Scarlino Scalo

Scarlino Scalo is a place for you if you want to get to know Tuscany not only as a landscape, but also through its industrial and transport history. The development of the town is connected with the construction of the railway line, the station and a facility for unloading and storing pyrite. This gives Scarlino Scalo a different profile from a classic Tuscan village: the focus is on transport routes, mining history, wetlands and the connection to the coast.

Pyrite, railways and cableways

A facility for receiving and loading pyrite was built near the station in 1912. It served as the cableway station of the Gavorrano mine. In 1921, a new cableway branch was added. It connected the collection centre of Scarlino Scalo across the wetland with the hopper silos for ore storage in the Bay of Portiglioni. Scarlino Scalo thus became the junction of the cableway from Gavorrano and the cableway towards Portiglioni. The pyrite collection and sorting facility was destroyed by the fire of 26 March 1926. It was subsequently rebuilt quickly using iron and reinforced concrete; rooms for a chemical laboratory were also added. This history is recorded in the transport heritage of the Parco Nazionale delle Colline Metallifere as a centre for storage and dispatch. If you prefer to understand historic places through their function rather than through grand architectural works, Scarlino Scalo offers a particularly tangible approach to this.

Wetland and coastal landscape

In January 2026, the Padule di Scarlino was added to the Ramsar List as a wetland of international importance. Boardwalks and equipped paths are available for independent walks through the wetland. This allows you to explore the natural area independently without moving from the history of the place into a completely different subject: the wetland was already part of the cableway connection to Portiglioni described above. The coast also offers different ways of access. Cala Martina can mainly be reached by sea or on foot or by bicycle via the Via delle Costiere. In the wider regional area, the trail network of the Bandite di Scarlino includes the recording of existing paths as well as their mapping and signposting to identify the individual routes. For active days, you can also include the renovated sports facilities of Scarlino Scalo, with an uncovered padel court and an equipped fitness trail.

Archaeology, church and local events

In the vicinity of Scarlino Scalo, the Museo Archeologico del Portus Scabris displays finds from underwater excavations carried out in 2000 and 2001 before the construction of a marina in the Bay of Portiglioni, in the Puntone di Scarlino area. The finds demonstrated intensive trade by merchant ships as early as the 3rd century BC. The museum also offers educational workshops and excursions. Another archaeological point of interest is the Vetricella site in Scarlino. It is located in the centre of the coastal plain crossed by the Pecora River, at the foot of Scarlino Castle. It was discovered in 2005 through aerial archaeological surveys, which identified its three concentric circles. The Church of Madonna delle Grazie was consecrated on 13 May 1984 and dedicated to Maria Santissima delle Grazie. The Madonna delle Grazie parish festival takes place on the first Sunday in May.

Getting there and regional connections

For travelling to the area, Scarlino railway station is a clear point of reference; it is served exclusively by regional trains. From Follonica station, public transport runs to Scarlino, Scarlino Scalo and Puntone. Next to the station is the Casello idraulico on the Ciclovia Tirrenica. For comparison within the same selection, you can also consider Puntone and Il Casone.

For the main travel overview: Scarlino.