Southern Tuscany - La Maremma to Siena.
2012 dates, May 2nd - 12th. 11 days/10 nights.
We may also run a 2nd tour in October, if the May trip fills.
Saturnia hot pools - a break from walking!This tour will take you to the real heart of Tuscany. From the coast of the Tyrrhenean Sea, up past the famous and unique tufa villages of Pitigliano, Sorano and Sovanna, by the extinct volcano Mont Amiata and the truly incredible volcanic and circular lake Lago Bolsena, through the beautiful Val D'Orcia and the unique Crete - all the way to the ancient and atmospheric towns of Montalcino and Siena.
The May tour wil be guided by myself and Luca Panaro, an experienced guide and geologist from Pisa - and in October, with my good friend Dr Goffredo Filibeck, a professor of Botany at Viterbo University.
I have hiked many times with Goffredo - in Cornwall, Morocco, Sardinia, Corsica, Tuscany, Lazio, Abruzzo and Sicily. He is very passionate about nature and history and we know that you will find him to be sensitive, caring and an interesting host and guide. He also speaks fluent English. And in 2012, we might run an additional tour in October, when the fruits of the land are abundant. Please send us an indication if this month might suit your travel plans better!
Italy is not only the land of Art and History, but it is also the land of Biodiversity. More than 5,600 plant species grow here (while for example, the UK. has only 1,500). More than 400 bird species can be observed - and large mammals like the Wolf, Porcupine, Brown Bear and Wild Boar still inhabit the forests of Italy.
Bird life is really wonderful (bee eaters, hawks, waders, etc) and so we shall see a great deal of wildlife. In May the beautiful flora is at it's absolute peak, particularly the wild orchids and poppies and the coastal Mediterranean Machia, with masses of wild herbs such as rosemary, thyme and oregano. Beautiful flowering cistus (rock rose) abounds on the island of Giglio...
The climate of Italy is very varied - from the glaciers of the Alps - to the subtropical coasts of the Mediterranean Sea. The geology is even more varied – and as a result, the landscape is incredibly diverse, changing every few kilometres. Tuscany lies about half way down Italy on the west side of the Italian Peninsula opposite Corsica. It is a wide and diverse region, ranging from the Tyrrhenian Sea to the Apennines. Many thousands of years of history of great civilisations (the Etruscans, the Romans, the Comuni, the Renaissance) have shaped a beautiful landscape – a mixture of Nature, Art and History - a mixture that is really quite unique in the whole world.
A typical Tuscan hay meadow in May, full of clover and poppies.In Tuscany, we will stay in 3 locations - Porto Santo Stefano (Monte Argentario), a luxury agriturismo (with heated pool) situated in vineyards and olive groves near Montalcino - and finally, in a magical almost 1000 year old castle in Sorano. Porto S. Stefano is on a unique island connected to the mainland by sand bars, with the beautiful La Maremma Natural Park and Giglio Island close by. Here out hotel overlooks the water directly. The agriturismo Pieve Sprenna is located near the town of Buonconvento just to the east of Montalcino and not far south of Siena. The small town of Sorano lies in the shadows of Mont Amiata, an extinct volcano some 5000 ft high. It is quite remarkable because it is built on a spectacular “rocky spur” of volcanic tufa between two converging canyons. All three accommodations during this tour offer private facilities.
From these bases, we will tour every day on foot to the most interesting places of Southern Tuscany. The area of the first part of the tour will approximately coincide with the coastal district called “Maremma” , a harmonious landscape of unspoilt woody hills, pleasant olive groves and vineyards - and hidden Etruscan ruins.
Siena - The medieval Piazza del CampoMedieval Siena.
But our itinerary will also include visits to some other interesting places: the amazing volcanic Lake of Bolsena, the truly Mediterranean Isle of Giglio and the fascinating Val d’Orcia – this latter being one of the most famous landscapes of Italy, with rolling clay hills dotted with old farmhouses and lines of cypress trees, and surprisingly richly dotted with small Renaissance towns. We will also have the opportunity to explore beautiful villages and old hermitages, etc.
During our tour we shall see many Etruscan ruins. Their history began in the ninth century B.C. and by the 7th century BC they reached a high degree of technology, art and science. In their religion, tombs were very important indeed, so they built big necropolis (“towns of tombs”). Today, we can see these tombs, dug into the volcanic rocks. They are particularly interesting, because some are shaped like houses - and as big as houses.
In the area of our tour there are of course, also many Roman ruins, including the town of Cosa, placed on a small promontory overlooking the sea and Monte Argentario - and Vulci, where we shall explore Roman villas and walk along an original Roman road some 2000 years old. There are also many castles - and particularly common are lookout towers on coastal hills, built until the 17th century, as a defence against Saracen pirates/corsairs (North African or Moorish). Particularly picturesque are some villages, still inhabited, built in the Middle Ages on steep cliffs along gorges.
Also, of course, there are the famous medieval “hill top” villages that most people (in their imaginations) associate with Italy. Many of the little towns of the area are incredibly rich in Medieval and Renaissance churches and palaces - and the general architecture seen in old houses is really charming. We shall also probably visit Siena – a small city, but one of Italy’s (and Europe’s) finest.
Food & Wines
Southern Tuscany has a special reputation for food and wine. Here you can taste typical dishes such as “Wild Boar with tomato sauce”, “Pici all'aglione” (hand-made pasta with garlic and tomato sauce), “Roe Deer cooked in wine sauce”, “Acquacotta” (which literally means “cooked water” - a typical soup made of onions, tomatoes, celery, oil and bread), “Agnello a buglione” (Lamb Stockpot), etc. No problems for vegetarians – traditional cuisine includes a lot of completely vegetarian recipes anyway. All of our past guests have been amazed at the quality and variety of the food served at our chosen hotels, farms (we shall eat at several), and restaurants – and the gorgeous “al fresco” picnics we concoct too!
Wines are really high-quality too. We shall hike through the vineyards where the grapes that make excellent wines such as Morellino di Scansano, Bianco di Pitigliano, Aleatico di Gradoli - and the world-wide famous Brunello di Montalcino - are grown. We shall also have the opportunity to taste and purchase them (and excellent olive oil) too.
Our tour price covers absolutely everything for 11 days, even house wines each night.
Tour cost is 2200 Euros pp for shared occupancy and 2510 for single occupancy of double rooms.
This year's trip is one day longer than before, hence the rise in cost.
Please contact us for a detailed itinerary.