Saturnia at dawn: the Cascata del Mulino before the crowds

There are places that mass tourism has already discovered, and the Cascata del Mulino is one of them. And yet it remains an exception worth telling from an undertourism angle, because here the difference between a memorable experience and a disappointment depends almost entirely on when you arrive. The free hot springs of Saturnia, in the municipality of Manciano in the heart of the Maremma near Grosseto, are free and open twenty-four hours a day: it is precisely this freedom that makes them, paradoxically, salvageable.

The travertine pools

The water rises not far off and flows down the Gorello stream, depositing the white travertine that over the centuries has carved out a staircase of natural pools. It runs at a constant temperature, around 37.5 degrees, and is rich in sulphur: you smell it before you even see it, and you recognise it on your skin, which stays soft for hours. The pools fill and spill one into the next, moulding the body in the warm current while all around the countryside stays green even in winter.

The right moment

The secret is simple and rarely followed: go at dawn, or well after sunset. Between seven and nine in the morning the light is low, the steam rises from the pools and the tour buses have not yet arrived. In the middle of the day, especially in summer and at weekends, the falls become the exact opposite of what you are looking for: crowds, queues to park, pool beds ruined by sunscreen.

That is exactly why it is worth choosing the cold months, from November to March, when plunging into the warm water while the air is freezing is an almost theatrical pleasure and the visitors can be counted on one hand. Bring reef shoes, because the travertine is slippery, and no shampoo or soap: the ecosystem is fragile. Leave your jewellery at home, because the sulphur blackens silver.

Respecting the place

If you dream of it as an escape from the town of Saturnia or from the paying spa facilities, the Cascata del Mulino can still give you silence. All it takes is giving up the convenient hour and giving the place back the respect it deserves: taking your rubbish away, speaking quietly, not lingering for hours and keeping others from enjoying the pools.

Related guides: Tuscany away from the crowds: hidden villages beyond the classic destinations · Where to go in October without the crowds: villages, foliage and still-warm sea.

Getting there

The Cascate del Mulino lie along the Strada della Follonata at Saturnia, in the municipality of Manciano, in the Maremma. They are easily reached by car: from Grosseto follow the main road toward Saturnia and then the signs for the falls, where there is a large, free, unattended car park. Entry is free and the pools are accessible all year round; the reference airports are those of Rome, Pisa and the small hub of Grosseto.

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