A different approach to nature, some suggestions

Much of the what was ancient and wild of the Maremma is still intact today, and is surrounded by the naturalistic oasis of Bolgheri, a marshy zone, where it is possible to watch the numerous migratory birds which stop over here for a while.

Between Marina di Cecina and Marina di Bibbona the great pinewoods stretch along the seashore and contain squirrels, badgers and other wild animals.

For those who love walking, cycling or horse-riding there are many paths which wind through the hills between the vineyards, olive trees and wild woods around Castagneto.

On the headland between Populonia and Piombino a walk goes right above the sea-shore where the great shape of the Island of Elba can be seen in the distance. Further inland there is the Magona bio-park which extends from the hills of Bolgheri to Bibbona.

If being away from the main beaches is an objective, there are less frequented beaches which reveal a coast still untouched by invasive tourism, where there are quiet walks in beautiful scenery to be had.

Of all the sights that the Tuscan countryside has to offer, the metal-mine hills are definitely one of the most dramatic. They are the “insides” of the hills, sheltered from the sea by an expanse of untouched woods where a dense sulphorous vapour rises out from the subsoil with the breath of the unexpected and of the ancient miners.