Tuscany - Hills and Sea - Oct 1st

Day 1

Arrival in Siena, welcome from the staff.

Presentation of the bike tour, preparation of bikes, welcome drink and then dinner Castello di Monteriggioni.

Overnight at Hotel Sangallo Park.

Day 2

Siena – Collini del Chianti. 72 km.

There is no better way to experience this extraordinary region, than starting our unique tour with a cycling day through the famous and breathtaking Collini del Chianti. These rolling hills are famous all over the world for their delicious wine.

We’ll start our day pedaling towards Radda in Chianti, an enchanting old Tuscan village. Our road will be an easy and constant ascent, surrounded by a lot of vineyards and pristine nature.

After leaving Radda in Chianti we head to Castellina in Chianti, when we arrive in the village we’ll take a delicious cappuccino to recover energy for our last effort, back to Siena. A typical acclaimed restaurant is waiting for us to close this unforgettable first day.

Overnight at Hotel Sangallo Park.

Day 3

Siena – Volterra 78. km.

Starting from Siena, crossing small hillside villages and with a view of the Castello di Monteriggioni on the way, we reach Abbadia a Isola, which was an important stop along the Via Francigena, the ancient route that in medieval times connected Canterbury to Rome. We then continue to Castel Pietraio and Colle Val d’Elsa, an ancient Etruscan town that owes its development in the 15th century to glass production. Pedaling, we reach San Gimignano at 324 m, in the Val d’Elsa, a small medieval town whose many towers, still intact, dominate the landscape. Finally, we arrive in Volterra, an ancient town with over 3,000 years of history. Situated in the province of Pisa, Volterra is considered, with its Acropolis, its surrounding walls and its “gates” to the historic center, one of the Italian municipalities that has best conserved its Etruscan origins. The cathedral, the imposing Medici Fortress and Palazzo dei Priori instead date back to the medieval period. And, for fans of the “Twilight” saga, it was here that the fascinating vampire Edward Cullen gave himself up to the dreaded Volturi.

Dinner and time to visit the town.

Overnight at Hotel Le Fonti

Day 4

Volterra – Castagneto Carducci. 80 km.

We leave from Volterra, with our bikes, after an excellent breakfast to ride through a small hamlet, Saline di Volterra, famous for its salt water springs and for salt production. Through Pomarance and Montecerboli, important areas for the development and utilization of geothermal energy, crossing historical villages such Sarezzano, Monteverdi Maritime and Doronatico, we arrive at our destination: San Vincenzo.

On the Ligurian Sea on the famous Etruscan Coast, San Vincenzo developed as a town in ancient times and is therefore of extreme historical and cultural importance. In 1971 the Giro d’Italia started and finished in San Vincenzo which is now an important tourist resort. After settling into your room you will have time to relax and get ready for an excellent dinner with the rest of the group based on typical local products.

Overnight at Villa Le Luci

Day 5

Portoferraio – Procchio. 60.6 Km.

Eastern part of Elba island.

After breakfast and transfer by ferry from Piombino to Portoferraio, on Elba, we leave to explore the island by road bike. Green oasis of the Tuscan archipelago, Elba is a mixture of beaches and cliffs, terraces overlooking the sea, villages perched on the hillsides with magnificent colors, flavors and fragrances that give the impression of visiting places where time has stood still. The third largest island in Italy, Elba was, thanks to its iron deposits, the heart of the Etruscan civilization and the remains of outposts and the Necropolis can still be seen today. After passing from Roman rule to that of the Ostrogoths and the Lombards the Island is full of testimonies covering thousands of years of history. And keep your eyes well open when you look at the horizon because if you see a ship flying the “skull-and-crossbones” flag it could well mean that the Ottoman corsairs, dreaded by the island’s inhabitants in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, have returned…

From the Volterraio road (Bagnaia, Nisporto, Nisportino) we will arrive in Rio nell’Elba, a typical medieval hamlet where a rushing stream worked the many mills. Soon after, continuing up the road which offers breathtaking views at every turn, we will reach Capoliveri, a beautiful medieval village perched on a hill at 167 m. We then return to Portoferraio, a Medici town with museums, mansions and fortresses; capital of the island, it was founded in the sixteenth century thanks to the Grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo I. After arriving at our hotel there will be time to check our bikes, relax and enjoy the local food for dinner.

Overnight at Hotel del Golfo, Procchio.

Day 6

Procchio – Procchio. 61.40 km

Western part of Elba island.

The day starts with breakfast to give us energy for the day’s cycling before heading off in the direction of Procchio and the smallest municipality on the island: Marciana Marina. As we climb up through the hills, we go through the hamlet of Poggio, nestled among century-old chestnut woods, until we reach Marciana, one of the most ancient inhabited areas of the island at a height of 375m. Descending in the direction of the most famous beaches, we go through Chiessi, a small hamlet situated on the “Costa del sole”, to the far west of the island. Cycling towards our next stop, we reach Marina di Campo, a village situated at the foot of two hills, in the plain called Maremma dell’Elba. “Maremma” is also an area on the mainland, between Tuscany and Lazio, mentioned by the famous Italian writer Dante Alighieri in his works. Thanks to its prehistoric, Roman and Etruscan settlements, over the centuries the Maremma areas, both on the mainland and on the island, offer visitors stunning scenarios. Returning to Procchio we then arrive back in Portoferraio. An excellent dinner in the company of the group concludes our superb stay on the Island, a land of diverse landscapes which we have been able to appreciate better riding our bikes.

Overnight at Hotel del Golfo, Procchio.

Day 7

Breakfast and transfer by minibus back to Siena.

INCLUDED:

- Taxes
- Luggage transfer
- 6 nights accommodation
- 6 dinners
- 6 breakfasts
- Technical bike guide
- Technical assistance
- Technical Bike Shirt
- Return ferry 
- Transfer station-hotel
• Medical Insurance

EXCLUDED: tips, laundry, service, drinks at dinners insurance, lunches and everything is not explicitly written in this page!