42.857° N, 10.774° E
Complete guide
Cala Violina: beach guide
What the beach is like
Cala Violina is a small cove in the Maremma Grossetana, in the municipality of Scarlino, province of Grosseto, opening onto the Tyrrhenian Sea within the Bandite di Scarlino nature reserve. The cove lies between Follonica and Punta Ala, in the Mediterranean scrub of the reserve. The small cove faces the Golfo di Follonica.
The cove is enclosed by two headlands: Punta Martina to the north, which separates it from Cala Martina, and Punta Le Canne to the south. Beyond Punta Le Canne lies Cala Civette. The beach is made of fine white sand and is surrounded by Mediterranean scrub.
The cove takes its name from the sand, in reference to the sounds it makes when walked on, in the absence of other significant sources of noise. The sound comes from tiny quartz grains of different shapes which, at every step, recall the melody of a violin. One of the most widely accepted hypotheses is that the sound waves come from the vibration of the grains when they are moved. When trodden on firmly, the grains emit a frequency between 500 and 2500 hertz. Singing beaches are an ancient phenomenon, already described by Marco Polo, and only about a hundred are known worldwide.
Getting there
The cove can be reached on foot along a path of about 30 minutes through the woods that line the sea. You can get there on foot or by bike from Puntone di Scarlino, just past the Portiglioni area, along a route described as tiring. Puntone di Scarlino is 3.9 km north of the cove as the crow flies.
Alternatively, you can come from the countryside by car or motorbike to the Pian d'Alma car park, a rural area of large fields and small farmsteads. The locality of Pian d'Alma is 3.4 km east of the beach as the crow flies.
You can also arrive by sea: boat trips to the coves of Scarlino leave from the port of Scarlino and from the Fiumara canal. The port of Scarlino is known for international sailing races. For cyclists there is a loop route of about 15 km, with panoramic viewpoints, that takes in Cala Martina and Cala Violina. The reserve's trails are popular with mountain bikers, but they can also be done on foot and on horseback.
When to go
Visit Tuscany, on the page consulted in 2026, states that from 1 June to 15 September access is limited to a maximum of 700 people per day, to protect the cove from overcrowding. The dates differ between sources, however: the Italian Wikipedia article gives entry by reservation only from 1 June to 30 September, with 700 places per day, while Visit Tuscany in 2026 gives 15 September as the end date. Before setting off, it is worth checking the dates in force on the booking website.
The scrub around the cove is also visited in spring and autumn, thanks to the mild climate. On hot days it is best to tackle the walk early in the morning or late in the afternoon.
Seabed and sea
According to QualeSpiaggia data, the beach faces west, onto the Tyrrhenian Sea. With the southwesterly libeccio, the westerly ponente and the northwesterly maestrale, the wind blows in from the sea, so the cove is exposed to waves and rough water. With the grecale, levante and scirocco the wind blows from the land, and close to shore the sea tends to stay calmer. The tramontana and the ostro, on the other hand, blow across the beach. These are indications based on the orientation of the coast, not weather forecasts.
In the 2025 season the European Environment Agency (EEA) rated the bathing water quality at Cala Violina as excellent.
Facilities and free beach
Like nearby Cala Martina, Cala Violina has no refreshment points. There are benches and tables for a picnic in the shade. There are no rubbish bins in the area, so as not to attract wild boar at night, so waste must be taken away when leaving the beach. During the 2026 booking period, stewards provide the necessary information on arrival. The beach is not supervised by lifeguards. It is a good idea to bring water, food and a bag for rubbish.
Rules and protected areas
According to the Visit Tuscany information consulted in 2026, booking a place requires following the procedure on the dedicated website and paying a 1 euro fee for the right to book. According to the same 2026 information, tickets are non-refundable and bookings cannot be moved to another date. Cala Martina and Cala Civette remain freely accessible and can be reached on foot or by bike along the trails of the Costiere area.
The Bandite nature reserve covers almost 9000 hectares of Mediterranean scrub and extends into the municipalities of Castiglione della Pescaia, Follonica, Gavorrano and Scarlino. It includes both the hill area, with Monte d'Alma, and the area that reaches the sea. The name comes from the frequent public notices (bandi) by which portions of woodland were once sold. The reserve also includes the protected area of the Costiere di Scarlino and a wildlife oasis that shelters ducks, mallards and hoopoes. The beach is part of the Padule and Costiere di Scarlino, a 752-hectare protected area that also includes the bay of Portiglioni, Cala di Terra Rossa, Cala Le Donne, Cala Martina and Cala Civette.
With children
According to the 2026 Visit Tuscany information, children aged 1 to 12 must be booked but do not pay the fee. For babies aged 0 to 12 months, according to the same 2026 information, neither a booking nor the fee is required. With small children, allow for the walk through the woods, both there and back.
Nearby
Cala Martina, 1.2 km to the north as the crow flies, is a bay about 600 metres long and around ten metres wide. Its seabed is mainly stony and suits snorkelling. On 2 September 1849 Giuseppe Garibaldi, pursued by the papal guards, set sail from Cala Martina on a fishing boat to reach Portovenere. Along the path down to Cala Martina there is a bust dedicated to Garibaldi, the work of the Grosseto artist Tolomeo Faccendi. Reaching Cala Martina on foot takes at least 45 minutes of walking.
Caletta Icardi is 0.4 km to the south as the crow flies. Punta Ala, 6.5 km to the south as the crow flies, is a seaside resort known for its marina and for the sailing regattas held every year. Follonica is 7.8 km to the north as the crow flies, while the village of Scarlino is 8.5 km to the northeast. Within the reserve there is also the Etruscan necropolis of Poggio Tondo, an important archaeological site.
Sources
- Wikipedia (it) — Cala Violina
- Wikipedia (en) — Cala Violina
- OpenStreetMap
- EEA — Bathing water quality 2025 (IT009053024002)
- QualeSpiaggia — open data spiagge (CC BY 4.0)
- Cala Violina | Visit Tuscany
- Cala Violina - Italia.it
- Riserva Naturale Le Bandite di Scarlino | Visit Tuscany
- Cala Martina | Visit Tuscany