Rocchette

Castiglione della Pescaia, Maremma

Rocchette is a village and summer beach holiday destination situated along the Maremma Grossetana coastline, close to Castiglione della Pescaia (within which locality it resides).

Except for a few outlying private houses and "agriturismi", the village itself is spread along a 3.4km long pine tree lined road (SP62) directly off the SP158 between Follonica and Castiglione della Pescaia.

The road runs parallel to the beaches of, firstly, Roccamare, and then Le Rocchette (beach page) which merge into each other. This link will take you to a satellite image map of the two.

The road ends in a dead end where there is a (free) public car park, home to a large number of feral cats, and the second (rather ugly) public footpath access from the village to both beaches. This access is not signposted but starts from the furthermost coastal corner of the car park, behind the end of village sign. It is only a few metres in length and brings you out between the buildings of a bar onto the very end of Le Rocchette and its promontory.

Access to the beaches

The first access to the beaches is about half way along the village, opposite the "Giornali Tabacchi" and on the eastern side of Hotel Residence Roccamare. Look for the spray painted red arrow. It is a tortuous route around and between the fenced holiday accommodations.

Access otherwise is not possible anywhere else along the road, unless you are a visitor/guest of one of the establishments that occupy the coastal side of this strip. Each establishment has gates and fencing which but up one against the other.

Sunset at the beach by kind permission of Carlo Micheloni

The only other exit from the village is a road mid-way down its length - via San Martino, on the corner of which is a distinctively coloured hotel. This takes you to the village of Pian di Rocca, a great spot for eating out at a Sagra during the summer months.

No reflection intended upon the hotel in question, but when we were at this point in the road on our visit, the youngster in our party asked me what colour the hotel was painted, to which I replied "a kind of pinky peach colour". Without a pause she responded, "I don't like pinky peach anymore!". Until then her favourite colour had been pink! Anyway, you won't miss it when you see it!

In the winter months this is a solitary village with very few people at home.

Holiday Accommodation

The following establishments have their entrances along the road, from which it would appear that the village caters for all types of holiday accommodation and eating out needs:

• Tennis Club Roccamare Restaurant & Lounge
• Il Casale
• Al Buttero Rosticceria
• Ristorante La Griglia
• Hotel Residence Roccamare
• Park Hotel Zibellino
• Camping Santo Pomata
• Rocchette Camping Village
• Bar Spaghetteria Pizzeria Miraggio
• Camping Village Baia Azzurra Club
• Campeggio Stella del Mare

Along the northern side of the road, there are also a number of substantial private houses and apartments, some of which are for rent. Look for the "Affittasi" signs attached to the the gates to the driveways.

Farm holiday, "agriturismo", accommodation possibilities are signposted at the junction with via San Martino. This agriturismo Castiglione della Pescaia link will take you to the details of those and others in the Castiglione della Pescaia locality.

As will these links for the hotels and residential hotels residence Rocchette and residence Roccamare.

Shopping

There are no shops or post office etc in the village, other than those included within the camping site/village complexes. The nearest town for supermarket and other shopping is Castiglione della Pescaia.

Alternatively, for fruit, vegetables, olive oil, and wine etc direct from the farmers, there is the nearby agricultural village of Pian d'Alma. Also a good stop for eating out - Pian d'Alma restaurants.

The Il Baracchino bar at Pian d'Alma is not only a great stop for a cold lunch, but also sells their own fruit and vegetables, olive oil, wine, marmalades, local honey and other "prodotti tipici della Maremma", typical Maremman products.

Forte delle Rocchette

At the top of the promontory of Le Rocchette beach sits the Forte delle Rocchette.

Photo courtesy of Opaxir

Originally built as a look-out tower during the course of the twelfth century, it was further fortified in the second half of the sixteenth century as part of Cosimo I de'Medici's reinforcement of the defense system along this part of the Granducato di Toscana coast.

Progressively disused between the end of the seventeenth century and the beginning of the eighteenth, a series of restorations in the following centuries enlarged the complex and transformed it into a private residence. Which it remains today.