities, villages and towns, with their rich Etruscan, Roman and medieval histories;
  
  
• The Etruscan Coast - Costa degli Etruschi - with the stunning Golfo di Baratti and Populonia, the only Etruscan city built by the sea;
  
  
• The Metalliferous Hills and the Golfo di Follonica, with the spectacular medieval Massa Marittima at its heart and the most beautiful beach in Italy;
  
  
• The Inland Hills and Tufa Hill Towns including "Little Jerusalem";
  
  
• Grossetto, Castiglione della Pescaia, Punta Ala and the Tuscan archipelago;
  
  
• The Silver Coast - Costa d'Argento - with the Argentario peninsula and the very special natural environment of the Alberese marina;
  
  
• Maremma in Lazio with black sand beaches and the Etruscan necropolises at Tarquinia - a UNESCO World Heritage Site - with over 6,000 tombs.
  

The vast array of medieval fairs and festivals and le sagre throughout the year, the summer concerts and shows.

Places to stay, whether your accommodation preference is bed and breakfast, camping, hotels, apartments, villas, farmhouses or an agriturismo.

Favourite places to eat and drink - restaurants, osterias, trattorias, pizzerias .... and great lunch and supper stops along the road. Where to taste and buy the local produce for your picnics or self-catering. Where to find the best coffee, "dolce" (cakes) and home made ice cream.

The myriad of things to do and see, from sailing & surfing, to fishing and scuba diving, trekking and cycling, horseback riding and the Maremman Cowboys, wine-tasting and cooking classes, medieval castles and towers, museums and mines...

La dolce vita in Maremma is simple and unpretentious; but life is rich. People smile a lot in Maremma. May you too start a love affair with this special tranquil part of Tuscany and, who knows, one day decide to stay.