BIKE TOUR SIENA TO ISLE OF ELBA

Tuscany - Hills and Sea

FROM SPLENDID SIENA TO THE UNIQUE ELBA ISLAND, AN EXCITING JOURNEY IN ROAD BIKE THROUGH THE BEAUTIFUL TUSCAN COUNTRYSIDE

The protagonist of this Aemme road bike tour is the splendid Tuscan countryside from Siena to the island where Napoleon spent the famous 100 days: the Island of Elba.

Between the hills and the sea, along the panoramic roads of the island of Elba we will see a continuous of ups and downs for five days.

The road bike is a privileged observation point to appreciate the inimitable variety of landscapes: with our wheels on the mainland, we can discover hidden villages rich in history and surrounded by unspoiled nature.

Could not miss the careful choice of characteristic accommodation and delicious dinners in selected restaurants where you can taste typical local dishes with wines of the best local tradition.

We offer you this bike tour in spring and autumn, when you can best appreciate the beauty of the local landscapes. 

The tour is divided into stages, suitable for cyclists with an average level of preparation.

We also assure you the constant presence of our minibus and a guide: in case of unexpected events, you will have complete assistance.

Presentation of the bike tour, preparation of bikes, welcome drink and then dinner at the Monteriggioni Castle.

Overnight at Sangallo Park Hotel

To get into the spirit of the region there is nothing better than get in touch with these spectacular landscapes and thus start our tour with a day cycling through the famous breathtaking hills of Chianti.

In these areas, wine is the absolute protagonist of the rolling hills that will see you as protagonists.

We will start our day cycling towards Radda in Chianti, an enchanting ancient Tuscan village.

Our road will be an easy and constant climb, surrounded by many vineyards and unspoiled nature.

After leaving Radda in Chianti we head to Castellina in Chianti; when we arrive in the village we will have a "rendez vous" with a delicious cappuccino, maybe with a croissant,  to recover energy before biking back to Siena.

A renowned typical restaurant awaits us to close this unforgettable first day of cycle.

Overnight at Sangallo Park Hotel.

Here is another busy day full of interesting discovers.

Starting from Siena, crossing small hill villages and along the route with a view of the Monteriggioni castle, we reach Abbadia. 

This is an enchanted village, an important stop along the Via Francigena, the ancient road that connected Canterbury to Rome in the Middle Ages.

Then continue to Castel Pietraio and Colle Val d’Elsa, an ancient Etruscan village, that owes its development in the fifteenth century to the production of glass.

Our ride takes you to San Gimignano at 324 m above sea level, in Val d’Elsa. 

San Gimignano is a small medieval village whose numerous towers (still intact) dominate the landscape while in the Cathedral, a 12th century church, it is possible to admire Ghirlandaio's frescoes.

Finally, we arrive in Volterra, an ancient town with over 3,000 years of history.

Located in the province of Pisa, Volterra is considered, with its Acropolis, its walls and its "gates" of the historic center, one of the Italian municipalities that has best preserved its Etruscan origins.

The cathedral, the imposing Medici Fortress and the Palazzo dei Priori date back to the medieval period.

And, for fans of the “Twilight” saga, this is where the charming vampire Edward Cullen surrenders to the dreaded Volturi.

Dinner and time to visit the town.

Overnight at Hotel Le Fonti

We leave Volterra, with our bikes, after an excellent breakfast to ride through a small village, the Saline di Volterra, famous for its salt water springs and for the production of salt.

Through Pomarance and Montecerboli, important areas for the development and use of geothermal energy, going up and down through historic villages such as Sarezzano, Monteverdi Marittimo and Doronatico, we arrive at our destination: San Vincenzo.

The well-known holiday resort is located on the Ligurian Sea, on the famous Etruscan Coast.

In 1971 the Tour of Italy started and ended in San Vincenzo, today an important tourist destination.

After settling in your room you will have time to relax and prepare for an excellent dinner with the rest of the group based on typical local products.

Overnight at Villa Le Luci.

After breakfast, transfer by ferry from Piombino to Portoferraio on the Isle of Elba to discover the island by road bike.

Green oasis of the Tuscan archipelago, the island of Elba is a mixture of beaches and cliffs, terraces overlooking the sea, villages perched on the hills with magnificent colors, flavors and scents that give the impression of visiting places where time has stopped.

Thanks to its iron deposits, it was the heart of the Etruscan civilization whose remains and its necropolis are still visible today.

The island is rich in testimonies that cover thousands of years of history from the Romans to the Ostrogoths up to the Lombards or Langobards.

From the Volterraio road (Bagnaia, Nisporto, Nisportino) we will arrive in Rio dell’Elba, a typical medieval village where the numerous mills made an impetuous stream flow. Immediately afterwards, continuing the road that offers breathtaking views at every bend, we will reach Capoliveri, a beautiful medieval village perched on a hill at 167 m a.s.l.

We then return to Portoferraio, a Medici city with museums, palaces and fortresses; Capital of the island, it was founded in the 16th century thanks to the Grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo I. 

The "Medici family" was an ancient Florentine family, main protagonist in the history of Italy and Europe from the 15th to the 18th century.

After arriving at the hotel there will be time to check our bikes, relax and enjoy the local cuisine for dinner.

Overnight at the Hotel del Golfo in Procchio

The day starts with breakfast to give us energy for the day’s cycling before heading off in the direction of Procchio and the smallest municipality on the island: Marciana Marina. 

As we climb up through the hills, we go through the hamlet of Poggio, nestled among century-old chestnut woods, until we reach Marciana, one of the most ancient inhabited areas of the island at a height of 375m a.s.l.. 

Descending in the direction of the most famous beaches, we go through Chiessi, a small hamlet situated on the “Costa del sole”, to the far west of the island. Cycling towards our next stop, we reach Marina di Campo, a village situated at the foot of two hills, in the plain called "Maremma dell’Elba". 

“Maremma” is also an area on the mainland, between Tuscany and Lazio, mentioned by the famous Italian writer Dante Alighieri in his works. 

Thanks to its prehistoric, Roman and Etruscan settlements, over the centuries the Maremma areas, both on the mainland and on the island, offer visitors stunning scenarios. Returning to Procchio we then arrive back in Portoferraio. An excellent dinner in the company of the group terminate our superb stay on the Island, a land with different landscapes which we have been able to appreciate better riding our bikes.

Overnight at Hotel del Golfo in Procchio.

ON request

- Taxes

- Luggage transfer

- 6 nights accommodation

- 6 dinners

- 6 breakfasts

- Technical bike guide

- Technical assistance

- Technical Bike Shirt

- Return ferry to Elba island

- Transfer station-hotel

tips, laundry, service, drinks at dinner, medical insurance, lunches, pre & post tour accommodation programme and any item not included in "the package tour include".