Hiking and riding in southern Tuscany
The region of Maremma offers a vision of Italy at its most ‘Arcadian’

A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Thank you for signing up to TheWeek. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
A region of low hills, ancient forests and untamed beaches, Maremma, in southern Tuscany, offers a vision of Italy at its most “Arcadian”, said Laura Rysman in The New York Times. It was once notorious for its malarial marshes, but they were drained in the 16th century on the orders of Fernando I de’ Medici. Today it is known for its butteri, cowboys who ride indigenous horses – the “wide-torsoed” Maremmano breed. Theirs is a venerable equestrian tradition, stretching back, some say, to the Etruscans. At Tenuta di Alberese, a farm in the Parco della Maremma, experienced riders can accompany them as they herd “lyre-horned” Maremmana cattle. But there’s easier riding on offer in the region too, and plenty more to do, from hiking to canoeing and birdwatching.
At La Pescaia – a 16th century villa turned “idyllic” country inn – guests can take riding lessons and go on day-long horseback excursions. For longer itineraries, you might try La Corte di Ardengo, a ranch set among wildflower meadows. Wading across rivers and wending your way through copses of gnarled cork trees, you can ride for hours here without seeing another human being. The Maremma Safari Club offers similar multi-day trips for hikers, some ending in the town of Monticello Amiata, where there’s a good farm-stay, Le Pianore, with cabins built entirely of straw and clay.
In the little hill town of Pereta, stay at Locanda Sospesa, a guesthouse with a lovely garden and glorious views. Nearby are the hot springs of Saturnia, where you can swim in a “bath-warm” geothermal river. But be sure to also spend some time by the sea. On the peninsula of Monte Argentario there are two “high-end” hotels, Il Pellicano and La Roqqa, but still lovelier are the Maremma’s wilder coastal stretches, such as the beach of Marina di Alberese, where “luminous” sands are “bracketed by juniper bushes” and watched over by a lonely medieval tower.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up to the Travel newsletter for destination guides and the latest trends
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
Sign up to our 10 Things You Need to Know Today newsletter
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
-
Ratings over democracy
Cartoons
By The Week Staff Published
-
Consumption rooms: a legal place for illegal drugs?
Talking Point Scotland approves UK's first trial facility where users can take drugs under medical supervision
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
'Biden must be embarrassed he didn't think of this first'
Instant opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass Published
-
Seaham Hall review: serenity on the coast in County Durham
The Week Recommends Former haunt of Lord Byron is pure poetry when it comes to spa options in the north-east
By Jamie Timson, The Week UK Published
-
A weekend in Lausanne: travel guide, things to do, food and drink
The Week Recommends Everything you need to know for a city break on Lake Geneva
By The Week Staff Published
-
Volcanoes, lakes and jungle ruins in Guatemala
The Week Recommends Discover the 'vibrant indigenous culture' and biodiverse landscape of this Central American paradise
By The Week Staff Published
-
Jamaica Inn review: a small patch of Caribbean heaven
The Week Recommends Guests will feel like one of the family at this boutique beach resort in Ocho Rios
By Natasha Langan Published
-
A bicycle safari in Botswana
The Week Recommends Explore the Okavango Delta on wheels during a multi-day safari experience
By The Week Staff Published
-
A weekend in Wells: travel guide, things to do, food and drink
Everything you need to know for a visit to 'Holly-Wells' – Somerset's film hotspot
By The Week Staff Published
-
A weekend in Tenby: travel guide, things to do, food and drink
The Week Recommends Everything you need to know for a coastal break in Pembrokeshire
By The Week Staff Published
-
A tour of Savoie’s majestic Alpine lakes
The Week Recommends The great lakes of France’s Pays de Savoie offer ‘an impression of cleanliness, order and rude good health’
By The Week Staff Published