Exploring the Etruscan Coast by Bike

From Florence to Populonia along the Tuscan area called "Etruscan Coast"

For our seaside holidays, we often choose the Costa degli Etruschi, or the Etruscan coast because of its history, which stretches along the Tuscan coast from Livorno down to Piombino. It’s a beautiful area, with clean and lovely beaches. It is well organized for families, and offers plenty of opportunities for outdoor activities. And then there’s the Cavallino Matto, or "Crazy Horse", an amusement park in the area we have to visit at least every summer as it’s a favorite stop for the youngest members of our family.

My favorite part, instead, is riding my bike along the wonderful roads of the coast and inland, discovering new places, enjoying the sea views, the mild climate even when Florence is boiling hot, and the lack of traffic.

For that reason, I’ve chosen to reach our vacation spot by bike for the last few years now. That way I already have my trusty two wheels with me for early-morning rides, while the rest of the family — who come by car — is still in their dreams and the air is cool, even in midsummer.

“Chi va piano va sano e va lontano.” – “Slow and steady wins the race.”

My bike is a gravel (Canyon Grizl, at the moment), suitable for white roads and bikepacking. Even though I still ride mostly on asphalt, it’s the kind of bike that best fits my way of cycling: traveling without haste, carrying just the essentials, and keeping the freedom to take the occasional off-road path.

my gravel bike, with Populonia in the background

Of course, you don’t need to cover the whole route entirely by bike. You can travel by train using the "train + bike" ("treno+bici") option, which works well and lets you bring your own bike along, or you could rent one locally, in Pisa or another town along the coast.

I’ve tried just about every combination and came to these conclusions:

• Riding all the way from Florence to Baratti-Populonia is exhausting, especially during the hot (and often very hot) summer months, and I’d rather arrive in shape to ride again the next morning.
• Doing the whole trip by train is convenient and fast, but you miss out on a beautiful, long ride along the Tuscan coast.
• The best formula for me is train + bike from Florence to Pisa, then hop on the saddle and pedal south from Pisa!

Departure from Pisa along The Ciclovia del Trammino

I like to leave Florence very early, catching one of the first trains at dawn to enjoy the cool air and travel in almost-empty carriages. Many trains from Florence Santa Maria Novella go to Pisa Centrale and allow bikes on board, so there’s plenty of choice. Once in Pisa, you can immediately start on a beautiful cycle path — the Ciclovia del Trammino — which begins not far from the station and leads straight to Marina di Pisa on the coast.

The Ciclovia del Trammino is a very pleasant pedestrian-cycle path, built on the route of the old tram line that once connected Pisa to the seaside. It’s well designed and well-maintained, reserved for pedestrians and bikes. The road crossings are clearly marked and never too busy. You’ll find picnic tables, water fountains, and even a small repair station with tools for emergencies along the way.

I love starting the journey on this path — it’s peaceful, scenic, and takes me straight to the sea in 30–40 minutes of easy pedaling. A perfect warm-up, let’s say.

The Ciclovia del Trammino

Reaching the Sea: Marina di Pisa and Tirrenia

Reaching the sea is always a thrill. After taking in the view and the salty scent, and anticipating the long coastal ride ahead, it’s actually the perfect time to fuel up with a hearty breakfast to get an energy boost! Along the waterfront in Marina di Pisa, you’ll find plenty of cafés, pastry shops, and gelato shops. Last time, I stopped at La Perla Café and really enjoyed my cappuccino with pastries. Seeing my bike with bags, a few friendly cyclists stopped to chat — always a nice moment to compare notes and admire each other's wheels.

This first stretch, which I usually ride when it’s still quite early, is extremely pleasant. Both mind and body feel fresh, and you can simply enjoy riding beside the sea. Livorno comes quickly — just over 20 km from the start — though I prefer to pedal calmly at an easy pace (okay, let’s admit it, even if I tried, I wouldn’t go much faster on my gravel!).

Cappuccino and pastries by the sea — perfect energy!

The Beautiful Livorno Waterfront

The arrival into Livorno is the part I like least of this route: you pass through the industrial port area, where roads are busy and not exactly scenic. But soon enough (with the help of your trusty GPS) you reach the lungomare — the city’s most beautiful and lively stretch along the coast. Most of it can be ridden on a shared cycle-pedestrian path, slowly, to enjoy it fully. I recommend you stop and admire the sea from the stunning Terrazza Mascagni, located in central Livorno.

When I can as I pass through Livorno and depending on the time, I stop for either breakfast, a snack or lunch at I 4 Amici, a vegan restaurant-pastry shop I highly recommend. It requires a small detour from the route as it is located in the center of town, making it more practical on the return trip to Florence when I ride north and catch the train back in Livorno back home.

Along the waterfront, there are several water fountains where you can refill your bottle. You then ride out of the city through Calafuria and join the Via Aurelia. It’s the only uphill section of the route and, unfortunately, rather busy as far as traffic goes, but it rewards you with striking views: cliffs on one side, woods and hills on the other.

Above, you can see the old Medici Fortress in Livorno surrounded by canals and, below, the Terrazza Mascagni

Quercianella, Castiglioncello, Rosignano and Vada

Next comes Quercianella, considered as a top divers’ paradise, offering a beautiful view of the deep-blue sea as you descend the hill you have to conquer to leave Livorno.

You then pass through Castiglioncello, a well-known seaside resort, followed by Rosignano Solvay and Vada. Here, you can either ride through the pine forest near the white beaches, or stay inland using the wide bike lane that goes around Vada. Since those beaches are among the most polluted in Italy (the white color comes from industrial dumping), I prefer to keep going straight, following the protected bike paths that allow a good pace along the most direct route. By now, we’ve covered about sixty kilometers from Pisa and, unfortunately, the coolness of the morning breeze is long gone.

Cecina and the Cypresses of Bolgheri

After Marina di Cecina, you head slightly inland, passing through Cecina itself. You start to feel halfway there, but there’s still a bit of riding to do. It’s important to pace your breaks — to snack on a protein bar or a date, or stop at a café. They’re good for resting and giving your legs (and backside) a break, but as the sun climbs higher, even with the sea breeze, the heat in July can become truly oppressive. Of course, if you're smarter about doing this route in another month of the year, you can definitely enjoy those breaks along the way!

So we keep pedaling along the old Aurelia, a charming tree-lined road often bordered by lavender fields in shades of lilac. You no longer see the sea to your right, but the new highway, full of cars rushing toward the coast, always just a bit faster than you ;-).

Even the old Aurelia has some traffic, and the asphalt is worn in places, right along where you’d like to ride. So be careful of the potholes!

We soon pass the small town called La California, which makes the perfect photo stop as you can now claim: “I made it to California by bike.” ?

Finally, the road opens onto the cypress avenue leading to Bolgheri. It’s one of Tuscany’s most iconic roads and deserves its own dedicated ride, ideally early in the morning when traffic is light, or at sunset. I've come back in later days to enjoy it fully, I've included the route at the end of this post.

Donoratico and San Vincenzo

Once I reach Donoratico, I feel I'm almost at destination, partly because I’ve stayed here before (we've stayed at both the Paradù Resort and Canado Club), and partly because I enjoy stopping in the small square for an ice cream and to refill my bottles at the convenient chilled-water dispenser.

Donoratico is also one of my favorite bases: a small, pleasant town well supplied with restaurants, pastry shops and grocery stores, very close to the Cavallino Matto amusement park, and ideally located for many beautiful bike rides.

After a short rest on a bench, I set off for the final stretch — only about twenty kilometers remain to Poggio all’Agnello (Populonia Stazione) where we also often head to for our family vacations. You pass through San Vincenzo, usually full of vacationers. There’s a long pedestrian-cycle path, but it’s crowded with beachgoers carrying deckchairs and sum unbrellas, as well as kids, so you have to slow down. This tree-lined “Strada della Principessa” is also full of cars, some actualy driving but many slowing down looking for parking which isn't much better. Once you can pick up speed again, I'm ready for the final sprint!

At Cavallino Matto – the highlight for our kids, and likely yours as well!

Poggio all’Agnello Resort in Populonia Stazione

We’ve stayed in several resorts and agriturismi in the area, and I can say that my favorite place for a family vacation is Poggio all’Agnello, near the Gulf of Baratti. It’s a relatively small resort, more practical rather than fancy, with a clear sport focus, especially cycling. Many guests bring their own bikes, and outside each apartment you’ll see all kinds of parked bicycles at nearby bike racks. Many rent bikes on-site, directly through the resort’s partner, Tuscany-Bike, located at a corner of the resort. There, you can find cleaning and repair stations, you can book guided bike tours and, within the resort, there’s even a fun MTB track. They also have many kid-size bikes so we've rented them for our kids, as it is possible for them to ride safely around the internal paths. There are two bike paths for kids in a grasslined park area behind the swimming pools and along the resort roads the few vehicles move slowly.

The apartments are spacious and very well-equipped, better than any alternative we’ve tried on the Etruscan Coast.

The three pools are large and beautiful, the on-site restaurants are good (Sophie, our in-house food critic, approves of the pizza), and there’s even a gelateria with decent gelato. The atmosphere is relaxed and calm; you can come and go freely on foot, by bike, or by car.

Nearby Baratti is one of our favorite beaches, very family-friendly and only 2 km away. That may sound slightly inconvenient, but there’s now a new path that’s easy to walk or cycle - as long as you don’t load up with deckchairs, sun umbrella, and toys like we usually do! It starts directly from Poggio all’Agnello and is a great way to avoid paying for pricey parking at the beach.

Sophie cycling safely inside Poggio all’Agnello

Download GPX – Pisa → Populonia (v2025-07-05)
Updated July 5, 2025 • GPX format 1.1

More bike routes in the area

Using Poggio all’Agnello as a base, I’ve done several beautiful rides, setting off early and returning in time to spend some time at the beach or the pool after lunch. The Komoot app and website have been great sources of inspiration, helping me find the best roads and highlights. Some routes I followed exactly as shared by the Komoot community. A few start a bit further north, around Donoratico, so you might also consider staying in that area to be closer to places like Bolgheri and Castagneto Carducci (for example, we've stayed at Paradù Resort and it was faster to head out every morning). The road to Sassetta, whether from Castagneto or Suvereto, is simply stunning, and many of the inland roads here are remarkably quiet.

The routes I’ve done and recommend are all on road - at most with a few short gravel stretches - while I get more practice with MTB trails.

If you’ve ridden in this area and would like to share a favorite loop or place to visit, let us know in the comments below. In the meantime, I hope you've found this route inspirational as you plan your bike vacation and rides in Tuscany!