Highlights of Tuscany`s Southern Coast - Jennifer Reilly

6/8/12
Highlights of Tuscany's Southern Coast on Behind the Guides
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Highlights of Tuscany's Southern Coast
Posted by Jennifer Reilly at 4/17/2012 9:30 AM EDT
With gently undulating hills topped by olive groves, sunflower fields, and
verdant vineyards, the southern Tuscan coast is one of the best places to
bike in Italy. And although it’s still off the beaten path, this part of Tuscany
has never been easier to explore—for a limited time in 2012, the award-winning
tour operator VBT (tel. 800/245-3868; www.vbt.com) is offering Frommer's
readers $200 off any new booking of any European bicycling vacation,
including tours of this region. This offer is valid through June 15, 2012.
Tuscany’s wild southern coast isn’t just for bikers, of course. Whether you
prefer touring scenic medieval villages or lounging on sun-kissed beaches, the
coast and its neighboring attractions offer the best of Tuscany without the
crowds you’ll find in landlocked Florence or Siena. Here are 6 of the top ways
to experience Tuscany’s overlooked southern coast.
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Bagno delle Donne, by Jennifer Reilly
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Lounge by a Crystal-Blue Bay
The Maremma is a rugged pocket of cowboy country in southern Tuscany that
stretches roughly from the town of Cecina in the north to the Monte
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Highlights
of Tuscany's Southern Coast on Behind the Guides
in the north to the Monte
Argentario promontory in the south. At the heart of the region is an unspoiled
regional park, the 15-km- (9-mile-) long Parco Naturale della Maremma
(www.parco-maremma.it). Somewhere between this park’s pine forests and
secluded beaches, you'll spot long-horned white cattle, the roving buteri
(Maremman cowboys) who tend to them, and numerous bird species like
peregrine falcons and flamingoes. At the southern edge of the park, you can
relax at Bagno delle Donne, a peaceful cove that empties into the Tyrrhenian
Sea.
Take in Sweeping Views of the Tuscan Countryside
The ancient hill town of Capalbio is one of the most beautiful undiscovered
gems in southern Tuscany. Explore the town's winding medieval streets and its
striking fortress, and stroll along its ramparts to take in unmatchable views of
the valley below. After sightseeing, reward yourself with a stop at the muchadmired restaurant Da Maria (tel. 39/0564-896014) for local delicacies like
cinghiale (wild boar). You can sample even more cinghiale if you visit during
the Sagra del Cinghiale—held every September, this festival celebrates the end
of hunting season.
Visit a Nature Reserve
Wealthy and famous people flock to the luxurious resort peninsula of Monte
Argentario in far southern Tuscany (Sophia Loren reportedly has a vacation
house here). The peninsula has one of the region's best beaches, the
sheltered and shady Tombolo della Feniglia, and it's convenient to the nearby
Etruscan settlement of Orbetello, whose 5th-century walls guard the city
against the saltwater lagoon that surrounds it. Protected by the World Wildlife
Fund, Orbetello’s lagoon and nearby Lago di Burano are significant stops for
birders—roughly 200 of Italy's 450 bird species live or pass through here
annually.
Fattoria Magliano, by Jennifer Reilly
Sleep Surrounded by Vineyards
The welcoming and conveniently-located Fattoria La Parrina (tel 39/0564862-626; www.parrina.it/en/welcome.htm) is a perfect base for any tour of
the southern Tuscan coast. This agriturismo (farm stay) is set on 1,185 acres
of picturesque farmland, and most of its guests stay in a bona fide 13thcentury villa. (Near the villa, 6 modern apartments are also available for rent.)
Room rates start at 120 euros per day.
Fattoria Magliano (tel. 39/0564-593040; www.fattoriadimagliano.it) is a
young wine-growing company and agriturismo spread over some 250 acres in
southern Tuscany. Perched atop a vertiginous hill that offers breathtaking
views, the vineyard produces six top-quality wines, including a sophisticated
red called Poggio Bestiale (Beastly Hill). The 13-room property has a modern
sensibility, but is near historic attractions like Magliano, the walled medieval
village that the farm is named after. Double rooms range from 80 to 120
euros per day.
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Highlights of Tuscany's Southern Coast on Behind the Guides
Palazzo Orsini, by Jennifer Reilly
Tour an Ancient Palazzo
Located about 30 miles from the southern Tuscan coast, Pitigliano, an
ancient Tuscan city carved out of tufa rock, is definitely worth the detour
inland. In addition to its sunken Etruscan roads and 13th-century Palazzo
Orsini, the city features a number of Jewish heritage attractions—hence its
nickname Piccola Gerusalemme, or Little Jerusalem. Tucked away in the town’s
former ghetto, the Jewish Museum and Synagogue (tel. 0564-616-006;
www.lapiccolagerusalemme.it) sits in a synagogue dating from 1598. Also
carved into the town’s tufa rock foundations are ritual baths, a matzo oven,
and cellars for kosher wine.
Sample Gourmet Olive Oil
No trip to the southern coast of Tuscany is complete without sampling the
region’s famous olive oil. At Frantoio Andreini (tel. 0564-592-707;
www.frantoioandreini.it/), a Maremman olive mill, you'll learn not only how this
sacred oil is produced, but the difference between "virgin" and "extra virgin" (it
has to do with acidity), the crucial role of crushed pits (they're ground up and
included for flavor), and the proper way to test for "good" olive oil (it should
burn your throat after you sip it). Frantoio Andreini produces its own wine as
well, so you’ll have an opportunity to sample another of the region’s main
exports during your visit.
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