Biking from the Heart of Tuscany to its Spectacular Mediterranean Coast

Bike from Tuscany's Chianti wine region to its Mediterranean coast and the curving hillside roadways of the Mediterranean Island paradise of Elba. Starting from Chianti's most famous wine villa, ride through Medieval hilltowns to the ancient Etruscan city of Volterra before following an easy biking route to the Tuscan coast and the SuperTuscan vineyards and olive groves of Bolgheri. As you meander this undiscovered coast, your route will pull you inadvertently toward the aquamarine colors of the Mediterranean sea and the paradise island of Elba, an island of unsurpassed natural beauty, from treeless mountain summits to lush forest covered slopes, and from magnificent beaches caressed by crystal clear waters to Medieval fortresses and quaint fishing villages. While on Elba, we'll toast a glass of its unique wines to its most famous resident, Napoleon Bonaparte, as you discover why Elba was chosen as his exile paradise.

Day 1 - Greve & Monteriggioni - Meet at your hotel in Florence.Private transfer to Greve in Chianti, the market town for the Chianti wine producing region.Private tour and wine tasting lesson at a beautiful Renaissance villa known for its award winning Chianti Classic wines, and the birthplace of the Mona Lisa painted by Leonardo da Vinci.From Panzano, ride Chianti's wine roads to Castellina in Chianti, a ridgetop wine town with views extending all the way to the towers of Siena.Follow a long downhill route to Monteriggioni, a dramatic Sienese fort and Medieval village described in Dante's writings.Travel to San Gimignano, a perfectly preserved Medieval town known for its skyline of ancient stone towers.

Day 2 - Volterra to the Tuscan Seaside - Follow a panoramic route through a golden patchwork of open pastures and ripening grain fields to the alabaster workshops and the Etruscan Roman ruins at Volterra, one of Italy's oldest cities.Discover the origins of Volterra and its centuries-old tradition of artistic expression through its work on alabaster. Visit its pre-Roman Etruscan walls and town gates, its Roman amphitheater and baths and its untouched Medieval streets, palaces and churches.Picnic in its archeological park or lunch in its central piazza, regarded as one of the most preserved Medieval squares in Italy.An afternoon ride winding downhill into the Cecina valley will bring us toward the sea and the forest covered slopes of the "Costa degli Etruschi".

Day 3 - Bolgheri Vineyards & the "Costa degli Etruschi" - Fans of super-Tuscan wines and connoisseurs of Italy's finest olive oils are familiar with such celebrated names as Ornellaia and Sassicaia, two of Italy's finest wine cellars, and local producers.Ride to the sea side for your first views of the Etruscan Coast, named as the cradle of the pre-Roman Etruscan civilization.Cycle through fruit orchards and vineyards past Medieval castles and fortified villages.Feast on a Club Toscana lunch of regional specialties in Bolgheri, the castellated country residence of the Counts of the Gherardesca.Visit a renowned olive oil producer and learn what makes this area's olive oil, some of Italy's best.Cycle by Castagneto Carducci, and its 11th-century Castello.

Day 4 - The Cornia Wine Valley - Bike a meandering route, once used by 12th-century pilgrims on their return from the Holy Lands, now favored by professional cyclists as the perfect training ground.Pass through a lush cork-tree and oak forests teaming with song birds before arriving in Suvereto, a little known Tuscan hilltop gem with a 9th-century hilltop fortress.Ride into the quiet Cornia valley where Italy's next generation of super-Tuscan wine producers are making a name for themselves.Boat to the magnificent Island of Elba arriving in the sea port of Portoferraio, Elba's colorful main town and fishing boat harbor dominated by its hilltop Medici fortresses.Continue to our hotel located along one of Elba's beautiful sandy beaches.

Day 5 - The Island of Elba - Bike an around-the-island route passing by some of the prettiest and most photographed beaches in the Mediterranean.Discover fishing villages and the charming centuries old hillside villages of Marciana Alta and Poggio, immersed in lush forests with spectacular views overlooking the north coast and its vineyards.Take an optional chair lift to the summit of Monte Capanna, Elba's highest point, for spectacular views of Elba, the Tuscan coast and the island of Corsica in the distance.Sample the best of Elban cuisine in the island's most noted restaurants.

Day 6 - Campiglia Marittima - Homeward bound.Bid a final farewell to Napoleon's island paradise and take a private transfer to the mainland and the Campiglia Marittima train station where guests heading to Rome or Pisa and Florence will find convenient departures.As always, we would be more than pleased to help you with any of your post-trip travel planning.
Arrivederci and Buon Viaggio !