In short: what to do and what to book
You can't see the Maremma in a day from Florence. Saturnia alone is about three hours' drive there and the same back. If you only have one day, choose one thing: the hot springs, or the park and the sea. If you have two or three nights, stay between Manciano, Saturnia and Pitigliano for the inland area, or towards Orbetello for the coast.
What really needs booking:
- Terme di Saturnia: booking online is a good idea at weekends and in summer. The Cascate del Mulino, on the other hand, can't be booked: they are free.
- Cala Violina: from June to September, booking is compulsory.
- Tarot Garden: only an online ticket guarantees entry.
- Parco della Maremma: in summer you book the guided walk.
Saturnia hot springs: the Cascate del Mulino and the thermal park
Saturnia's water rises at a single point, the spring, and from there flows down the Gorello stream to the old mill. That is why Saturnia offers two quite different experiences.
The Cascate del Mulino, free
These are the travertine pools you see in every photo: free, open day and night all year round, with no ticket or booking. The Comune di Manciano gives a temperature of about 37 °C. By then the water has already travelled a couple of kilometres from the spring, where it is 37.5 °C.
- Parking: near the falls there is a large free, unattended car park. In season the Comune adds a pay-by-the-hour parking area, staffed during the day. Campervans have a paid, serviced area about 800 metres away.
- Facilities: there are no public changing rooms. The private bar next to the pools charges for showers and toilets.
- What to bring: water shoes, because the travertine is slippery and sharp. No silver jewellery, because the sulphur tarnishes it. Bring a large towel, and a torch if you come in the evening: there is no lighting at night.
- When to go: at dawn, on weekdays or in winter. On summer weekends it is a crush.
The warnings you hear everywhere make sense: keep your head out of the water and limit each soak to around twenty minutes. And your swimsuit will keep the smell of sulphur for a couple of washes.
The Terme di Saturnia, paid entry
The private complex is built over the spring. As well as the five-star hotel and the medical spa, it has two areas with day entry.
- Parco Termale (thermal park): five outdoor pools over about 20,000 m², with hydromassage, circulation walkways and a sauna. It is suitable for families: there are two pools 70 cm deep for young children.
- Club: the adults' area. It gives access to the natural spring pool at 37.5 °C, the indoor relaxation rooms of the Casale and the Finnish sauna, with sunbed and parasol included.
| Entry | Starting price |
|---|---|
| Parco Termale, full day | from €30 |
| Parco Termale, from 14:00 | from €26 |
| Parco "All For You" (sunbed, bathrobe, towel, slippers) | from €45 |
| Club, full day (kit included) | from €90 |
| Club, half day | from €65 |
| Club by night, Fridays 20:30–23:30 | from €50 |
These prices are the ones on the Day Spa booking site. The old price page on the Terme's main website still shows outdated rates: don't rely on it. The Park opens at 09:30 and closes at 19:00 from April to October, and at 17:00 from November to March. The Club is open from 09:30 to 19:00. Parking is free.
With children, a few rules apply. Children under 1.50 m tall may not go under the waterfall or into some of the pools. The 2-metre pool is reserved for over-14s who can swim. In the Club, under-14s may only enter the spring pool if accompanied and able to swim. To phone the Parco Termale, the number is +39 0564 600600, also on WhatsApp. Our full appraisal is on the page about the Terme di Saturnia.
How to get to Saturnia
By car is the realistic option. From Florence it's about 3 hours: the A1 to Firenze Certosa, then the Siena–Grosseto road. From Rome it's about 2 hours 30, along the A12 and the Aurelia via Civitavecchia.
Without a car it can be done, but it takes patience. The train takes you to Grosseto or Orbetello. From there, take an Autolinee Toscane bus to Manciano and Saturnia, or a taxi or transfer. Services are few and concentrated on weekdays, and several guides report that there are no buses on Sundays. Timetables change, so check them on the company's website before you set off. The Saturnia stop is 2–3 km from the Cascate, along a road with no pavement: count on a taxi for that stretch.
With an organised trip you're spared the driving. GetYourGuide sells a day trip from Florence to the springs and a coach tour that combines the Cascate with Pitigliano, led by an environmental guide. They are expensive (from €250 for the day from Florence), but over a distance like this the price is understandable. They also sell entry to the Parco Termale at the same price as the official website: the white kit is still not included. Partner prices change and we check them regularly.
Saturnia: Terme di Saturnia Hot Spring Pools Park Day Ticket
(99 reviews) from €30
Book on GetYourGuide
Saturnia Waterfalls and Pitigliano by Bus with an Environmental Guide
(4 reviews) from €280
Book on GetYourGuideTo compare Saturnia with Tuscany's other springs, free and paid, see the page on thermal baths in Tuscany.
The Parco della Maremma
Between Alberese and Talamone, the regional park protects pine woods, hills of Mediterranean scrub, coastal towers and the long, free beach at Collelungo, which has no facilities. You enter from the visitor centre at Alberese, where you buy your tickets (also available online).
- Trails A1–A4, A9, A11, C1, C2: €10 full price, €5 reduced (ages 6 to 14, students up to 25).
- Trails A5–A8, T1 and Pinastrellaia: €5 or €2.
- Trail A10: free.
- Dogs are banned, even on a lead.
In summer everything changes. From 15 June until about mid-September, the period of fire risk, the trails can only be walked with the park's guides, except for A5 to A8. The walks cost €15, reduced €10, must be booked and leave from the visitor centre at around 08:30. Many are not suitable for children under 12. There are long walks with a stop by the sea, such as Cala di Forno or the towers of Collelungo and Castel Marino, and an afternoon walk to the abbey of San Rabano. Spring and autumn are the best seasons: it is cooler and you have the trails to yourself.
Marina di Alberese. At the moment the road to Marina di Alberese is closed because of a problem with the bridge over the Perazzeta canal: the closure applies to cars, bikes and pedestrians, until further notice. Cyclists are diverted along the embankment towards the bridge over the Ombrone, and trails A1 to A4 start from Pratini. Before you go, check on the park's website whether the road has reopened. When it is open, parking by the sea is paid, €2 an hour for non-residents, with a barrier that closes when the car park is full.
Getting there. By car, take the Aurelia and the Rispescia/Alberese exit. By train, get off at Grosseto and continue by bus to the visitor centre. The visitor centre can be reached on +39 0564 407098.
Cala Violina, with capped numbers
On the Scarlino coast, in the northern Maremma, the bay takes its name from its quartz sand, which "sings" under your feet. From 1 June to 30 September, between 08:30 and 18:30, a maximum of 700 people a day are allowed in. Online booking on calaviolinascarlino.it is compulsory and costs €1 per person. Children aged 1 to 12 must be registered but don't pay.
The beach can only be reached on foot or by bike. The Val Martina car park is booked on the same website and costs €10 a day; from there the path is about 1.5 km. Alternatively, it's about 6 km on foot from the harbour at Puntone. Wear closed shoes. On the beach there is no shade and there are no bins, and smoking and dogs are banned. In summer a kiosk and toilets operate in the woods, and there is a lifeguard.
The Tarot Garden at Capalbio
Niki de Saint Phalle worked here from 1979 to 1998. The Giardino dei Tarocchi has 22 monumental sculptures of the major arcana, covered in mirrors and ceramics; for years the artist lived inside the Empress. The garden normally opens from 1 April to 15 October, every day from 14:30 to 19:30, with last entry at 18:15, even when it rains.
- Tickets: full price €15, reduced €10 (ages 7 to 22 and over 65), free up to 6.
- Booking: daily places are limited and only an online ticket guarantees entry. It is valid for the date and time slot you choose, and can't be changed or refunded.
- Visits: there are no guided tours. Allow about an hour and a half.
- Facilities: dogs on a lead are allowed and parking is free.
The nearest station is Capalbio Scalo, on the Rome–Grosseto line, about 8 km away. There is no bus to the garden, so you need a taxi.
Pitigliano and the tufa villages
A 25–35 minute drive from Saturnia, Pitigliano, Sorano and Sovana stand on tufa and are linked by the Etruscan sunken roads, the vie cave. Pitigliano, the "Little Jerusalem", has a 16th-century synagogue and a Jewish quarter. It's the natural other half of a day at Saturnia: a soak in the morning, a hill town in the afternoon. We cover them on the page about Tuscany's villages.
Argentario and Giglio
Orbetello sits on the central strip of land across the lagoon, where the WWF nature reserve is. Orbetello-Monte Argentario station, on the Rome–Grosseto line, serves both the lagoon and the promontory, with Porto Santo Stefano and Porto Ercole.
For Giglio, the Toremar and Maregiglio ferries leave only from Porto Santo Stefano and take about an hour. Expect to pay roughly €13–16 per person each way, and the €1.50 landing tax is included in the ticket. In summer, especially in the central weeks of August, cars with Italian number plates are restricted: as a rule they are only allowed with a stay of at least 4 nights and a self-declaration form. The dates change every year, so check them before you take your car on board.
When to go
- January: not recommended or closed
- February: not recommended or closed
- March: not recommended or closed
- April: good
- May: best time
- June: best time
- July: good
- August: good
- September: best time
- October: best time
- November: good
- December: not recommended or closed
best time good not recommended or closed
From mid-June to mid-September the Parco della Maremma can almost only be visited with a guide, and until the end of September numbers at Cala Violina are capped. From November to March the trip is mainly worth it for the Cascate del Mulino, which are quieter then; the Tarot Garden normally opens from April to mid-October.
Mistakes to avoid
- Doing Saturnia as a day trip by car from Florence without factoring in the drive back. That's six hours behind the wheel: stay overnight in the area, or let an organised trip do the driving.
- Turning up at the Terme without a white bathrobe. You'll have to hire one at the entrance.
- Taking your dog to the Parco della Maremma. It won't be let in, not even on a lead.
- Arriving at Cala Violina in August without a booking. With the cap on numbers, you may not get in.
- Heading for the Tarot Garden in the morning. It only opens in the afternoon.
For more days out of the city, see day trips and, if you're starting from the capital, Tuscany from Rome. If you want to combine Saturnia with another area, the closest from the north is the Val d'Orcia.