Southern Tuscany - Local Facilities and things to do near Podere dei Venti
Golf
The nearest Golf Club is Maremmello Golf, 5km from Podere dei Venti. Set in rolling Tuscan hills it is a challenging 9 hole, Par 36 course. With 3,000 metres of well maintained fairways and watered greens, the longest hole on the course is 539 metres. There is also a driving range. Green fee is €30 per day (2007). Equipment hire available and some English spoken.
The 1st Tee at Maremmello Golf
Wind Surfing and Kite Surfing
Fifteen minutes away by car is the Bay of Argentario and its beaches. Stretching from Talamone in the north to Monte Argentario in the south, this enormous fairly shallow bay is backed by sandy beaches and sand dunes. The area experiences steady breezes which have attracted several Kite Surfing and Wind Surfing schools, offering lessons and equipment hire. Typically for Kite Surfing costing about €300 for 2 days tuition and all equipment hire. Here are some links:
Scuola Vela Albinia tel +39 347 1750796 email: venturinipaola67@yahoo.it
Kite surfers at Fonteblanda with Talamone in the background
Beaches
Fifteen minutes away by car, the Bay of Argentario stretches for about 25 kilometres from Talamone in the north to Porto Santo Stefano in the south and has many lovely beaches of soft sand backed by sand dunes and pine forests.
Beach at Marina di Alberese, 15 minutes drive from Podere dei Venti
Beaches range from the un-spoilt, such as this one above, to the more sophisticated locations around Albinia such as Ai Delfini below and on the Giannella with cafes and restaurants and beach umbrellas and sun-loungers for hire.
The beach at Ai Delfini
Waterparks
If you can’t resist going to one of these, the nearest is at Follonica, about an hour’s drive from Podere dei Venti. Look at www.acquavillage.it
Diving and Sub-Aqua
Porto Santo Stefano and Porto Ercole are popular centres for diving due to the proximity offshore of the Parco Nazionale dell’ Arcipelago Toscano, which encompasses and protects all the offshore islands, including the nearest, Giglio. Links to Diving providers –
www.submaniaargentario.it Porto Santo Stefano
www.argentario-divers.it Porto Ercole
www.pelagosdc.com Porto Ercole
www.centroimmersioni.com Porto Santo Stefano
www.divingilnostromo.com Porto Santo Stefano
Walking and Hiking
The Maremma Regional Park, covering almost 10,000 hectares, is the big attraction for walkers and for bird-watchers. Entrance is by ticket only in high season at the Visitors Centre in Alberese, which is a 15 minute drive from Podere dei Venti. Ticket numbers are limited and the Park is quite undeveloped and unspoilt. There are 10 different walking itineraries laid out, of varying difficulty.
Bird Watching
The Maremma is a “stop-over” point for migrating birds so there are interesting opportunities for bird-watchers to see unusual species, both in the Maremma Regional Park where there is a guided bird-watchers walk and in the surrounding countryside, including flamingos in the lagoon at Orbetello.
Around Podere dei Venti we and our guests have seen golden orioles, european bee-eaters, buzzards, hoopoes, crested lark, egrets, hooded crows, swallows, barn owl, goldfinches to name just a few.
The WWF has two sites in the area that are possible to visit with some prior organisation. Contacts are:
Centro Visite WWF, Laguna di Orbetello, Casale Giannella tel. +39 0564 820297 email wwf.giannella@nevib.it
Centro Visite WWF Lago di Burano, Capalbio tel. +39 0564 898829
Bicycling
Bicycle hire is available at the Maremma Regional Park Visitors Centre for cycling in the Park and also from commercial renters in Orbetello, Porto Santo Stefano and Grosseto
Cruise to offshore islands
There are passenger and car ferry services from Porto Santo Stefano to the offshore Tuscany islands of Giglio and Elba. Giglio in particular is only a short voyage and is reputed to be quite wild and beautiful.
There are also several operators of small cruise boats offering short cruises around the archipelago in the summer season. For example www.veganavi.it but there are several others
Sailing and Boats
Boat rentals are widely available in Talamone, Porto Ercole and Porto Santo Stefano. Sailing lessons are available on the Giannella beach – Paola Venturini +39 347 1750796. Every June Porto Santo Stefano plays host to the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge, hosting vintage yachts from around the world. Link www.aive-yachts.org
Vintage yachts in Porto Santo Stefano for the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge - June 2007