The Regional Park of Maremma lies in 15 km distance from the Poggio Cavallo farm. The locals call it "Uccellina Park". This nature reserve combines coastal routes, nature and archaeology. The ancient Roman Aurelia road passed right here, continuing from the now gone bridge over the Ombrone up to ancient Salebrum, now Castiglione della Pescaia.

The Uccellina Park can be visited on foot, bicycle or on guided tours. It offers 7 routes that take you through different environments ranging from the Mediterranean shrubland, to the beach, the hilly pastures of the Maremmana cows, the cliffs and the Spanish towers. You can also drive to Marina di Alberese, but parking space is limited and available for a fee from March to November. (At the barrier, a camera scans the car’s license number. Before you leave, you need to type the license number into the automated pay station and pay according to how long you stayed, about 4 euros for a half day). Our advice is to use the bicycle, you will avoid scaring the animals and be able to observe them peacefully.

The visitors' centre in Alberese is the access point to the park and the organising centre. This is where you can buy admission tickets and catch the buses that will take you to the starting points of the different routes. In summer, the routes are only open to guided tours, so if you wish to explore the area alone we recommend going in spring. The guides speak German, English and French. Trails A3 and A4 are closed from 15th June to 15th September due to fire hazard.

The park trails

• A1 San Rabano - 7.8 Km
• A2 The Towers - 5.8 Km
• A3 The Caves - 9.7 Km
• A4 Cala di Forno - 12.8 Km
• A5 Forestry and A6, Wildlife - 5.2 Km
• A6 Educational wildlife - forestry trail (with facilities for disabled persons) - 1.3 Km
• A7 Bocca d'Ombrone - 5.6 Km

The A1 trail to San Rabano is the most interesting from a historical viewpoint: you will visit the Cassinese Benedictine monastery and abbey that took on a central role starting in 1138, when the curia moved from Roselle to Grosseto. The monastery owned one the most important watchtowers in the area and was fought over by Siena and Pisa for centuries. Later, it was repeatedly raided by Saracen pirates and bandits. After being placed in the hands of the Knights of Malta and later of the Medici rulers, it was abandoned in the sixteenth century.

The A4 trail to Cala di Forno is the longest, yet one of the most popular routes, because it is the least steep and its destination really is a gem: the bay of Cala di Forno, ancient access to San Rabano from the sea. There is an old farmhouse that is renowned as the venue where many films have been shot, including the popularly acclaimed Non ci resta che piangere featuring Benigni and Troisi and Al lupo al lupo by Carlo Verdone. Along the route you will come across one of the most beautiful woods of centuries-old olive trees in Maremma.

The access point to the A7 trail can also be reached on foot or by bicycle (there are rentals at the entrance to Alberese, the rate is 7 euros per day). The bike trail on the flat road from Alberese to the sea is one of the easiest and most beautiful routes. You are certain to encounter wildlife on your way, such as foxes, wild boars, deer, roe deer, porcupines, herons, egrets and the stocky Maremmana cows. When you get to the sea, you can proceed on the A7 trail towards the mouth of the Ombrone, through the Padule marsh and into the Pineta Granducale pine wood. A large embankment has just been completed to protect the marsh from salt water. The "Vinciane" sluices at the mouth of the canal were built in modern times based on a project by Leonardo da Vinci.

Here is the official map of the park, which you can save on your smartphone or print

Mappa ufficiale del Parco della Maremma2.81 MB

The photos of the Maremma Park are by Giuliano D'Angelo: http://www.conchiglieinmaremma.com