General Informations

The territory

The city of Orbetello is located in the middle of the  Ortobello lagoon and is linked to Monte Argentario, a popular tourist resort, through a road built on an artificial embankment (locally called dam) that has divided the lagoon into two bodies of water, Laguna di Levante and the Laguna di Ponente. The territory is extremely diverse: the lagoon wetland is bordered to the sea by two strips of sand called tomboli (Feniglia and Giannella Tombolo) characterized by long sandy beaches, pine forests and Mediterranean scrub. The coast, near the beautiful reliefs of Talamone and Ansedonia, becomes rocky and difficult to access, leaving gaping, for the incredible habitat, those who venture in search for small beaches. Monte Argentario is a promontory that juts into the Tyrrhenian Sea at the two southernmost islands of the Tuscan archipelago, the island of Giglio and Giannutri. The coast, very jagged, offers coves and bays, predominantly rocky of considerable beauty from a naturalistic point of view and is inserted in the Sanctuary of Cetaceans established in 1991 as a protected natural marine area of ​​international interest. In this context are the two countries, both seafaring vocation, which form the town of Monte Argentario; facing north-west there is Porto Santo Stefano, where there is the town hall, while Porto Ercole, smaller, is facing southeast. The hinterland of the Orbetello area is characterized by small hills where vegetation grows wild, embracing the region of Maremma where even today evoke traditions and customs of the past in observance of traditions. The whole area gathers a prestigious food and wine culture, with seafood and products from the land by providing the best of the territory; from the lagoon fish processing (with the extraordinary mullet) to that of the sea, from the production of cheese and cold cuts, the highest quality oil and wine, processing of wild boar meat with the realization of typical and traditional dishes.

To visit

The territory of Orbetello, and surrounding areas in general, offer many opportunities both in terms of tourism and historically. In particular, the Rocca of Talamone is an imposing fortress overlooking the homonymous coastal village at the southernmost promontory of Uccellina, from which you can enjoy a breathtaking environmental landscape with the sea breaking on the cliff below; Also the Spanish fortress of Porto Ercole, which overlooks the small harbor, mastered impressive evoking the domination of the past in a picturesque beauty. For those who love adventure, however, the organized mini cruises to the islands of Giglio and Giannutri, with excursions from Porto Santo Stefano, make you fall in love with the beauty of the sea in protected environmental contexts where the predominant colors are those of nature.

The lagoon of Orbetello

Located in the province of Grosseto in the strip of Land in the south of the Tuscan region, with its stretches of water of West and East, the Orbetello lagoon is a unique environment throughout Europe for its environmental features; with about 27 square kilometers of water area, and links with the sea, determines an ecosystem where you can admire many kinds of animals such as flamingos and the knight of Italy (object of birdwatching) but also fish species that in this context found the ideal conditions to live and reproduce. In particular the bass, has a highly diffuse population with individuals of all sizes and authentic record fish that exceed the 6 kg weight. The average depth of about one meter and a half / two highlights a backdrop at times sandy and muddy, also particularly rich in vegetation, where there are some depressions that trace excavated channels to improve the circulation of water in accordance with current influenced by tides. The lagoons are connected by passages found along the embankment with the state road which connects Orbetello to Monte Argentario. Both lagoons offer, at sunrise and sunset, a superb setting with amazing colors that have as background the characteristic Spanish mill stone, which seems to float in the waters of the west lagoon, to represent one of the symbols of this territory.

How to get

From the regions of Lazio and Tuscany, the city of Orbetello is easily accessible by road along the Aurelia.

• For those coming from Grosseto, take the SS1 Aurelia for about 40 km and take the exit Orbetello.
• Coming from the south, Rome and Civitavecchia, take the SS1 Aurelia and exit at Orbetello.

GPS coordinates for the city of Orbetello:

42° 26′ 13.59″ N

11° 12′ 34,50

Routes

Road

• The main access road to reach the town of Orbetello, both for those coming from the North or the South, is the Aurelia (SS1) easily accessible from the motorway A1 ( Milan-Naples), A11 (Florence-Pisa), and A12 (Genova-Rosignano / Civitavecchia-Rome).

Reilway

• Orbetello has a small railway station which has daily connections to the north with Pisa Central Station, where you can exchange for Florence or Genoa, and southward with Rome Termini where you have connections throughout Italy also through the high speed.

Plane

• The nearest airports are Rome Fiumicino and Rome Ciampino located further south than Orbetello, and Pisa airport which is located in the north; from every platform there are practical means of transport to reach the location of Orbetello.