Giannella Beach
Best for. Windsurfers and kitesurfers, and families who want a long strip with both free sand and clubs, paired with a lagoon lunch behind the beach.
Best spot. Sail or swim through the breezy middle of the day, then drive to Orbetello as the lagoon turns gold for bottarga shaved over pasta and a glass of local white.
Know this. The tombolo is open and wind exposed, great for boards but less ideal for a still swim, so pick a calm morning or cross to Feniglia for shelter.
Giannella is the livelier of the two tombolos that anchor the Argentario, the western bar of sand that runs from the promontory back toward the mainland with the open sea on one flank and the still, birdrich Orbetello lagoon on the other. It is a long strip, around eight kilometres of fine pale sand shelving gently into shallow water, and the same exposure that gives it big skies and clean horizons also gives it wind. That breeze is the whole character of the place: on a blowing afternoon the sails go up and windsurfers and kitesurfers carve the chop, while the lagoon side glows behind the dune.
Unlike the wild eastern tombolo, Giannella is set up for a full beach day. Wide free public stretches sit between beach clubs, bars and restaurants, with campsites and a few hotels holding reserved sections toward the mainland end, so you can spread a towel on free sand or pay for loungers and a lunch by the water. Schools and rental for board sports operate in season, and the gentle shelving shallows keep it friendly for families even when the wind is up. The Orbetello lagoon nature reserve sits just behind, with the WWF education centre at the Casale Spagnolo for anyone curious about the birdlife.
The honest read is the wind and the water. This is an open, breezy beach, wonderful for boards and walks but less suited to a glassy, sheltered swim, and on a gusty day the sea is choppy and the sand can blow. Pick a calm morning if you want stillness, or cross to Feniglia on the eastern tombolo for pine shade and quieter water. Either way the reward behind the beach is the table: Orbetello is famous for its fish and for bottarga, the cured grey mullet roe shaved over pasta, with Porto Ercole a short drive on. For a clear water cove to round off the trip, drive round to Cala del Gesso.
Clubs on this beach
Giannella carries beach clubs, bars and restaurants at intervals along the strip, with watersports rental in season, between wide free public stretches and campsite sections reserved for guests. Operators, opening status and prices change each season, so confirm before you travel and use the Tuscany coast beach clubs guide for the wider coast.
Photo: Il Tombolo via GoogleGiannella beach clubs
The strip is dotted with beach clubs, bars and restaurants offering loungers and watersports rental, with free sand and campsite sections in between. Specific operators, opening status and prices to be confirmed.
Argentario, Tuscany coast
Giannella runs along the western tombolo between the Argentario promontory and Albinia, in the province of Grosseto, about an hour and a half south of Pisa by car. The coast road runs the length of the strip with parking and club entrances along it, and Orbetello and its lagoon sit just to the south.
In summer arrive early for roadside parking and the calmer morning water, and bring sun cover for the open sand. Windsurfers and kitesurfers should check the forecast, as the beach is at its best on a steady breeze.
Photo: Il Tombolo via GoogleBook a beach club
Tell us your dates and party size and we will help arrange a lounger or table at a beach club on Giannella. We reply by email.
We are an independent editorial resource. Booking requests are passed to clubs and operators, and some may earn us a commission at no cost to you. Prices, availability and opening status are set by the venue and are to be confirmed at the time of booking.
Common questions about Giannella
Is Giannella worth visiting?
Yes, especially if you sail a board or want a long, lively strip with both free sand and clubs. Giannella runs along the western tombolo of the Argentario, fine sand on the sea side and the Orbetello lagoon behind, and the same wind that draws windsurfers and kitesurfers keeps it breezy. For still, sheltered water and pine shade, the eastern tombolo at Feniglia is the calmer choice.
What is the beach like at Giannella?
A long strip of fine pale sand, roughly eight kilometres, shelving gently into shallow water that suits families, with a pine fringe in places. It mixes wide free public stretches with beach clubs, hotels and campsites, so some areas are reserved for guests. It is more open and wind exposed than the sheltered eastern tombolo, which is part of its appeal for board sports.
Is Giannella good for windsurfing and kitesurfing?
Yes, it is one of the better spots on this stretch of coast. The exposed tombolo catches the wind well, and you will find windsurfers and kitesurfers out on breezy days, with schools and rental nearby in season. Talamone further north is the bigger name for the sport, but Giannella is a reliable, easy option. Check conditions and any operator before you go.
Does Giannella have free beach and clubs?
Both. Large stretches of Giannella remain free public sand, while beach clubs, bars and restaurants sit at intervals along the strip, and campsites and a few hotels reserve some sections for their guests, especially toward the mainland end. You can pick a free spot or pay for loungers and service. Confirm current operators and opening status before you travel.
Where should you eat near Giannella?
At a beach club along the strip for fresh fish by the sand, or inland around the Orbetello lagoon, famous for its fish and for bottarga shaved over pasta. Orbetello town is a short drive and does lagoon eel, just landed seafood and crisp local white. Combine a breezy beach day with a lagoon dinner and you get the best of this corner of the Maremma.
When is the best time to visit Giannella?
June and September for warm water and gentler crowds than the August peak, when the clubs and campsites fill. Windsurfers will want a breezy day in any month, while families after a calm swim should pick a still morning. Spring and autumn are quiet and good for the lagoon birdlife, though some services wind down out of season.
