Walking & Trekking in Tuscany | Hiking along the Rancioa riverbed in the hidden valleys below Castiglioncello Bandini

Podere Santa Pia | Hiking along the Rancioa riverbed in the hidden valleys below Castiglioncello Bandini

This brief itinerary starts and ends at the gate of Podere Santa Pia in Castiglioncello Bandini. It explores the Mediterranean Macchia and calanchi, or badlands, in the valley below Podere Santa Pia, towards the stream Rancioa. Walking along a dry riverbed through the impressive declining grounds of the calanchi, hiking through hidden valleys while passing old ruins; it all offers a great experience. The roads and the paths going through this wild area give the visitor the opportunity to see sceneries of unexpected beauty.
The tour is not difficult, except for the essential part of the track beyond Podere Federano, where you leave the road towards the stream Rancioa, following bank and riverbed without a clear path, depending more on your intuition and reading of the landscape than interpreting maps.

Lenghth: 4,42 km, 1 hour 31 minutes

Easy, except for the essential part of the track beyond Podere Federano, where you reach and follow the Rancioa riverbed

Download gpx tracks | castiglioncello-bandini-hiking-along-the-rancioa-riverbed.gpx

Starting Point, the cypresses of Podere Santa Pia

In Tuscany, Cypress trees are a prevalent part of the landscape.
You see them on Renaissance paintings and frescoes and you will admire them around Podere Santa Pia as well as on the grounds of this casa vacanze itself.

Een bericht gedeeld door Podere Santa Pia (@poderesantapia) op 8 Feb 2017 om 4:15 PST

Podere Santa Pia, the garden, starting point.#poderesantapia

Directions following gpx tracks or on the map above 1 - Turn left and cross the olive grove to the south, towards another dirt road, here you turn right, steeply downhill 2 - Turn right, steeply downhill 3 - At the T-cross, turn left 4 - Podere Federano, an old farm in ruins, appears on your left. Walk around the stables and then leave the road and cross the field on your left, going down towards the river. In the corner, follow the river bank for a few minutes, until you reach a huge oak. There you can enter the river bed. 5 - Walk around the Downey Oak, where you can reach the riverbed. Follow the riverbed to your right, westwards 6 - There is the road again, follow it on your right uphill, until you reach a T-cross where you turn right

Where the river runs through the road
7 - Turn right, uphill, climbing to Podere Federano. Walk around the farm and follow the dirt road towards Podere Santa Pia 8 - Continue following the trail to the left 9 - Turn right, steeply uphill 10 - Turn left, to cross the hill towards Podere Santa Pia, hidden between olive and oak trees. A beautiful view on this holiday resort and its grounds open up. 11- Here we hit the road again. Turn right for a final short stretch toward Podere Santa Pia.		A beautiful view on this holiday resort and its grounds open up.
Podere Santa Pia \| Brief itinerary exploring the Mediterranean macchia and calanchi in the valley between Podere Santa Pia and Cinigiano Lenghth: 3,85 km, 1 hour 20 minutes Easy, except for the track halfway Download gpx tracks \| The-calanchi-in-the-valleys-below-podere-santa-pia.gpx

Castiglioncello Bandini, Calanchi in the valley beween Podere Santa Pia, Federano and the torrent Rancida	Cinigiano, view from Castiglioncello Bandini
Castiglioncello Bandini album

Castiglioncello Bandini, Castiglion del Torto	Celebrare il dolce far niente	Cinigiano, view from Castiglioncello Bandini
Taking a break in the shadow of an olive tree, just before reaching the ruins of Podere Federano.
Related itinerary \| From Podere Santa Pia (Castiglioncello Bandini) to Cinigiano Along the rivers in Tuscany \| Hiking along the Rancioa riverbed Traveling in Italy \| Calanchi e biancane \| Un tesoro della natura [1] See the map on WikiLoc \| The calanchi or badlands in the valleys below Podere Santa Pia\| Powered by Wikiloc