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The Tuscan Coast and the Island of Elba
Discover vineyards, medieval hilltop villages, the sunny Etruscan coast, the enchanting Island of Elba and the Renaissance city of Florence on a gourmet food and wine tour in Italy. Sample award-winning wines, delicious olive oil and savory local cuisine as you cycle the hills of the Etruscan Coast and Tuscany. Explore the ancient Etruscan hilltop cities of Volterra, Massa Marittima, Lucca and San Gimigiano. Stay two nights at most hotels and do loop rides on the second day. Accommodations will be in 3 or 4 star country inns that reflect the charm of the area. Arrive 9/14/06 in Florence and depart Florence for home 9/26/06.
Average cycling distance will be 35 to 40 miles a day with approximate 2 to 3 thousand feet of elevation. Excellent roads, minimal traffic with grades averaging 5 to 7 percent. Routes are appropriate for the active cyclist who enjoys riding 4 to 5 hours a day. Tour is not advisable for the inexperienced touring cyclists, or cyclists who want to be on the bike all day. Basic map reading and navigational skills are required. Leaders have scouted the route and have led many tours in Italy.
Meals will be chosen by the leaders who have knowledge of local food and wine. Most meals will be 4 courses of hearty varied Tuscan cuisine. No special meals are allowed. Price is estimated to be $2400 per person double occupancy at today's exchange rate. Price could go up or down depending on the value of the U.S. dollar at final payment.
Day 1 Florence-Arrive at hotel
Day 2 Florence-Assemble your bike and take a walking tour of the many famous historical sites close to our hotel.
Day 3 Volterra-We’ll take the train the seaside city of Cecina, and leave the train to cycle through a landscape of olive groves, tidy vineyards and quiet green pastures, to the fascinating hilltop town of Volterra. Its architecture is primarily medieval, yet Volterra cherishes abundant evidence of the Etruscan period and offers one of the most important Etruscan museums in Italy.
Day 4-Volterra Loop- Our up and downhill biking through the countryside continues today to San Gimignano which is often referred to as the Manhattan of Tuscany. This spectacularly beautiful hill town is famous for its numerous towers, which make it conspicuous from a great distance and one of the most well recognized views in all of Italy.
Day 5 - Massa Marittima
It’s a medieval jewel perched high above the Tuscan coast. One can see the blue waters of Tyrrhenian Sea from its city walls. Its origins show traces of the Bronze Age. Today the town center of Massa Marittima is a destination for all the lovers of the Middle Ages and for those that want to explore it’s winding streets.
Day 6 - Massa Marittima Loop
Ride through the pristine forest and Southern hills of Tuscany. You’ll be treated to spectacular views from hill tops that one only sees on postcards. The traffic free roads are a rider’s paradise that you can leisurely enjoy.
Day 7 Castagneto Carducci
Ride from Massa Marittima through the winding hills of the Marrema to Carlo’s Hotel. A small family hotel that is owned by a former Italian cycling champion.
Relax in the swimming-pool, take a sauna or have a massage. The area is known for its pleasant climate and the beautiful landscape, thanks to its position on the top of a hill at about 8 km from the Tyrrenian Sea
Day 8 Castagneto Carducci
Take the train to Lucca. The center of the city is a stately grid of Roman roads behind a mammoth belt of tree-topped battlements. Its home to Puccini and soft pastel plasters, an elegant landscape of churches and palaces, delicate facades, and Art Nouveau shop fronts on wide promenades. Spend the day exploring, shopping or relax at a sidewalk café and enjoy the peaceful ambiance of one Tuscany’s most beautiful and well preserved Renaissance towns.
Day 9 Castagneto Carducci
Ride by the Bolgheri Vineyards and follow tall cypress tree lined roads past the feudal estates of the Counts of Gherardesca, with their towers, medieval castles and fortified villages. It will be a meandering route, once used by 12th-century pilgrims on their way to Rome, now favored by professional cyclists as the perfect training route. . Here we’ll find a landscape rich of olive trees, chestnut woods and vineyards.
Day 10 -The Island of Elba
Take a short train ride to Piombino and take a ferry to the magnificent Island of Elba arriving in the sea port of Portoferraio. It’s Elba's colorful main town and fishing boat harbor dominated by its hilltop Medici fortresses. We’ll cycle to our beach front hotel where you can swim in the crystal clear blue waters.
Day 11 Island of Elba
Bike an around-the-island route passing by some of the prettiest and most photographed beaches in the world. 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.
Day 12 Florence
Ride to the ferry and depart by boat to the Italian mainland for train connections to Florence where we’ll pack our bikes and stay our final night.
Day 13 Florence
Depart from Florence for home or other vacation destinations.
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