giglio island
The most beautiful beaches of Giglio

The Beaches and Coves of the Island of Giglio

Authentic earthly paradises in the Tuscan Archipelago
The main beaches of the Isola del Giglio are four: Campese beach, the largest on the island, is located on the north-west coast. The three smaller beaches, the beach of Cannelle, Arenella and Caldane, are located on the east coast, around Giglio Porto.

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The coastal development of Giglio is approximately 28 km long and alternates cliffs with bays, coves and sandy beaches of rare beauty.

Most of the coast is made up of smooth granite rocks, which are less steep on the east side. In fact, they are often comfortable to lie down on, offer easy access to the sea and even allow you to dive.
The north-western part on the other hand is characterized by limestone and is more rigid. In some places, in fact, the mountains seem to fall into the sea. Here are the other small beaches of the island – mostly made up of fine or coarse gravel – but also splendid hidden coves that are inaccessible from land.

The 4 main beaches of the Isola del Giglio are wonderfully different from each other, they are all easily accessible except Caldane, which can only be reached by sea or on foot. All the lidos have both a portion of free beach and areas served by equipped bathing establishments.

 

Mappa Satellitare isola del Giglio con Nomi Spiagge

Campese Beach  

Spiaggia di Giglio Campese, Isola del Giglio

Giglio Campese beach is the largest beach on the island and the most important tourist settlement. Long and wide, it has coarse dark red sand and descends rapidly to a depth of 1-1.5 metres.

From the beach you can enjoy a magnificent view of the bay with the Faraglione on the left and the Tower of Campese on the right. The western exposure allows you to enjoy the sun until late in the evening and spectacular sunsets.

Along the beach you will find all the main tourist services and facilities as well as many types of accommodation as well as the only campsite.

Spiaggia dEl Campese
Getting Here
Strada Provinciale per Giglio Campese con Faraglione, Isola del Giglio

The beach is easily reachable by car and by bus (9 km from Giglio Porto)

Services Available

The beach offers all the main types of tourist services and equipment: from bathing establishments (stabilimenti balneari) to diving centers and from bars to restaurants.

Furthermore, at the small port behind the Campese Tower, there are kiosks for renting boats and for the taxi boat service.

Cannelle Beach  Mappa Giglio con indicatore Spiaggia delle Cannelle

Spiaggia delle Cannelle, Isola del Giglio

The Cannelle beach is located on the east coast of the island of Giglio and overlooks the splendid Argentario promontory.

It is one of the largest beaches on the island, second in size only to that of Campese. The landscape, made up of a tongue of very fine white sand and a crystalline sea, is worthy of the most sought-after tropical destinations…

Spiaggia delle cannelle
Getting Here​
Spiaggia delle Cannelle, Isola del Giglio

The beach can be reached by sea with taxi boats that leave regularly from Giglio Porto, or by land by own car, taxi, or scooter, bike and car rental or on foot along a panoramic road (about 20 minutes, 1.4 km). There are no bus connections.

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Caldane Beach  Mappa Giglio con indicatore Spiaggia delle Caldane

Spiaggia delle Caldane, Isola del Giglio

The smallest of the Giglio beaches, Caldane beach, is located south of the Cannelle beach and can only be reached by sea or on foot.

Framed by granite rocks with golden and coarse sand, it has remained wonderfully wild…

Spiaggia delle CAldane
Getting Here​
Mappa Sentiero 23 Spiaggia delle Caldane

The beach can be reached either by sea with taxi boats that leave regularly from Giglio Porto or by land on foot from Cannelle beach (20-30 min.) via a beautiful path (23) that is not too difficult.

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Arenella Beach  Mappa Giglio con indicatore Spiaggia dell'Arenella

Rocce sulla Spiaggia dell'Arenella, Isola del Giglio

Also on the east coast, north of the port, is the Arenella beach which is the third largest beach on Giglio after the Campese and Cannelle beaches.

It is a very scenic beach with tropical sea colors with the seabed alternating between sand and rock.

The sand is “large grain” and light golden in colour. The water goes down slowly…

Spiaggia dell'Arenella
Getting Here
Spiaggia dell'Arenella - Mappa Sentiero

The beach can be reached by car. The nearest bus stop is at Monticello above the harbour.

On foot from Giglio Porto it takes about 50 minutes to get to the Arenella beach: trail 1a (Sentiero 1a)

Services Available
  • Umbrella Rental
  • Small bar

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Isola del Giglio Costa - Spiaggia Cala del Gesso

smaller beaches

The other sandy and pebble beaches of Giglio​​

In addition to the four most famous beaches of Giglio, on the island you will find many other smaller beaches. Two are located in Giglio Porto, while the others are located on the Mezzofranco promontory.

The latter are small coves made up of sand or gravel that can be reached by boat or on foot, through a network of paths immersed in nature. Here it is possible to spend a day at the beach in peace, away from the chaos of the more crowded beaches.

Small, pristine and free paradises, where the sea is even clearer and the panorama will give you wonderful views not to be missed.

Scalettino beach, Giglio Porto

Spiaggia dello Scalettino, Isola del Giglio

The Scalettino is a small beach located in Giglio Porto, made up of a thin tongue of sand adorned with smooth granite rocks, on which you can lie down and sunbathe.

An ideal place to take a refreshing dip for those staying at the port or coming to Giglio for just a few hours. The water is clean and transparent despite being close to the green pier.

Saraceno beach, Giglio Porto

Spiaggia cala del Saraceno con Vasca, Isola del Giglio

To the left of the harbour, after a few narrow streets, you will find the cove of Saraceno. It takes its name from the ancient Saracen tower which is located nearby

It is made up of a small portion of sand and pebbles, with many smooth rocks and wonderful seabeds. You will see in the water the remaings of a Roman munario. 

Petruso beach, Campese bay

Spiaggia Perfuso nella baia di Campese, Isola del Giglio

On the left side of the Campese beach you will find the Petruso beach. It can be reached by boat or on foot by a short walk of about 10 minutes.

It is so called because it is as small as a “gap”, it offers beautiful seabeds and is a less crowded alternative to the Campese beach.

Promontory Mezzofranco beaches

Promontorio di Mezzofranco con Faraglione, Isola del Giglio
Cala del Gesso is a small bay, made up of pebbles and clear blue water, ideal for those who love snorkelling. It can be reached by boat or on foot, with a nice walk from the Campese beach (sentiero 15). An ideal place for lovers of tranquility. Three other beaches are located in the middle of the Franco promontory a little further than Cala del Gesso: Mezzofranco beach, Carciofaia beach and Pozzarelli beach. All three are small coves formed by gravel pebbles and being exposed to the west they enjoy beautiful sunsets. They are only accessbile by boat (taxi boat).

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Veduta della punta meridionale dell'isola del Giglio con Faro di Capel Rosso

giglio from the sea

Boat tour of Giglio Island

A boat tour or round-trip of the island to discover the coast, coves, inlets and hidden beaches that are inaccessible from land is truly an experience that should not be missed during a holiday on Giglio.

Much of the coast is pristine and wild and only a few places can be reached on foot. As soon as you leave the main towns and beaches, you can find isolated coves of rare beauty: among granite rocks, mountains overlooking the sea, a very thick and green Mediterranean scrub and crystal clear waters with spectacular backdrops.

Taking a solitary bath in one of these coves is a truly unforgettable experience.

Vista Isola di Giannutri da Minicrociera

tuscan arcipelago

Isola di Giannutri

The small Giannutri island belongs to the municiplity of to Giglio. It is the southernmost island of the Tuscan archipelago, located about 8 miles southeast of Giglio and about 6 miles southwest of Monte Argentario. It is a small paradise without cars, roads and big tourist structures – there are only about 20 residents and 200 summer houses.

It emerges from the sea like a limestone half-moon: 11 kilometers of rocky coast and a seabed rich in biodiversity, antique shipwrecks and not to mention the splendid archeological site of the Roman Villa Domizi, built by the Domizi Enobarbi family.

 

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