Walking and cycling in Tuscany

Tuscany is a walking region before it is a driving one. The roads are beautiful, but the scale of the landscape only becomes clear on foot: the ridge between two valleys, the shade of a pine wood, the sudden view of a hill town from a path that no car uses.

This guide covers the different kinds of walking and cycling, and how to choose the one that fits your stay.

The Via Francigena

The Via Francigena is the historic pilgrim route from Canterbury to Rome, and it crosses Tuscany through the Val d'Elsa, Siena and the Val d'Orcia. You do not have to walk the whole route to experience it: a single stage, walked slowly, gives you the rhythm that the camino is about. The route passes through countryside, villages and small towns, and it is waymarked.

The coast and the pine woods

Around Castiglioncello, walking is a matter of pine woods, coastal paths and village streets rather than long-distance routes. The umbrella pines shade the roads, and the shoreline is a sequence of small bays reached by paths and steps. A loop that takes in the seafront, the woods and the village is a complete morning, and it requires no equipment beyond comfortable shoes.

The things to do in Castiglioncello page describes the village walks. The beaches guide explains which shores are reached by paths and steps.

The Chianti hills

Between Florence and Siena, the Chianti hills offer vineyard paths, stone villages and farmhouses. The walking is gentle to moderate, with short climbs and long views. It is also wine country, which means the day can end with a tasting — provided someone else is driving.

The Maremma parks

The Parco della Maremma, around Alberese, and the Diaccia Botrona reserve near Castiglione della Pescaia are the best-known natural areas of the southern coast. They are flat, wide and rich in birds, and they reward an early start. Some areas require guided access or permits; check before you go.

The Val d'Orcia

The Val d'Orcia is a UNESCO World Heritage landscape, and walking is one of the best ways to see it. The paths between Pienza, San Quirico d'Orcia and Montalcino cross fields, cypress roads and farmhouses. It is exposed countryside: carry water, wear a hat and avoid the middle of the day in summer.

Cycling

Tuscany is a cycling destination for road riders, gravel riders and families. The hills around Chianti and the Val d'Orcia are the classic road terrain; the white gravel roads of the south are the classic gravel terrain; and the coast has easier routes along the pine woods and the village roads. L'Eroica, based in Gaiole in Chianti, is the most famous celebration of the region's gravel and vintage cycling culture.

E-bikes have made the hills accessible to many more people, and they are a good choice for a family day. Ask about the route, the surface and the traffic before you set out.

Heat, seasons and practicalities

Spring and autumn are the best seasons for walking and cycling. High summer is hot, and the middle of the day should be avoided. Carry more water than you think you need, wear a hat, and tell someone your route if you are going into the hills. Mobile coverage is not universal in the countryside.

We do not publish route distances or times, because they depend on pace, surface and conditions. Ask us and we will suggest something that fits your experience.

Staying at Roc Villa Bay

Roc Villa Bay is a private seafront estate in Castiglioncello with four bedrooms, three private units, more than 4,000 m² of Mediterranean garden and two private accesses to the sea. It is a coastal base for walking and cycling, with the pine woods at the gate and the hills further inland.

The things to do in Tuscany hub places walking alongside wine, food, art and the sea. To ask about dates, use the enquiry form.