Punta Ala got its name from its shape, extending as it does into the Mediterranean Sea towards the island of Elba, from mainland Tuscany, near Grosetto.

The principal tourist destinations of the region of Tuscany in which it is situated are Florence, Pisa, Lucca, Maremma (in the province of Grosseto), Crete Senesi and Sienna. Although it is very famous for its villas, recently emphasis in Tuscany has changed in favour of agro tourism.
The climate is typically Mediterranean, with hot summers, tempered by the sea breeze from the west, and the mistral.