Thanks to a marvellous landscape, numerous parks and nature reserves, stunning beaches and nearby pinewoods, the Poggio all’Agnello resort is ideal for a cycling holiday in Tuscany. Here are some road and mountain bike routes to discover the nature and landscape of the Etruscan Coast.
The Etruscan Coast area in Tuscany has a great deal to offer to trekking enthusiasts, with fine sandy beaches, nature reserves, woodland and unspoilt nature.
The Poggio Neri Park is perfect for trekking fans. The park comprises woodland of around seven hundred hectares, with chestnut trees and holm oaks, crossed by numerous trails for trekking, mountain biking and horse riding. Picnic areas and drinking water fountains are located along the trails. The park also has trails for the disabled, for everyone to enjoy its stunning natural surroundings.
The Piombino headland gives trekking fans a chance to enjoy trails that cross Mediterranean woods and the coastline. The trail starts near Populonia and often touches the coast, with superb views of the sea and Elba island on the horizon. In warmer weather, trekkers can take a dip in one of many coves with their crystal clear waters (for example the well-known “Buca delle Fate” cove). The trail ends after around 8 km in the town of Piombino (in the Salivoli area).
The San Silvestro archaeological/mines park offers visitors a walk with a nod not only to nature, but also to culture and archaeology. The trails pass museums, former mines, medieval towns and archaeological finds, to reach the medieval Rocca di San Silvestro, the ruins of an ancient fortress. There is an entrance fee and guided visits are available.
The park comprises woodland and an area along the coast with fine sandy dunes, between Piombino and Follonica. Typical watch towers from centuries gone by stand along the park’s coastline. The park is ideal for walks or mountain bike rides, and visitors can enjoy the centuries-old oak woods, followed by a swim in the crystal clear waters of the Gulf of Follonica, with its landscape typical of the Livorno Maremma area. With its clean water and facilities for visitors, this area has boasted blue flag beaches for years.
The park is just a few minutes by car from Poggio all’Agnello, between Massa Marittima and Suvereto. The park extends for around 6,000 hectares, with green hills and woodland with holm-oaks, turkey oaks, oaks and other Mediterranean flora. Important signs from its past of coal mining and some mining villages can also be seen. The park offers visitors a considerable array of trails for trekking, mountain biking and horse riding, and the chance to admire local fauna, including fallow deer, roe deer, wild boar, porcupines and numerous species of birds. The park also has a restaurant, “La Foresta”, in the Montioni area.
The countryside around Suvereto, dotted with farms, cork trees and oak woods, offers interesting walks in a natural and man-made environment, along the renowned Etruscan Coast wine trail. The Suvereto area is not only known for its wine (Doc Val di Cornia), but also for the excellent olive oil produced at the numerous mills in the area. The walk offers a chance to pause and enjoy wine and oil tastings and local dishes, with the possibility of directly calling in at wineries and oil mills. Visits must be booked in some cases.
Information on specialist guides for trekking and cycling are available at reception. For families and/or groups.
Information on specialist guides for trekking and cycling are available at reception. For families and/or groups.
The area of the Etruscan Coast has a particular vocation for making wine, such as the famous Doc wines Bolgheri Doc, Montescudaio Doc, Val di Cornia Doc, and Doc Elba. A passion for wine is a perfect match for other typical products, such as the extra-virgin olive oil produced from vast olive groves (Moraiolo, Leccino and other autochthonous varieties) that populate the hills of this area which benefits from the influence of the Mediterranean sea.
Different food and wine trails wind their way through the Etruscan Coast area, passing historic medieval towns, with typical products to taste in the numerous recipes of Tuscan cuisine, featuring both fish (Cacciucco alla livornese – a soup dish from Livorno, sea bass, gilthead, shellfish, pasta with squid ink), and meat (Chianina beef, game including wild boar).
The Etruscan Coast: Tuscan cuisine with food and wine to taste and savour.
Tenuta Casadei is located in Suvereto, immersed in the typical Alta Maremma Tuscan landscape and just a hair’s breadth away from the sea. Here Stefano Casadei and Fred Cline have shared a project with nature at its center, respecting and protecting an environment which is rich in biodiversity, planting international vines capable of expressing all the character of the variety. It can be explored on foot or by horse drawn carriage, with a guide or on your own, following an educational path that reveals all the secrets of an enchanted ecosystem where the Biointegrale® philosophy characterizes every decision and the silence is only interrupted by the whispering of the wind or the neighing of our horses
The area inland of the Etruscan Coast offers a number of different routes immersed in the splendour of Tuscany, to travel by motorbike avoiding busy motorways, passing by centuries-old woods, castles and superb historic towns.
Starting from Poggio all’Agnello, pass through Venturina and head towards Suvereto. From Suvereto, go along the road which follows the Cornia river northwards, towards Montescudaio. At Casino di Terra, head in the direction of Volterra and San Gimignano. It’s worth stopping off at Volterra to admire this superb Etruscan town, and then go on for a further thirty kilometres along roads steeped in nature, to reach San Gimignano, the town famous for its plan which has not changed and remained intact since medieval times. On the return journey, choose a different route (around 120 km), passing through Colle Val d’Elsa, Casole d’Elsa and Castelnuovo di Val di Cecina, to discover new landscapes among the wooded hills of Tuscany. A stop-off at the delightful, charming town of Castelnuovo di Val di Cecina is recommended. This route has a lot of bends and is suitable for riders who have a dynamic, sporty style.
Starting from Poggio all’Agnello, pass through Venturina and head towards Suvereto, the first stop of the trip at this medieval town, or visit a winery or oil mill to taste local products. Continue northwards to Sassetta and then to Castagneto Carducci, along a road parallel to the coast (approximately 5-6 km, with views of the sea). From Castagneto Carducci continue inland towards Bibbona, and then on towards Montescudaio following the crest of hills parallel to the coast. After visiting Montescudaio, with views of the sea from its hilltop position, return to the coast, passing Cecina and further south, San Vincenzo (approximately 48 km).
These same routes are also possible by car.
New Bike Path
