Orbetello Travel Guide

The "Molino Spagnolo" Spanish mill is the only wind mill which remained from a series of nine built by the Sienesi and subsequently restored by the Spaniards, when the lagoon city became the capital of the small State of the Presìdi - State of Royal Spanish Garrisons (1557).
The mill, on a circular basis, was used, together with the others, for grinding the wheat for the city inhabitants. The wheat was transported on typical boats used in the lagoon of Orbetello.
The mill emerges from the waters of the lagoon, at the beginning of the artificial dike build on order of the Grand Duke Leopold II in 1842 to connect Orbetello with the Argentario.

The Lagoon of Orbetello is an inside sea of 27 Km². Average depth is about 1 meter, maximum depth 2 m.
The lagoon is separated from the sea by two strips of land. To the North-West the "Gianella" about 7 km long with a road, pine trees and camping's. To the South the "Feniglia" a 6 Km long pine wood with beach. The Feniglia is a natural reserve, only pedestrians and bicycles are allowed. The "Laguna di Orbetello" is limited to the West by the promontory of the Argentario. To the East the lagoon touches the main land with the former Roman road "Via Aurelia" over a distance of 10 Km.
In the middle of the lagoon is an isthmus on with the town of Orbetello was build.
3 artificial canals join the lagoon to the sea. The waters of the lagoon are known for a rich variety of fish. This humid zone hides numerous birds. Part of the "Laguna di Ponente" (West) is under protection of the WWF.

Orbetello is the gate to the Argentario not only in the literary meaning but also physically because the visitors coming from the high way S1 Aurelia, after driving through the modern part of the town, pass under the arches of the Porta Nuova which dates from the Spanish period at the end of the 17 th c.
At the origin the Porta Nuova had only one opening. The 2 additional ones are from 1930.
As Orbetello was a fortified town there are more and older gates and also part of walls which are said to go back to the Etruscans.

From the Porta Nuova the traffic is imperatively directed to the right along the "Laguna di Ponente ", avoiding the historical centre, and reaches a bridge called "La Diga" leading to the Argentario.
Coming from the Argentario the traffic is directed along the other "Laguna di Levante" to the Porta Nuova.
It needs willpower from the visitor to drive inside the "Centro Storico" of Orbetello. I did it many years ago and I'm still wondering how I got out of the entanglement of small streets having, of course, not found a single parking space.
As a result most visitors continue their way to the Argentario.

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Orbetello lies on the tiny sand strip that connects the mainland with Argentario a rocky peninsula that once was an island and now is connected to the mainland by this three sand strips. Between these strips there is a lagoon.

Argentario can be visited, has two nice town called Porto Santo Stefano and Porto Ercole and a road that goes around it. Beware the road condition because it's no always paved, there are many gravel segments. Another good road goes to the top of the mountain, and from there you can enjoy a majestic view.