Beaches of Porto Ercole
To fully enjoy the coast of Porto Ercole, the ideal is to rent a raft or a small boat that will allow you to explore the many coves and choose the one you prefer. For those who decide to arrive by land here are the four best beaches:
Acqua Fresca: Mostly sandy with small pebbles, the bottom has some pebbles at the beginning to then become sandy with random rocks. To access the beach you need to follow the sign to Hotel Pellicano, then at the hotel entrance take a left on the footpath for about 100 meters (yards).
Spiaggia Lunga: It is a predominantly sandy beach with low cliffs. The access is located on the scenic road through a steep path 200 meters long. Not easily accessible.
Le Viste: It is the closest beach to the town of Porto Ercole. The access is located on the panoramic road. It consists of pebbles and sand. A part of beach is free and another is occupied by a resort (you can rent parasols). To reach the beach there is a comfortable path of about 100 meters.
La Feniglia: Feniglia is a 7 km long strip of sand that connects the mainland to the Argentario. The sand is fine and clear, there are some sea resorts, but most are free beaches. If you like walking you can find isolated and wild stretches even in full summer. The whole beach is flanked by a beautiful pine forest, the Feniglia Dune Nature Reserve which is a protected natural area. Feniglia is easily accessible. Once you leave the car in the parking lot you can go a few meters or walk or bike in the natural reserve to pick your favorite spot.
Porto Ercole is a quaint little Tuscany coast town, enlivened by a rich and ancient fishing tradition. It is located on the west coast of the Argentario peninsula. The town enjoys a great reputation for being one of the most charming sea resorts of Tuscany, surrounded by beaches and small beautiful coves. The old city remains virtually intact with its architectural and cultural characteristics. Probably founded by the Phoenicians and later inhabited by Etruscans and Romans, the latter gave the city its current name referring to the mythological hero Hercules.
Porto Ercole is located in a bay surrounded by impressive fortifications which construction began in the Fifteenth century under will of the Republic of Siena. Since 1557, when the Kingdom of Spain took control of the area, new defense structures were erected while the already existing ones were restored and strengthened. The charming old town is a maze of narrow streets and winding roads with steep staircases and vaulted arches flanked by small houses of different colors.
Enter the old Tuscany coast town through the Porta Pisana, a splendid large door built when Siena was in power, which is still the clock tower. In the tower is a memorial plaque in honor of the great painter Michelangelo Merisi, known as Caravaggio, who spent the last days of his life in Porto Ercole. The Church of St. Erasmus is located at the top of the old town and is a superb example of Spanish Baroque architecture.
The defense structures are mainly two, the Filippo II Fortress and Stella Fort, built by the Spanish in the Sixteenth century. The Filippo II Fortress represents the magnificence of the Spanish defensive ingenuity of the period, positioned at the top of a natural hill. The fort has a rectangular and elongated plan. The corners was reinforced with triangular bastions and watchtowers slits on top, while on the thick outer walls stood several levels of defense where the riflemen stood. A drawbridge was added to make the castle harder to take. The basements hide a high security prison with hallways, cells and dungeons in a cold and dark environment. Currently, Fort Filippo II is one of the main sites of Porto Ercole for holding cultural events and art exhibitions. On the other hand, Forte Stella has a six-pointed star plan and a huge square of arms with the same characteristics. The fortress dominates a large area at the rear of the port.
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