Cala delle Cannelle

Cala delle Cannelle is an inlet in the eastern part of theisland of Giglio in the province of Grosseto in Tuscany. The anchorage is in front of the beach of the same name, one of the most beautiful on the entire island, with fine white sand that slopes gently into a crystal clear sea.

The seabed is sandy, with some rocks and posidonia, quite deep as you move away from the coast. The seabed is much visited by scuba divers, near the rocks you can find moray eels, crabs, lobsters and in the sea all sorts of fish. Offshore you can find huge tuna, amberjack and barracuda, but especially dolphins, which often chase boats.

The cove is very wide and sheltered from currents, and a regular stop for many boats. You can take a swim offshore or go down to the beach, which is half free and half occupied by a bathing establishment with a restaurant.

Reaching the area by land is quite difficult, there is no public transportation and the road is very winding. Around the beach the area is beautiful and typically Mediterranean, there are many trees and some villas, residences and tourist facilities surrounded by greenery.

The area, like the entire island of Giglio, is touristy and very busy, especially in summer. The beach is connected by sea to Giglio Porto, from where boat cabs depart to reach it. The cab boats departing from the port reach all the beaches around the circumnavigation to the island, which has a length of about 12 miles.

Apart from a few coves with wonderful little beaches, the rest of the coast is mostly rocky, as is the rugged and hilly hinterland. The island of Giglio is part of theTuscan Archipelago and is not far from another pearl of the Tyrrhenian Sea, the island of Giannutri, located a few kilometers to the northeast.

There are human traces on the island of Giglio dating back to the Iron Age, and later it was an Etruscan and then Roman military base. There are several ancient shipwrecks at the bottom of the sea, which are visited and scuba dived by enthusiasts from all over the world.

Giglio is part of the Tuscan Archipelago National Park, which also includes a marine protected area. Many migratory birds stop there and there are endemic to rare animal species.

The marine park is the largest in Europe and covers more than 56,000 hectares, which must be added to the 17,800 of land to get an idea of the size and importance of the Tuscan Archipelago National Park.

Fish sightings in the protected marine park are most frequent in spring and fall, and swordfish, sardines and sunfish can also be seen.