Torre Mozza Beach

Golfo di Follonica, Maremma

Torre Mozza beach is situated along the beautiful Etruscan coast in Maremma Livornese, within the Golf of Follonica and the lovely nature park of the Parco Costiero della Sterpaia.

It is a public beach, with a beautiful long wide stretch of fine sand and takes its name from its medieval tower.

An early January afternoon photo of the tower and beach

It has been awarded the "Bandiera Blu" - a Blue Flag for water quality and cleanliness - since 2008.

A short stretch of the beach immediately north of the "torre" (tower) is a private "bagno" beach facility with a bar during the summer months (take a look at the satellite map - link below for an aerial image taken during the high summer season).

View of Torre Mozza beach with the town of Follonica in the far distance

Rather ridiculously, the holders of this Torre Mozza "bagno" beach concession insist on marking out their area of beach and sun beds etc to within inches of the waters edge, so that if you want to access the public beach to the north from here - the tower pathway is the main entrance and closest to the car park - you will need to dodge the incoming waves in order to do so without getting wet.

Now I know that that sounds a little picky on my part, but a requirement of all "bagni" is that they are meant to leave a metre or so of beach free at the sea end for people to walk along. So if you are planning a late afternoon stroll not in flip-flops or have your little ones with you on a not so hot day for some beach combing explorations and want to keep their shoes dry, either walk between the last row of sun beds and incur the stares of the owners! (you can tell I have!!), or access the beach further down from the pathways through the "pineta" sand dune woods.

The dunes of this Tuscany beach in spring are covered in a pink carpet of beautiful blooms

The whole of the thinner stretch of sand to the south of the tower is occupied by other "bagni" during the summer, directly behind the parasols of which old property walls and private entrances through the "pineta" have crumbled and are variously and precariously secured or blocked with wire and old pieces of fence etc. Not the prettiest of sights, nor the best looking beach facilities in this part of the Gulf I have to say.

The video

Getting there

The beach is a short distance from either Pratoranieri, Follonica or Riotorto. Take the junction off the SS1 Aurelia for Follonica nord - north Follonica - from where it is well signposted.

The map

The satellite image map - including cars and sun parasols!

The blue icons mark:

• the pay and display car park
• the pay and display camper van parking area

The red icons mark

• the medieval tower on the beach that is now a new hotel in Maremma.
• the beach itself.

View Larger Map

Car and camper van parking

The car park directly behind the beach is a pay and display one with fees will applying from 0800 to 2000 hours. The displayed tariffs for 'normal' times are:

1 hour - €1,10
5 hours - €4,00
12 hours - €7,50

Reduced rates apply for off season etc days but I have to admit it is not that straightforward from the information listed which are which. Note, this isn't just a lost in translation thing: even my Italian family members don't understand from the information on which days they need to pay and on which they don't! I visit this beach often out of high season and have yet to see anyone purchasing a parking ticket.

NOTE The machines are coins only.

There is also a separate camper van parking area, which is already pay & display. But be aware that there are signs everywhere advising that it is not permissible to open out any awnings, put out table and chairs, or light fires. The size of each camper parking bay make it impossible in any event to spread your wings with a picnic table etc without encroaching upon the adjoining parking lots. But in typical Italian style, most people just divide a bay between them!

View of Torre Mozza beach immediately south of the tower

The next door Maremma beaches

Mortelliccio beach

Carbonifera

Spiaggia Il Pino

Perelli