- Hiking in Tuscany through vineyards right next to the sea -
Hiking in Montescudaio - Vineyards and forests
Technical details
Description
Hiking in Tuscany doesn't always means Chianti! The Etrsucan Coast is an area right in front of Chianti but by the sea. So... just like Chianti but overlooking the Mediterranean sea!
Much less known then Chianti, Montescudaio is another DOC area which is beginning to be a worldwide reference for winemaking. Off the beaten path, yet it has it all, rolling hills combed with vineyards, twisty roads running through wheat fields and lush forests. Most importantly, everything is right in front of the Mediterranean sea.
Our hike starts from a quite uninteresting field, that quickly changes once we take the first turn on our path. Immediately we found our selves in a secluded and wide valley. The scenery changes continuously in the most peculiar way where small patches of vineyards alternate with wild woods and wheat of grain.
Our hike continues always on very comfortable country roads, through farms and ancient houses. We then leave the dirt for a small patch of tarmac that will lead us to the tiny center of Montescudaio. We visit the village and rest beneath the castle square overlooking the sea
.
We make our way back, again on a small patch of tarmac, until we get a country road that makes walk in a cork oak forest. The path changes drastically when it starts to descent into the bottom of the valley. The vegetation almost turns into a jungle like scenery which opens up, into the most amazing wheat field locked into a secret valley. We walk along the field for the next 2 miles that lead us back to where we started.
Of course, we take our transport and transfer ourselves to the wine making farm “la Casaccia” for some Wine and Cured meat tasting.
Distance : 18km
Type: Ring walk
Duration: 6hr
Elevation Gain: +200
Difficutly: Easy
Footwear needed: trekking shoes or boots
For kids: yes
Links: Montescudaio on abctuscany