Published on: 2 February 2014 | Last updated: 25 December 2019
This section of the route takes you through the port of Livorno and on towards one of the most scenic stretches of the coast of mainland Toscana. In then heads through the coastal pine woods and on to the wine country around Bolgheri, before coming to Baratti with its atmospheric Etruscan necropolis - and a nice sandy beach.
Look out for the Keith Hareng mural (opens in overlay) just off the route on the way out of town. The route from Pisa to the coast follows quiet country roads and is pretty uneventful. At the coast is the Marina di Pisa and from here an attractive stretch of road leads through Tirrenia and Calambrone.
You wouldn’t describe the approach into Livorno from the north as scenic - as it heads past the container port, a gas storage facility and power station - but the centre of Livorno is well worth a look with the Medici castle on an island in the middle of the city.
The road south from Livorno definitely makes up for the grittiness of the approach from the north, with a wide cycleway passing coastal villas and the naval training school, and continuing on via Antignano. These are some of the best sea views on the whole of the mainland Tuscan coast so make the most of them. Unfortunately while the views are superb, the road here is relatively busy until you get to Quercianella where you can turn off and enjoy the little seaside resort.
Map
This section is quite long —but there are plenty of places along the way where you can break your journey.
The route then continues on via Castiglioncello and Rosignano Mare. At Mazzanto you have the opportunity of following the off-road routes through the nature reserve that runs between Mazzanto and Bibbona Mare. The surface of the track through the pineta is fine (I did it after several days of heavy rain and it was perfectly rideable). Apart from being gorgeous, the pineta would, on a hot sunny day, quite literally be the cooler alternative.
After Bibbona there’s a brief detour away from the coast to Bolgheri. One of Toscana’s other wine producing areas it’s definitely a good place to stop for a meal or snack with a glass of wine - if you can get the timing right. Bolgheri is also known for the avenue of cypress trees that runs dead straight for nearly 5 kms down to the sea.
Bolgheri is one of the up-and-coming wine-growing areas in Toscana - lead by the Marchese Incisa della Rocchetta owner of the Tenuta San Guido which produces the Sassicaia wine which helped to shake up wine production in the region. This very expensive and prestigious wine was originally classified as a humble ‘vino di tavola’ (table wine) because it was produced outside the restrictive rules that governed the production of Chianti.
From Bibbona the tour follows the wine road (Strada del Vino della Costa degli Etruschi) before returning to the coast and the Riva degli Etruschi between San Vicenzo and Populonia.
Parco archaeologico - Populonia-Baratti
Baratti and Populonia are the most significant Etruscan site along this stretch of coast (Parco Archeologico di Baratti e Populonia it/eng). There are a couple of necropoli and an attractive and unspoilt beach at Baratti. The Necropoli della Cava, constructed from an old sandstone quarry, with the golfo di Baratti as a backdrop, is one of the most evocative of the Etruscan sites (allow about an hour, and shoes you can walk in are a must).
More about the Parco Archeologico
The Necropoli di San Cerbone next door to the visitor centre is not quite so evocative, but has a fascinating history. Baratti was the pre-eminent metal-working centre of the ancient mediterranean, ore came from nearby Elba and was smelted at the site near the beach. The necropolis was eventually buried under a 30-metre high slag heap. It stayed buried for a couple of millennia or so until, in the early part of the last century, more efficient smelting methods meant that it was profitable to mine the slag heap and the ancient necropolis eventually came to light from where it had been buried.
Admission is a wee bit pricey (13€ for the two necropolis - it would have been 15€ for the visit to Populonia as well) but this includes a guided tour of the Necropolis of San Cerbone. The guided tours (in Italian and English) are at 11:00, 12:00, 16:00 and 17:00 (September times - they may be more frequent in peak season). The visit takes about an hour.
The Parco is open Tuesday - Sunday in March-June and September and October. It is also open on Mondays in July and August. In the winter it is open weekends only opening times.
From Baratti, the best option is to take the road to Venturina and then pick up the old via Aurelia towards Follonica - the roads into and out of Populonia are probably best avoided unless you are heading for Elba. If you have the time and the inclination Campiglia Marittima is well worth the climb and the nearby Blucamp is one of the best in the area.
Options
Unless you are really in a hurry, seriously consider a detour to Elba. For my money the most scenic coastline in Toscana. The campsites are generally better and better value than on the mainland. See my Elba Tour article.
More information
Places to stay
Transport and services
Resources
Articles in this series
- The Tuscan coast: overview
- The Tuscan coast – Part 1: from the border with Liguria to Viareggio and Pisa
- The Tuscan coast – option: taking the high road
- The Tuscan coast Part 2: Pisa to Livorno and Populonia
- The Tuscan coast – Part 3: from Populonia to Marina di Grosseto
- The Tuscan coast – Part 4: through the Maremma to Capalbio
- The Tuscan coast – option: a tour of Elba
Get in touch
Please get in touch if you find any errors in the information, or if there’s anything, good or bad, that you’d want other cyclists to know.
Join the mailing list?
If you’ve found this site useful why not sign up to the mailing list for occasional updates about new routes.