La Riserva Naturale delle Bandite di Scarlino has an adequate and efficient net of signed paths for trekking and mountain bike. The most beautiful path of the area is without a doubt that of the Costiere whose access is possible only on foot, on horse or in bicycle, it pass through beautiful rocky coves of certain beauty, like Cala Francese, Cala Martina, and Cala Violina.
Cala Violina attracts in every period of the year, but in the summer, an exorbitant number of tourists overrun the beach, and you are baffled by the number of boats that are anchored beyond the floaters delimitating the beach.

Cala Violina is only accessible by foot, bike or horse. There are several possibilities to reach Cala Violina. The beach can be is reached by the route to Cala Martina [1] or by a dirt road indicated 400 meters before the gas station beyond Portiglione on the road to Castigione della Pescaia [2] (between Marina di Scarlino and Pian d'Alma).

[1]
The first option, a substantially longer route (3,8 km), is to take the private access road to the rocky cove of Cala Martina and then continue a further 1.8 km to Cala Violina.
We walk straight passed the Portiglione marina until we come to the Restaurant Il Cantuccio. Here we find a barrier across the road and the start of path 1 which plunges into the woods going down hill slightly. After walking for 5 minutes, we come to the first turn-off where we bear left. After another 25 minutes walking through the woods with beautiful views over the sea we meet path 6 and continue, descending towards Cala Martina, where we can see a monument to Garibaldi. We continue towards Cala Violina, a beautiful white sandy bay which we see behind a promontory. From here we continue along path 1 until, after some meters, we come to an obvious turn-off where we take path 2A, on the left. We walk as far as the next turn-off for Cala Martina and when we arrive at a fire break we turn left and left again for path 3. After a few meters we turn left again for path 3 and follow the undulating path for about half an hour until we come to a turn-off which we take on the right, continuing to follow path 3. We reach another fire break which we follow, descending to the left, following signpost 7. We continue as far as the next turn-offs, with paths 3 and 6, following the crest. Finally we arrive at path 5 which we follow downhill until we reach our point of departure.

[2]
A dirt road indicated 400 meters before the gas station beyond Portiglione on the road to Castigione della Pescaia [2] (between Marina di Scarlino and Pian d'Alma). A path of approximately 1 km leads from the parking area to the cove. Follow the Sentiero Cala Violina sign. When you arrive at the top of the cove, with the sea below, there are two footpaths down to the beach (signs indicating both to your left and right for Cala Violina).

Trekking | Walking in Southern Tuscany | Cala Violina, Cala Martina, Scarlino

Walking in Tuscany | Nature reserves and beaches in the Maremma

Links | Trekking.it | pdf

Cycling in Tuscany | Cala Violina