La Feniglia (Zoom in)

La Feniglia is an enormous sand dune 6-8 km long and 1½ km wide that connects Monte Argentario to the mainland at Ansedonia in the south of the peninsula. The beach is the most famous in the area, not only because of its fine sand but also as it is highly suitable for all the family: the beach shelves gently, making the sea warm and ideal for small children. Another major feature of La Feniglia are the Mediterranean pine trees that run down the centre of the dune providing welcome shade during the heat of the day. There is a road that runs down the middle of the dune, where cars are not allowed. This makes it and ideal place for bicycling – in fact bicycles can be rented at the beginning of the beach. La Feniglia can found about 1 km outside Porto Ercole.

Monte Argentario, apart from having a wonderful turquoise sea, is blessed with many excellent beaches making it an excellent choice of holiday destination for having fun and relaxing. The beaches vary a great deal in terms of size, shape and type and so there really is something for everybody.

In the north and in the south of the peninsula, two enormous sand dunes connect Monte Argentario to the mainland. In the north the Tombolo della Giannella is the more crowded of the two with a series of bathing establishments (or ‘bagni’) dashed along the beach. The sand is fine and the water shallow and warm making it ideal for children. Along the Giannella, you can find the whole gamut of water sports including wind surfing, sea kayaking and kite surfing. In the south, the Tombolo della Feniglia is considered to be the more chic and beautiful beach – possibly because of the Mediterranean pines in the centre and the Natural Reserve at the far end of the beach as one nears Ansedonia and partly because of its close proximity to the fashionable Porto Ercole.

On the wild and unspoilt west coast of Monte Argentario, the beaches are much smaller and harder to get to, making them relatively uncrowded even in the high season of July and August – indeed some of these beaches can only be accessed by boat! They are also quite diverse ranging from the beautiful sandy crescent of L’Acqua Dolce, to the very pretty part sand and part stone beach at Le Cannelle, with its romantic lookout tower and nearby Isola Rossa. Finally there are bays where there is virtually no beach at all and you dive directly from flat rocks into the sea – Cala Piccola is an example of this type of beach.