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Secrets of Western Tuscany
On this cycle route, you descend through foothills via olive groves, vineyards and cork-oaks to the vast fertile plains below, which border the Tyrrhenian Sea. You also take in the romantic abbey of San Galgano, beautiful Massa Marittima with its exquisite cathedral, and stay in some wonderful accommodation. Nights: 7 Day 1: our suggested route is full of historic and artistic interest. From your base you rise steadily into the hill-top village of Chiusdino with its cobbled streets, then continue across beautiful, undulating farming country to the abbey of San Galgano, once the seat of the leading monastic power in Tuscany and one of the most romantic Gothic buildings in Italy. Built by the Cistercian order of monks between 1218 and 1288, the present ruins must have once looked like a small town, while Saint Galgano’s hermitage was transformed into the circular Cappella di Monte Siepi, standing on a hill above the main abbey and holding the ‘sword in the stone’ as its centrepiece. Take time to explore and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere before your return to Chiusdino along the Merse Valley. (22.5km or 30km) Accommodation: Il Mulino delle Pile, as above. Accommodation: La Melosa (4*), Roccastrada. Situated just north of the village, this is a small spa hotel with just 12 elegant rooms, decorated with frescoes and displaying original exposed beams and stonework. Enjoy delicious and creatively presented food in the hotel’s restaurant, which often features seasonal products from the vegetable garden. Day 3: heading west on this gentle, scenic route, you encounter a number of small villages. Of particular interest is Roccatederighi, picturesquely situated on a rocky spur overlooking the plain, and the medieval castle of Montemassi, set above slopes clad with olive groves. Your destination is Massa Marittima, once the second city of the Sienese republic, and now the finest historic town of the Maremma. It boasts an exquisite cathedral and you will want to soak up the medieval splendour of Piazza Garibaldi in the lower Romanesque Old Town. (43km) Accommodation: Hotel Duca del Mare (3*), Massa Marittima. This friendly, family-run hotel is located by the entrance to the Old Town and has a swimming pool as well as large gardens overlooking the Gulf of Follonica. You stay on a bed and breakfast basis, leaving you free to take your pick of the local restaurants for dinner.
Accommodation: Hotel Duca del Mare, as above. Day 5: you head along a particularly beautiful stretch of road as it winds across the scenic Maremma hills. You can either continue on this road or take a hillier detour via remote countryside and woodland. Whichever you choose, you have time to explore delightful La Suvereto on arrival. (25km or 35km) Accommodation: Bulichella (agriturismo), La Suvereto. Set on the edge of the walled medieval village of La Suvereto, this is a friendly agriturismo which produces its own olive oil, preserves and wine. Accommodation: Bulichella, as above. Recommendations for extra nights: La Melosa (Roccastrada) for a day of relaxation and time to take advantage of the spa facilities, or Bulichella (La Suvereto) for more time to explore the Baratti Gulf. Other information: if you would like to see the brochure page, you can download this (and the pages for any other holidays you are interested in) by using our brochure creation system. Similar holidays: Siena & Southern Tuscany (grade 2), Vineyards, Venice & Vicenza (grade 2), Rolling Hills & Vineyards (grade 2), Lakes & Volcanoes of the Garrotxa (grade 2) Prices & travel 2008:
Recommended destination airport: Pisa
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The Maremma is a wonderfully undiscovered area of western Tuscany which reveals a fresh, little-discovered side to the region. Once populated by only migrant charcoal burners, shepherds and butteri (cowboys tending the region's oxen and horses), nowadays it makes a perfect region for two-wheeled exploration. The hilly inland terrain is studded with ancient farmhouses and criss-crossed by quiet, winding roads. While the culture, food and wine remain typically Tuscan, there is a sense of timeless wilderness and ancient spirituality in these lands, which were a great source of monasticism in medieval times. 
Starting point: Il Mulino delle Pile (agriturismo), near Chiusdino. Your first base is rustic and secluded, a 13th-century watermill converted into a fine traditional stone agriturismo (working farm), and set in beautiful gardens. Relax and make use of the swimming pool, and enjoy typical Tuscan cuisine based on fresh and seasonal products, perhaps dining alfresco on the lower terrace on warmer evenings.
Day 2: after an initial ascent, a fine stretch of strada bianca leads south-east via Luriano, snaking gently across a range of panoramic rolling hills set amid delightful wooded scenery. At its end you join a tranquil lane, heading south via the fortified village of Torniella to your next hotel. (25km)
Day 4: today's circuit takes you south down onto the plain and past scenic Lake Accesa, set in a beautiful and tranquil landscape. For a more strenuous day, extend the route by climbing up to Vetulonia, where you can visit the remains of a necropolis left by the mysterious Etruscans. (30km or 55km) 
Day 6: another dramatic change in scenery awaits as you follow flat country roads lined with cypresses across the plain towards the maritime pine forests of the coast. Relax by the beach on the unspoiled Baratti Gulf, perhaps treating yourself to a fresh seafood lunch. It is also worth visiting the archaeological site here (closed Mondays at the start and end of the seaon) - the area was once an Etruscan city-state, and you can admire a range of tombs built by this enigmatic civilisation. Should you prefer not to head to the coast, an alternative route climbs gradually through olive-clad hills before entering holm and cork-oak woods. (50km or 33km)