Forte’s untamed side

A short stretch of coastline where it is still possible to admire the original seaside landscape of Versilia, before mass tourism reshaped the shore.

The Dunes Nature Reserve is situated on the outskirts of Forte dei Marmi, in the Vittoria Apuana area, and has stood as a virtuous example of cooperation between the Municipality and WWF volunteers for over twenty-five years.

Today, this area is home to a remarkable variety of native plant species typical of the Tyrrhenian and Ligurian coasts – flora that has become increasingly rare due to the heavy human impact on the coastline. This biodiversity heritage has drawn interest from several Italian universities, which have carried out studies and projects aimed at safeguarding the ecosystem.

In recent years, the dunes have grown into a key educational site, hosting school groups from around the region. Here, students can experience the beauty of Mediterranean scrub and visit a small botanical garden created on the site in the 1970s.

Until the 1990s, this pocket of wilderness was in a state of severe neglect, scarred by waste, off-road vehicles, and motocross tracks. At the turn of the millennium, driven by a shared enthusiasm, the Municipality and the local WWF branch began efforts to restore the area, fencing it and establishing a few access points for regulated entry. Today, the site has flourished once again. Lush vegetation has returned, and with it the dunes themselves, the natural sand formations shaped year after year by the sea.