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CYCLING AND TREKKING
In the surrounding zones to our structure it is possible to cover
many country cycle rides of varying
difficulty through the beautiful Tuscan landscape;
the areas around the relais are also habitually chosen by professional
cyclists for their every day training.
The hills surrounding Vada, are good
for those who like cycling. The tracks are not very uneven and offer
wonderful landscapes to remember and to photograph.
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THE WINE ROAD ITINERARY
Starting point: Rosignano Marittimo
Arrival point: San Vincenzo
Itinerary length: 160 km
Details: although the number of kilometres
is not great, we suggest you should complete this itinerary in 2
or 3 days. It is also possible to cycle along. The most suitable
part for cycling stretches between Bibbona, Bolgheri and Castagneto
Carducci.
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You leave from Rosignano Marittimo towards Cecina by the hill road
through the villages of Castellina Marittima ahd Riparbella. Once
at Cecina, you return to the interior along the panoramic road crossing
the mediaeval villages of Montescudaio, Guardistallo and Casale
Marittimo.
From Casale go down towards Bibbona (3 km) and take the beautiful
Bolgherese Road from which you can see the vineyards both of Ornellaia
(between Bibbona and Bolgheri) and Sassicaia (between Bolgheri and
Castagneto Carducci).
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Once at Bolgheri and its majestic cypress avenue, keep going towards
Castagneto Carducci (12 km).
There the State Route n. 329 plunges into a thick wood of helm-oaks
and chestnuttrees and stretches towards Sassetta (7 km) first and
then Suvereto (13.5 km).
This is probably the wildest and most spectacular part of the
Wine Road. From Suvereto you climb up towards Campiglia Marittima
(9 km). There you go down to the southern part of Val di Cornia
until you reach Piombino (20 km), which has a beautiful promontory
overlooked by the Rocca di Populonia.
The last part unwinds along the coast above the gulf of Baratti
and reaches San Vincenzo through Via della Principessa passing near
the Natural Park of Rimigliano.
The latter is made up of 350 hectares of beaches, sandy dunes and
thick Mediterranean Macchia vegetation.
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RISERVA NATURALE BIOGENICA (A NATURAL PARK)
Starting and arrival point: Casa Forestale
Itinerary length: 1.2 km
Height above sea level: 20 m
Time: 1 hour
Details: this track is going to be equipped
for disabled people. Picnic areas
You get to the starting point going along the untarmacked road
which from Bibbona cemetery stretches towards Macchia della Magona.
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After a first fork (keep left), you arrive at another after 1.3
km. Turn right and go ahead until you meet a barrier (300 m). There
you can park your car. Proceed walking along the track, which starts
on
your left and quickly reaches Casa della Forestale.
Then take the avenue lined with cypresses. After about 100 m, take
the path climbing up on the right. Walk along for 500 m in a thick
wood among the typical plant species of the Macchia vegetation,
such as the pine of Aleppo, the domestic pine and the cypress. Once
at Fonte al Rome in the proximity of an ancient rebuilt charcoal
pit, go back to track n. 6, which returns to the starting point
(600 m).
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CROSSING MAGONA
Starting and arrival point: Bibbona
Itinerary length: 19 km
Height above sea level: 340 m
Time: 2 hours (without any stops)
Details: the entire track takes place
on untarmacked roads. It unfolds in a wonderful typically Tuscan
scenery in the first and in the final parts; in the middle it crosses
the very heart of the Macchia.
To those who are well-trained we suggest taking the high alternative,
slightly more difficult both for the altitude and for a particular
part of the track, which is very uneven. In this case the track
is 26 km long and 490 m above sea level.
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You leave from the centre of Bibbona towards the cemetery.
There the road immediately becomes untarmacked. After about 1 km,
you find a fork. Keeping left, you start climbing gently up through
the Macchia and then you arrive at a junction. On the left, the barrier
you see is the starting point of track n. 5. |
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The path climbs gently up in the middle at first of cypresses and
then of holm-oaks and turkey oaks, steepening in the final part
before it reaches (3.4 km) Passo del Terminino (281 m). There it
goes right and leads to track n. 10,
which keeps climbing gradually up for 1.7 km up to Poggio al Fango
(340 m). Here there are two possible alternatives to reach the valley
of botro Campo di Sasso.
- The usual road (track n. 12). The panoramic road keeps the same
altitude for 3 km until the fork on the right where itinerary
n. 13 starts.
- The high itinerary. Go along track n. 10 (left-hand fork), which
climbs up across panoramic spots to Campo di Bibbona, a place
characterised by a spring known as Fonte del Ciliegio.
After Poggio il Morticino (visible on your right), you get to Passo
delle Golazze Aperte (475 m) where you leave the road to take itinerary
n. 16 on your right (it isnot always possible to cycle along).
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| From "Agenzia per Il Turismo
Costa degli Etruschi" |
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After 200 m, it comes out in the most spectacular panoramic spot
of the whole track: the view extends over the entire Macchia up
to the coastline. Once at Tre Confini you proceed on the right.
You cannot cycle along for 1 km because of big stones and a furrow
dug by the rain, but you can walk easily.
After this difficult part you can ride your bike again until the
fork called Bivio dell'lmmaginetta. There on the right you take
the path of track n. 12. You keep at the same altitude for 800 m
up to an easy ford and after 200 m on the left, go ahead until the
junction with itinerary n. 13.
You cannot cycle along the first part (400 m), but then the path
changes into a beautiful and wide road lined with a double row of
cypresses sloping down along the stream botro di Campo di Sasso.
Once at Casetta (3.5 km), you come out of the Macchia vegetation
in the proximity of the beautiful farmhouse Campo di Sasso.
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The path keeps sloping down passing through Poggio Cornetto up
to the bridge over the stream Botro degli Strinati (60 m), then
it goes up again to a fork (turn left) and then to the village of
Bibbona.
Short alternative itinerary (9 km long; 120 m above sea level):
go along the above described itinerary until the barrier mentioned
for track n. 5 (2,6 km). There you turn right going along track
n. 6. After 300 m, you proceed along itinerary n. 9 up to Casetta
(2.3 km) at Campo di Sasso. You go back along the same track described
above.
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