Capalbio is this region’s trump card, quite literally. If you are looking for a town that has it all, then Capalbio is right up your alley.

And I’m not making this stuff up, Capalbio was recently awarded the 5 sails by Legambiente, a Italian organization which focuses on the environment. It’s possibly the only town in the Maremma more famous than the region’s capital Grosseto.

Every year, tourists and locals flock to the town for its sea, beaches and coastlines, as well as for its Renaissance monuments, delicious cuisine and extremely bright and quirky art culture.

For me, Capalbio has always been my summer retreat. When you’re boiling in some of the more inland towns, all you need to do is hop on a bus and come to Capalbio. I have spent many a Tuscan evening taking in the cool, sea breeze while admiring the countryside that stretches before me.

My must see attractions in Capalbio:

Lago Burano: Tourist guides everywhere call this idyllic lake Walt Disney’s lake. Its a strange name but it perfectly sums up the beauty of the lake, whose crystal blue waters is home to various species of fish and birds and calming and tranquil atmosphere.

Pieve di San Nicola: Inside there is only one nave but it has a charming 12th century chapel, richly painted with fascinating and mind-blowingly colourful religious frescoes.

Palazzo Collacchioni: a fascinating Renaissance building built on the ruins of a Rocca Aldobrandesca. Inside, you can explore some of the more beautiful fresco ed rooms and art exhibitions frequently held here. You can also climb to the top of the tower and enjoy an unspoilt view of Capalbio.

La Rocca: a grandiose medieval fortress shaped like an “L” and joined to a stone bastion. Much more than a way to defend the city, La Rocca is a symbol of the might of the Aldobrandeschi family who commissioned it during the Renaissance.

Giardino dei Tarocchi: Whatever you do, don’t miss this garden! Created by English-French artist Niki de Saint Phalle, this beautiful living art is filled with both local and exotic plant species and stone statues representing the twenty-two tarot cards- they’re truly breathtaking.

Festivals: Capalbio Cinema

If you’re flexable about when you visit Capalbio, come for this event. Held in the summer months, it’s the Cannes of the Maremma, bringing the biggest names in the movie world to this quiet town (past guests have included Lina Wertmuller, Carlo Lizzani and John Malkovich). Every gathers under in the evening to watch short films made by unknown artists and directors and it’s all incredibly cultured.