Capezzolo Beach
Castiglione della Pescaia

Maremma Tuscany Beaches

Capezzolo beach is a lovely long sandy "spiaggia" just outside of the centre of Castiglione della Pescaia, next to the promontory "Punta Capezzolo" from which the beach takes its name. It is only a ten minute walk or a five minute bike ride along the cycle route from the centre of town and makes for a nice change from the often busier central and southern beaches.

 

If you want to, you can beach walk for miles from here all the way to the much larger promontory with its own fortress at Le Rocchette. You can see the latter in the distance in the photograph below.

The photographs and video in this page were taken on a sunny September afternoon with temperatures still in their high twenties, but I was facing the sun when I took this image and so it looks more like early evening.

Whereas, this one I took facing the promontory with the sun behind me, and is a better representation of the sunny day conditions.

Capezzolo "spiaggia" in September

Capezzolo is a mixed public and "stabilimenti" (beach facility concessions) beach, so you can choose whether or not to hire a sun lounger for the day or bring your own parasol and supplies.

If you visit, you'll be walking on the sands of a beach with a name in Italian that means nipple or teat! That should amuse the kids for a minute or two!

 

A couple of things to be aware of if you have young children

The beach drops off deeply just a couple of feet from the shore (see photo below), but then the sand bed rises again shortly afterwards forming a more shallow area before dropping off once again to where the surfers hang out.

And, close to the "punta" (promontory) there are large rocks in the sands where the waves break.

 

Surf's Up!

The beach is a favourite spot amongst surfers along this stretch of Castiglione della Pescaia shoreline when the sea conditions are "mare mosso" (rough sea).

 

Getting there and parking

Getting to Capezzolo beach is easy as it is situated just a few metres from the main road in and out of Castiglione della Pescaia. But then so is missing the entrance to the public car park!

If you are heading into Castiglione della Pescaia from Follonica along the (SS 322), then the entrance to the beach car park is a slip road immediately past the residential hotel of Riva del Sole and adjacent to the restaurant "Ristorante Le Dune" sign. If you miss it, you will immediately realise that you have as you will be driving alongside the short car park entrance road and catch a glimpse of the beach.

The car park is a public one and free. But if it is packed - when I visited in late September on a Sunday afternoon it wasn't, but, be forewarned, in July and August it is - and you are thinking of renting a sun lounger or eating in one of the beach establishments anyway, then the entrance to the private car park of a nicely presented stabilimento (photo below) is inside the public car park and free to clientele.

The beach is also readily reached by bike or on foot from the town: so if you fancy a change from Castiglione della Pescaia's town beach, then you can be there in ten minutes.

The Map

View in a larger map

 

The video

 

Refreshments

There are a number of beach facilities - "bagni" - to choose from along the beach. The one that is closest to the promontory outcrop and car park takes its name from the beach and is also a popular restaurant and bar. The restaurant is only open at lunch time and it is best to book in advance. It has a large shady veranda overlooking the beach and sea, which makes for a lovely place for an early evening aperitivo or a great place from which to sit and read or write... I've added it to my list of "office spaces" in Maremma from which to write this guide! :)

 

Accommodation

The closest accommodation is the well rated four star residential hotel and spa complex of Riva del Sole Resort & Spa with its own private beach area.

 

More Castiglione della Pescaia beaches

If you keep walking northwards along the beach away from the town, you'll be on the sands of Castiglione della Pescaia's beaches of Riva del Sole, then Roccamare and finally before the promontory with its fortress atop, Le Rocchette beach.

Head back towards town - but you will have to do so by road/footpath first as the promontory is fenced off due to danger from falling rocks - and you will be on Castiglione della Pescaia's North Beach and then the towns central beach with many more "stabilimenti".

Castiglione della Pescaia: the town's central Ponente beach