Orbetello sits on a narrow causeway in the middle of a lagoon on the southern Tuscan coast, connected to the Monte Argentario peninsula by two sand tomboli that enclose the water on either side. The setting is extraordinary — a town floating between sea and lagoon, with flamingos wading in the shallows.
The town itself is a pleasant, working Italian place rather than a polished tourist centre. The Spanish fortifications date from the 16th century, when Orbetello was the capital of the tiny Stato dei Presidi. The cathedral on the main piazza is handsome, the evening passeggiata along the lungomare is lively, and the seafood — particularly bottarga and eel from the lagoon — is excellent.
The lagoon is a WWF nature reserve and an important wetland habitat. Birdwatching is good year-round, with flamingos, herons, and osprey. Monte Argentario, reached by either causeway, has rocky coves, good diving, and the harbour towns of Porto Santo Stefano and Porto Ercole. The Giannella tombolo has a long sandy beach, and the wilder Feniglia on the southern side has a long pine forest path closed to cars. Orbetello is one of those places where the landscape does most of the work — you could spend a week here swimming, eating fish, and watching the light change over the lagoon.