Active Adventures in Tuscany
The Italian region of Tuscany is justly famous for its rich history, vibrant culture, exquisite wine, and delicious cuisine. However, there’s another side to Tuscany waiting to be explored. The region’s diverse and exciting landscapes make it an ideal destination for those seeking an active holiday, offering a vast array of adventures ranging from cycling and horse riding to canyoning and scuba diving.
Cycling in the Winelands of Central Tuscany
The rolling hills and vineyards of Central Tuscany epitomize the classic Tuscan landscape, familiarized through Renaissance paintings and tourist brochures alike. The stunning scenery here is remarkable in its variety, presenting a patchwork of vineyards, olive groves, golden wheat fields, and lush pastures. The perfect way to traverse this landscape is on a bicycle, enjoying the warm sun on your shoulders and the delicate scents wafting through the gentle breeze.
Tuscan terrain is satisfyingly challenging but manageable, featuring gently rolling hills that lead to steeper climbs to picturesque hill towns, where breathtaking views await as you coast back down. The vista continually changes, revealing distant farmhouses flanked by cypress trees and the geometric patterns of fruitful grape vines. This region is perfect for combining healthy exercise with culinary indulgence, offering plenty of delicious wines and local specialties to taste along the way. For most wine tastings, reservations are recommended to ensure a spot.
Canyon Adventures in the Garfagnana
In the far northwest of Tuscany, the densely forested valleys of the Garfagnana provide a remote and secluded feel, nestled between the Apuan Alps and the Apennine Mountains. This region is rich in sweet chestnut trees, and it is known for its chestnut flour, which is used in delightful pasta and bread dishes. The Serchio River and its tributaries run through this mountainous area, creating a network of dramatic canyons perfect for adventure enthusiasts.
Canyoning in the Rio Selvano allows you to engage closely with nature, following the cool, clear waters of a mountain stream down a steep, narrow gorge adorned with lush vegetation. This exhilarating adventure involves sliding down slippery rock chutes, plunging into deep pools, and abseiling down massive waterfalls. You’ll find yourself in the capable hands of Simone Cecchi, the president of the Italian Association of Canyoning Guides, who provides comfort and safety during your thrilling experience.
Horse Riding in the Maremma
The southern Maremma region holds a mythical place in Tuscany’s heart, known for its remote landscapes and the resilient, independent people who inhabit it. The Parco Regionale della Maremma showcases a unique variety of scenery, featuring the Uccellina hills adjacent to pristine sandy beaches. Strikingly different from many of Italy’s overcrowded coastal areas, Marina di Alberese boasts 8 kilometers of golden sand, punctuated by bleached driftwood and surrounded by fragrant stone-pine forests.
Historically, this area has transformed from malarial swampland into robust cattle-rearing territory, home to the tough Tuscan cowboys known as butteri, along with their long-horned Maremmana cattle and robust Maremmano horses. The proud traditions of butteri continue in the regional park, as they still don traditional costumes and use their forked mazzarella sticks to round up herds.
Diving in the Tuscan Archipelago
Many visitors to Tuscany remain unaware that the region is home to one of Europe’s largest marine parks, the Tuscan Archipelago National Park, which encompasses the seven islands of the Tuscan Archipelago and stretches across hundreds of square kilometers of Mediterranean waters. Among these, Elba stands out as the largest and most renowned island, famous for being the site of Napoleon’s 300-day exile. With its beautiful sandy beaches, Elba is not only a popular summer retreat but also a haven for hikers and cyclists. Nonetheless, to truly experience the wonders of the marine park, diving beneath the sea is essential.
Diving in these pristine waters is known for its clarity, rich marine life, and intriguing wrecks. Many dive sites showcase impressive yellow and red gorgonian fans and some even unveil rare red coral that has been depleted in the Mediterranean due to harvesting for jewelry. Underwater, you’ll encounter colorful fish such as grouper, snapper, barracuda, and moray eels, along with unique sea creatures like seahorses, lobsters, octopuses, and spotted eagle rays, particularly around the island of Pianosa. Summer, particularly from June to September, is the prime diving season, and numerous dive operators operate in or around Portoferraio on the northern coast of Elba.
