Cala Violina

Cala Violina, so called for the peculiar violin-like sound emitted from the trodden sand when there are no other sounds around, can be reached by following the road from Follonica to Castiglione della Pescaia and turning right at the sign for the car park. From here you, it’s a two-kilometre walk through the Maremma scrub to the beach. This area is known as Bandite di Scarlino, with another two small bays called Cala Civette and Cala Martina, equally beautiful and with a lot fewer visitors during the summer. Because this is the problem of being famous: everyone wants to see Cala Violina and so the car park quickly fills up, especially on weekends. But if you want to cycle, take the dirt road that runs along the coast from Puntone di Scarlino to reach the three bays. Don’t forget to take everything you need because there are no bars or other facilities there.