The quiet Nature of the parks, delimited by rivers, lake and wild beaches along the endless pinewoods of the Etruscan coast, but also the enchanting Nature of the typical tuscan countryside rich in family farms and prestigious wineries. The Art and the History of town as Lucca and Pisa but also charming small villages known for their medieval fortifications, their typical products or where famous artists as Puccini and Carducci composed their works..
So you have a unique chance to experience all Tuscany tastes..
“La via ciclabile degli Etruschi” because this tour crosses the large part of Tuscany, mostly on the coast, where the ancient people of the Etruscans lived: a peaceful and cultured people, the Etruscan lived in tune with the nature and the landscape, with a particular love for eating and beauty.
Let’s image to follow their foot step and their way of life for this trip out of time!

Bike holiday description

Day 1 Individual arriving at Pisa
Meeting in the evening in Pisa. Welcome briefing in the hotel (Bike setting, gps and maps delivery).

Day 2 Pisa - Lucca 34km - 3,5 hours (slow biking)
The tour starts from Pisa, leaving the leaning tower and the Arno river behind to reach an ancient aqueduct, and biking along it. Through a country road at the feet of “Monti Pisani”, with the mountains “Apuan Alps” in the background, we reach San Giuliano Terme and its ancient thermal baths and some parish churches and small
villages, before seeing the famous walls of Lucca. Biking on the walk of the walls and the historic centre you will have a great view of this wonderful medieval city, mostly pedestrian.

Day 3 Lucca - Versilia 43km - 4 hours
Lucca deserves another sightseeing tour in the morning, when streets and typical shops look more lively and bright. Leaving the city centre you will pass by an old Carthusian monastery and Nozzano, an ancient hamlet maintaining its original aspect and fortifications, to reach Massaciuccoli park, on Massaciucoli lake, after a country uphill road. From the short hill you will have an enchanting view of the park , the coast and the sea on the horizon. From here to Viareggio, Marina di Pietrasanta and Versilia beaches it’s a pleasant biking in a totally different landscape.

Day 4 Versilia - Pisa 42km - 4 hours
The third stage of the tour starts cycling along the “Versilia” promenade, one of the most famous in Tuscany. You will cross the small town of Viareggio, known as resort for famous people, for its Carnival and for the production of yachts and luxurious boats. Changing scenery again you will bike through the Natural Park of “Migliarino - San Rossore- Massaciuccoli”, typical for its sweet-smelling pinewoods and sand dunes, and visit Torre del Lago Puccini, on its centre. The tour will take you in Pisa again for the night..

Day 5 Castiglioncello - Marina di Bibbona 26km - 2,5 hours (+ 1h)
After an easy train transfer from Pisa to Castiglioncello, you will start your tour southwards always along the seaside: you will enjoy the cycling on natural bike paths inside the centenarian pinewoods, arriving up to several lovely sandy beaches: “The White – Beaches of Vada”, the “Mazzanta”, the “Marina di Cecina”…since the climate in this part of Tuscany is very pleasant also in Spring and Autumn, you will have the chance to stop and relax on the sand, enjoying the typical quiet of early/late season and going for a swim in the sea when sun still brights high.

Day 6 Marina di Bibbona – Bolgheri – Castagneto Carducci – Marina di Bib. 35 km - 4 hours
The fourth tour of the holiday is a break in the countryside. This is the day for people loving quality wines and the typical Tuscan countryside, with cypresses, vineyards, farmhouses, mild hills in the background…just like in the postcards! Actually the area we cross is not far from the sea and so not too hilly. The route is along the “Wineroad of the Etruscan Coast”: you will reach Bibbona, Bolgheri and Castagneto Carducci crossing the whole area where SuperTuscan wines as Sassicaia and Ornellaia are produced. You will find a lot of wineries where stop your cycling for a wine tasting, before coming back to our beautiful hotel to relax.

Day 7 Marina di Bibbona – Follonica 59km - 5,5 hours
Following the coast you will reach San Vincenzo, another seaside resort, with a beautiful promenade, sandy beaches and restaurants near the sea, and then the gulf of Baratti, a spectacular bay, with a wide sandy beach (with a particular dark colour), protected by wild cliffs. Here the nature is uncontaminated, there are only a few houses on the sea, with a small harbour for sailing boat; the area is dominated by Populonia, one of the most famous archaeological site of Tuscany, with a lot of perfectly maintained Etruscan graves, with sarcophagus and paintings on the inner walls. The tour continues on the plain countryside facing Elba island and then returning to the sea to Torre Mozza, where an ancient tower is built directly on the fine white beach; You will proceed along the sea until the seaside-resort of Follonica, where you will find the last hotel.

Day 8 Individual trip back
After enjoying the sea for the last time, you can easily reach Follonica train station to come back to Pisa unless you just reserved an holiday extension to spend some days in total relax on the sea or in a thermal centre, or to continue your adventure with other unforgettable experiences.

Characteristic of the routes

Easy tour, suitable for every tourist cyclist. Even if Tuscany is famous for its hills, this tour is flattish, because basically it is developed along seaside or rivers. Only some short uphill roads around Lucca and some parts with gently rolling hills through Bolgheri wine roads. Max. Altitude 130m from Lucca to Massaciuccoli. We select the less-traffic roads of the areas we cross, very often local roads, bike paths and sometimes dirt roads. The railway arrives not far from each village/town chosen as arrive/start of a stage and very close to many villages on the routes. In case of tiredness or bad weather, you can easily take the train