Thursday 16 November 2017

Orbetello, riding on the lagoon

Orbetello Lagoon is another of Italian natural wonders, which was able to surprise me. I was not prepared to ride by bike this natural park at all, the plan was different, maybe also for this reason it was a pleasant surprise.


Located in the south part of the Orbetello Lagoon there is a wonderful cycle path immersed in the large pine forest. It is a circular route thereforeyou can start the tour from any point. We decided to start from the "Monte Argentario" side you can stay either at the campsite or Camper parking area, you can of course also start from the Orbetello downtown which is crossed throughout the length from a convenient bike path.

Starting from the rest area after a couple of bends on asphalt you immediately enter in the Tombolo Della Feniglia Reserve Park. The Feniglia is a sandy dune enclosed between the hills of Ansedonia and Monte Argentario, the internal part overlooks the Orbetello Lagoon, while the external part directly on the sea. The cycle path crosses it along its entire length (about 6 Km).

Riding along the bike path in the middle of the dune, so full of vegetation, we do not realize the presence of the sea, on our right (southbound), nor the lagoon on our left (northbound).
 
In order to admire and enjoy the view of the sea and of the beach it is necessary to take some paths (you can easily walk with the bicycle) and take a slight detour. It is also possible to park the bike on racks and enjoy the beach.

Being in the Easter period we did not have the necessary temperatures to swim, but we figure out that in the summer it should be very nice to take a bath and then go back to cool down in the pine forest. Anyway we didn't gave up the sun warmth and a little rest lying on the fine sand beach.
Getting back to the bike we opted for another deviation from the main road to be able to admire the lagoon close by, full of aquatic animals led by the pungent salty smell that filled the air.

Two wonders awaited us almost at the end of the Tombolo di Feniglia (near the headquarters of the State Forestry Corps, locality Ansedonia): a small archaeological site that returned the remains of an inhabited area dating back to the early Iron Age (IX century BC) 'ancient attendance of this area and a herd of particularly meek deer.

The children, and not only them, competed each other to bring them closer and to feed them with carrots. The deer showed to like with voracious appetite.

Back on the saddle and passed the restaurant at the exit of the tombolo we decided to lengthen our route with a short and very steep detour to visit the Archaeological area of Cosa.

The Area is an ancient Roman colony  which have a private domus, the forensic area and a splendid capitolium positioned on the hill summit  with a marvelous view of the Argentario mountain. Even the small local museum is worth a visit.

Once out of the city gate, we get back on our bikes, happy to dart down from the slope and in front of us the magnificent scenery of the saltworks and of the lagoon behind.

The cycle path proceeds with a flat course up to Orbetello, partly along the railway line.

We stop literally attracted by the smell of a pastry shop whose owners are very kind to show us the technique of processing cantuccini and other sweets, so refreshed and happy we resume our journey on the path to the bridge over the lagoon.
Also this stretch of cycle path on the bridge, always on a separate site, gives us evocative views of the lagoon, especially now that the sun is setting and we stop to admire what remains of an old mill in the middle of the water.

The last stretch from the bridge to the campgrounds is part of the narrow coastal strip between the lagoon and Monte Argentario. We arrive at the starting point, tired for the ride, but very satisfied with our day.

Relive.cc



The Route


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