The Duna Feniglia nature reserve

A visit to the Duna Feniglia Nature Reserve is the ideal break for the usual bathing day.

A nice walk or bike ride in the countryside. You will have 6 kilometers of dirt road in the shade of the pine forest. Bring only the necessary: a backpack with a snack and a bottle of water can be more than enough. Here you will only need curiosity and a great respect for the nature that surrounds you.

It is open all year round and no ticket is required.

A family day

For a pleasant day with the family I recommend entering the Ansedonia Reserve.

In the clearing near the Barracks of the Forest it is easy to meet the deer that inhabit the Dune. Bring a bag of dry bread or biscuits from home, your children will have the unique opportunity to see them approach and eat from their hands.

Entering silently into the pine forest on the lagoon side, with much luck you will be able to see some of the animals that populate the reserve such as wild boars, foxes, badgers and looking at the treetops, the nests of white and gray herons

Walking along the Duna Feniglia nature reserve, children can play in the woods, pick pine nuts or hunt for cicadas that sing all day without rest in the pine forest. If you prefer to go for a bike ride, you will find a well-stocked bike rental near the car park.

If you can't really finish the day without having seen the sea, every kilometer you will find a path that takes you to the beach: crystal clear sea, fine sand and shallow water perfect for the little ones and for those who can't swim.

If you have a family dog, this is not the ideal place to let it roam freely, but you are still allowed to take it on a leash.

A real live science lesson for the whole family.

With the partner

"Give up" friends for a day is dedicated to you!
A romantic walk in the shade of pine trees where you can chat in privacy, away from indiscreet ears.

If you decide for a bike ride at the rental you might be lucky enough to rent a tandem. The verification of your couple stability could start right here: is it a risk you want to take?
If in doubt, better two separate bikes!

Are you looking for privacy? At km 3 or 4 you will have the opportunity to reach the most isolated stretch of beach. With the big branches carried by the tides you can build a temporary shelter, hidden from prying eyes. Remember to take it apart before leaving. It is forbidden to build beach huts but, if you do it discreetly, everyone turns a blind eye!

For the incurable sportsmen

The entrance to the natural reserve Duna Feniglia which is more suited to sportsmen even on vacation is the one from Porto Ercole.

6 kilometers of travel are not enough for you (6 on the way and 6 on the way back!)?
In the first stretch of the dirt road, you will find an equipped fitness trail. Sweaty and motivated it will be easy for you to reach one of the accesses to the sea to finish the training with a refreshing swim.

The "Nature" path for the blind (and not only)

It winds for 700 meters from the entrance of the Argentario.

It has been designed to allow direct contact with the surrounding environment: fifteen stations joined by a wooden handrail, with Braille tables, in which it is possible to discover the different aspects of the Duna Feniglia nature reserve and tactile bulletin boards to know their characteristics, regardless from the view.

The various aspects of the dune have been recreated: the casts of the imprints of the different inhabitants of the pine forest, the shape of the plants, the different consistency of the arboreal barks, the profiles of the leaves. A "special" position is dedicated to the indelible traces of man: bottles, cans, litter, while the last one, the "technical" one, allows you to detach from the handrail and walk the last 3 meters using the plank flooring.

A unique journey for all visitors, not just for the blind.
Close your eyes and try to recognize a green essence only by touching or smelling it. Listen to the sounds of the pine forest.
A world made of hearing, touch and smell. An experience you will not forget.

How to get

There are two entrances to the Duna Feniglia Nature Reserve:

  • The first can be found on the Aurelia road: at the first exit of Ansedonia if you come from Orbetello or the second if you come from Capalbio.
  • The other entrance is accessible from the Argentario. Leaving the Orbetello Dam, take the road to Porto Ercole and take the first left. The entrance is well signposted.

The entrance to the Argentario reserve can also be reached from the cycle path that starts from the Orbetello Scalo station and continues up to the Feniglia, along the entire western lagoon: a route in close contact with the water birds that live here undisturbed all year round .

Access to the Feniglia beach is also allowed without entering the Reserve from both ends.

A bit of history

The Municipality of Orbetello, which in 1804 was the owner of the lands of the Feniglia, sold them to private individuals who started their intensive and disproportionate use as a place for grazing and a source of wood. This excessive exploitation of the territory led to deforestation: the disappearance of the vegetation left the dune uncovered, creating serious health problems, as the sands carried by the winds ended up in the lagoon drying it up and creating vast swampy areas where the anophelous mosquito carrying malaria flourished.

In 1910, through expropriation actions, the management of Feniglia was entrusted to the State Forestry Corps. Over a period of 50 years, about 460 hectares have been reforested, most of them with pine-tree pine.

In 1971 La Duna Feniglia was declared a Forest Protection Reserve, precisely because of its important function in defense of the lagoon.

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Post Author: Marilena

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