Etruscan Coast · the Etruscans
Baratti and Populonia, the Etruscans by the sea
Populonia is the only city the Etruscans built right on the sea. The tombs lie below, on the Gulf of Baratti, a few steps from the beach; the city sits up on the headland. From us it is a 20-minute drive.
At a glance
- Gulf of Baratti
- 13 km, 20 minutes by car
- Populonia
- 17 km, 30 minutes by car
- Park entrances
- Two: the Necropolis on the Gulf of Baratti and the Acropolis at Populonia Alta
- How long you need
- Half a day for one route, a full day if you add the beach
- Opening times and tickets
- On parchivaldicornia.it, they change with the season
The Etruscans at Populonia
The oldest tombs are in the San Cerbone necropolis, on the gulf: stone mounds from the seventh to the fifth century BC, covered with earth. The largest is the Tomba dei Carri, the Tomb of the Chariots, 28 metres across.
Further on, in the woods, is the necropolis of the Grotte: chamber tombs cut into the rock around the fourth century BC, one above the other, in the quarries where the stone came from.
At the top of the headland is the Acropolis, with the remains of temples, houses and walls, and from up there you see the whole gulf. Most of the finds from the excavations are in the Archaeological Museum of the Populonia area, in Piombino.
AlMare, CC BY-SA 2.5Walking routes in the park
Names and times are those of the park map. With children, pick the two easy ones down by the gulf.
Easy · 1 hour
The San Cerbone necropolis
The loop among the burial mounds, near the entrance on the gulf: the Tomb of the Chariots, the small temple of the Bronze Offerer, the Tomb of the Funeral Beds.
Easy · 1 hour 30
The Via del Ferro
The Iron Road, a walk among the burial mounds and the buildings where metal was worked.
Medium · 2 hours
The Via delle Cave
It climbs through the woods to the Experimental Archaeology Centre, where you can try working clay and writing in Etruscan, and ends at the Grotte necropolis.
Easy · 1 hour 45
The Acropolis of Populonia
You go in from Populonia Alta: the temples, the Logge, the House of the King and the path along the walls, with the view over the sea.
Hard · 2 hours 30
From the gulf to the Acropolis
To walk up from the necropolis to the Acropolis there are the Via della Romanella and the Via del Monastero. You need hiking shoes and water.
Buca delle Fate
A small inlet between rock walls, below Populonia, on the side of the headland that faces Elba. You can only get there on foot.
Leave the car at the Il Reciso car park, less than a kilometre from Populonia Alta, and take the CAI 301 path: about twenty minutes through holm oaks and scrub. Along the way you pass the chamber tombs of an Etruscan necropolis from the late third and second century BC.
Wear closed shoes: it is a proper path, and the way down to the sea is best taken slowly.
The beach at Baratti
The gulf has a beach of red sand with the pine wood behind it. It is almost all free, with two beach clubs, a sailing school and a spot for surfers and windsurfers.
It is worth combining the two: the tombs in the morning, when it is cooler, and the sea in the afternoon.
LepoRello, CC BY-SA 3.0The beaches on the map
From La Conchiglia to Buca delle Fate it is about 15 km of coast, nearly all sand. The number on the map is the one in the list.
La Conchiglia and Fosso delle Rozze
North of the harbour, Blue Flag 2026. Fine sand and shallow water; in front of Via del Capodoglio there is the Kids Beach, a free stretch for children aged 3 to 12.
The town beach
Below the seafront, south of the harbour: beach clubs and free stretches. It is the closest to us, 680 metres on foot.
Bau Beach
The dog beach, where Rimigliano park begins. About 4.5 km, 10 minutes by car.
Rimigliano
Over 6 km of free beach, with dunes and pine woods behind. Blue Flag 2026.
The Gulf of Baratti
Red sand and pine woods, below the Etruscan tombs of Populonia. 20 minutes by car.
Buca delle Fate
A small cove between the rocks below Populonia: about twenty minutes on foot from the Il Reciso car park.
Us, C.A.V. Costa degli Etruschi
Questions about Baratti and Populonia
How long does it take from San Vincenzo to Baratti?
20 minutes by car to the gulf, 13 km. Populonia Alta is 4 km further up, half an hour in all.
What is there to see in the Baratti and Populonia archaeological park?
The Etruscan necropolises of San Cerbone, with the burial mounds, and of the Grotte, cut into the rock; up above, the Acropolis of Populonia, with temples, houses and walls. In between are the footpaths through the woods.
How long does the visit take?
One hour for the shortest loop, the San Cerbone necropolis. With the Via delle Cave it is 2 hours, and walking up to the Acropolis 2 hours 30. Allow half a day.
How do you get to Buca delle Fate?
On foot, from the Il Reciso car park near Populonia Alta: path CAI 301, about 20 minutes. From San Vincenzo to the car park it is a 30-minute drive.
Can you swim at Baratti?
Yes, the beach on the gulf is almost all free, with two beach clubs. It is a few steps from the necropolis entrance.
Is it a good trip with children?
Yes: the necropolis route and the Via del Ferro are easy, and at the Experimental Archaeology Centre children work clay the way the Etruscans did.
Before you go
Opening times and tickets are handled by Parchi Val di Cornia and change with the season: check them on parchivaldicornia.it before you set off.
Mykola Pokalyuk, CC BY-SA 4.0Plan your trips
San Silvestro park
The mine with a helmet on, the train through the tunnel and the medieval miners' village, 20 minutes from here.
Rimigliano park
More than 6 km of free beach with the pine wood and the dunes, 10 minutes by car or 20 by bike.
Etruscan Coast
Bolgheri, Baratti and Populonia, Campiglia, Suvereto, Piombino and Elba, with driving times from here.
Bike rides and walks
For cyclists: a place to wash and charge your bikes, e-bike rides for families, walks and the wine road to Bolgheri.
The flats
One-bedroom flats for 4 and two-bedroom flats for up to 6, all with a kitchen, 680 m from the sea. Photos and details of each.
Booking direct
How to book on our website, what you get out of it and who to ask if you are unsure.
The Etruscans 20 minutes away
From San Vincenzo, Baratti is 20 minutes away, and in the evening you are back home. Pick your dates and see what is free.