We'll be spending 3 days in Porto Ercole in early July. Would love some recommendations on nearby sights and day trips. We'll have a rental car,but won't want to stray more than an hour away, if possible.

May I ask at what hotel you are staying? We are just about to choose one. Would love to find a good deal on Il Pellicano! Haven't found too many sights yet. Porto Stefano might be fun. Thanks.

I was there a few years ago and had a fabulous time...

Porto Ercole is near the Maremma region of Italy - which is like a national park. It has fabulous scenary and animals {white horned cattle), and some of the best beaches I've found yet in Italy. It's also so close to wonderful small towns in Italy, e.g, Pitigliano for one.

I stayed at Il Pellicano and would go back in a second!

BellaDone

Monte Argentario (of which Porto Ercole is one of the two villages) has some of the best beaches of southern Tuscany. It would be a pity to go in this area and not spend some time at the beach. the lagoon enclosed by the two strips of sand that connect Monte Argentario island to the mainland are protected by the WWF (riserva della Duna Feniglia and riserva della Laguna di Orbetello), open every day for visiting. Also, you may consider visiting Parco Nazionale della Maremma (http://www.parks.it/parco.maremma/Eindex.html), one of the main national parks of Italy.
One evening, for an unusual dinner, yo may consider heading to the Passionisti convent. These friars have a self-service-like restaurant at their convent in the middle of the island, the food is simple and unpretentious but nice, and you eat it under a canopy of trees.

daph,
We'll be staying at Il Pellicano. Booked directly with the hotel...not a deal,but we have friends who stayed there and said it was exceptional and worth the cost. We hope we'll come to the same conclusion.

LaBellaDona
Thanks for the response. We'll look into both.
I love small towns.Will definitely check out Pitigliano.

Alice Twain
You must be in the travel business. You are so well-informed. Shouldn't we be paying for your advice?
Is the Passionata Convent open at midday. It sounds so interesting.

Thanks for all the information [though this wasn't my post]. Just got word from the Don Pedro Hotel that they are full for our dates. I'm sure that Il Pellicano is lovely but I think that we need to find a more reasonable hotel.

Try Hotel del Torre di Cala Piccola. Although their address is Porto Santo Stefano, they are really located on the Strada Panoramica that goes around the peninsula, so not that far from Porto Ercole. We stayed there for a couple of days two years ago, and never left the property the whole time. It's a beautiful hotel, with a bagno (not really a beach, but rocks and a gorgeous inlet for swimming) not the hill, and a lovely lawn and swimming pool up by the hotel itself. They have a website.

jg: I am a typesetter, currently working on a financial mathematics book. What I know about Monte Argentario is fully due to the fact that I have spent one weeks there a vew years ago (actually a couple of 3-4 weeks trips). The Passionisti brothers convent is open for sure at dinner, I do not know wether the monks decided to open at noon too, but I doubt it: people stay on the beach at noon.

Does anyone have more feedback on Il Pellicano? How far of a drive is it from Siena?

I just did that drive--actually from Montefollinico--and it took close to 3 hours. The last mile is a killer--pay attention. We stayed in Porto San Stefano at a 3 star--we found the Pellicano to be too rich for us.

Hello!

Has anyone tried Hotel Vittoria, Villa Portuso or Villa Domizia in Porto Santo Stefano ? If so, are they within walking distance of the center ?

I am also wondering whether we should stay in Porto Ercole or PSS. We are visiting in April, and I would be disappointed if P. Ercole were dead and boring during that time, that's why I am looking in PSS.

If Porto Ercole is lively, then Hotel Don Pedro sounds like an OK place - did anyone try it ?

We loved Il Pelicano -- the setting and service are wonderful. Don't miss the poolside barbeque buffet. However, I believe some rooms are much nicer than others. I would try to secure a nicer room at check in.

We, too, loved Il Pelicano but if you don't want to spring for the cost, go for dinner or lunch in their nice restaurant and spend some time sitting on their deck just listening to the wind whistle through the enormous umbrella pines that cover the property. Heavenly. If you do stay there, spend most of your time at the place enjoying its facilities--beach, pool, tennis, etc.--and get your money's worth. We didn't see much of Porto Ercole itself but had lunch in Santo Stephano one day. Darling little fishing harbor. If they have nice accommodations, I'd pick it over PE for liveliness and beauty.