Cornacchiaia Woods Sanctuary

The Cornacchiaia Woods Sanctuary lies at the southern edge of the Tenuta di Tombolo, within the Site of Communitary Importance (SIC) called Selva Pisana. This, like the Tenuta di Tombolo, is a site that enables us to appreciate the characteristic altering 'tomboli' (dunes) and 'lame' (wet depressions), barriers of sandy dunes separated from each other by depressions.

The Cornacchiaia Woods are part of the Migliarino San Rossore Massaciuccoli Park forest where the effects of mankind and animals (hooved) are less evident, boasting perfectly conserved, often impenetrable undergrowth.

The pine forest is largely spread throughout the dunes area, in the other areas of the park. The undergrowth features prevalently holm oak and other Mediterranean species While pine is rare at the Cornacchiaia, the holm oak grows in almost all of the 'tomboli': this is due to the fact that holm oak was never replaced with pine in this area, a practice in past centuries that has generated the traditional image of the pine forest along the Tuscan coast.

Moreover, there are numerous fresh water ways and circular wells where hygrophilic marsh vegetation grows, thanks to the stagnant surface water that brings about the flowering of the lower slope.

The oasis is reached by the Pisan coastline, entering from Calambrone in Via dei Porcari, and is run by the Pisa WWF in collaboration with San Rossore Park. The oasis features some visitor structures, such as the fauna observatories over the turtle pit and the pond in the southern edges of the woods.

Guided visits can be conducted upon booking by contacting the Pisa section of WWF, tel. 050 580999, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .