A special beach: no road reaches it, not a single umbrella, there is no bar where you can stop for a coffee. To reach it you have to roll up your sleeves and sweat, walking along a splendid albeit demanding path that winds through pine forests, Mediterranean scrub and panoramas over the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Tuscan Archipelago.
The beach in question is Cala di Forno, perhaps the wildest and most unique beach in Tuscany. It lies in the heart of the Maremma Regional Park, between the Monti dell’Uccellina, the protagonist of one of the most evocative maritime treks in the region, if not in all of Italy.
Maremma Park, where it is located and how to get there
The Maremma Regional Park, also known as the Park of the Uccellina from the mountain range that characterizes it and that acts as a buttress to the sea, runs along the southern coast of Tuscany, in the province of Grosseto. It is one of the oldest and most important coastal parks in Italy, established in 1975 to protect a stretch of coastline that remained practically untouched, wild: dunes, pine forests, wetlands, Mediterranean scrub and an evocative promontory, the Monti dell’Uccellina, indeed.
The reference point for those wishing to visit the park is the Alberese Visitor Center, a small village not far from the sea. It is here that entrance tickets are purchased and you receive all up-to-date information on open trails, hours and access rules.
By car, the most convenient way to reach the Park is to reach Alberese via the Aurelia, State Road 1, and follow the signs to the park shortly after Grosseto: the road traverses the Maremma countryside, between the wide meadows where the Maremmana cattle graze and the woods that cover the gentle hills.
The Maremma Park also offers several routes for bicycles and mountain bikes.
Cala di Forno, the unique beach of the Maremma Park
It is a small golden crescent, Cala di Forno, opening at the edge of a wooded promontory. It is not reachable by car, it has no beach facilities, no refreshment points: it is, simply, a beach that has remained as it must have always been, protected by regulated access that preserves its integrity and reachable only on foot, via a dedicated itinerary.
The evidence of human passage is present, though. On the small bay, indeed, the building of the ancient customs house, dating from the 18th century, still overlooks it. Cala di Forno was first, in the Middle Ages, the port of the Abbey of San Rabano, whose ruins are still visitable via another itinerary in the Maremma Park, and then remained an important landing until the early 19th century, as it lay on the border between the Grand Duchy of Tuscany and the little-known State of the Presidi, a small governorate in the south of the present region. As such it was a controlled and taxed crossing point.
In earlier centuries, however, incursions by Saracen pirates had made the construction of watchtowers necessary, which still dot the coast, among which one of the best preserved sits just above Cala di Forno.
Today it is a place much less crowded, or at least intended mainly for the passage of non-human animals: in the area roam deer and foxes who stroll on the sand, but also a few wild boar.
The charm of Cala di Forno lies precisely in this contrast: on one side the difficulty of reaching a remote place, on the other the magic of a unique, wild place, now safeguarded for a long time only by nature. And to enhance its landscape value, a crystal-clear sea, among the most beautiful along the entire Tuscan coast.
Trekking to Cala di Forno, all the details of the hike
Those who decide to undertake the trek toward Cala di Forno must reckon with a demanding excursion, but one capable of rewarding every effort. To reach the destination, you must follow the A4 trail, which starts from the grand ducal pine forest in Marina di Alberese.
From the so-called Casetta Pinottolai the path enters the majestic and orderly row of maritime pine trees, then climbs among broom, rockrose, rosemary and junipers, until it reaches the ancient Torre di Collelungo and enters the accompanying olive grove, where centuries-old trees stand like timeless sentinels. From here the road rises to about 70 meters above sea level, offering panoramic views of the coastline to the north, where lies the long golden stretch of Collelungo Beach, and to the south, characterized by cliffs and rocks.
After about 8 kilometers of steady ascent, you reach the final descent toward Cala di Forno, passing through a juniper forest. The beach appears below, almost as a vision, with the crystal backwash lazily retreating and then returning to the shoreline. It is time to enjoy the result of your hard work, savoring this paradisiacal space, hoping for an encounter with the park’s wildlife.
Cala di Forno is a unique place, to be preserved and conserved as much as possible. It is therefore proper to minimize the impact of your presence, respecting the environment and any animals you may encounter.
When it’s time to turn back, you return to the starting point via the same route. The entire round-trip path measures 17 and a half kilometers. The positive elevation gain is modest, just 200 meters, but the length of the route and the prolonged exposure to the strong sun during summer make it a challenge not to be underestimated. The travel time should be assessed between 5 hours and 5 and a half hours, requiring proper planning of the hike. There are no sources of freshwater along the route, so you must depart with everything you need to feed and hydrate yourself adequately on the way.
Before departing, you must purchase the entry ticket at the Alberese Visitor Center. Access to the trail is regulated and, especially in the summer months, may be subject to closures due to fire risk or environmental conservation reasons: in some periods it is mandatory to participate in a guided hike with reservation.
