Tuscany’s must-see parks and nature reserves

For those who love the outdoors and want to enjoy a relaxing nature holiday, Tuscany is the perfect destination. Besides being rich in cities of art and picturesque villages with an immense cultural heritage, it has an infinite number of parks and nature reserves waiting to be explored, discovered and enjoyed. It offers a wide choice of opportunities for those who want to spend a day outdoors breathing good air. There are many activities to be enjoyed here, ranging from trekking to walking, cycling to boat trips.

Here are some of the most beautiful parks and nature reserves in Tuscany.

TUSCAN ARCHIPELAGO NATIONAL PARK

Not to be missed is the Tuscan Archipelago National Park, Italy’s first large marine park and the largest in Europe. It protects a marine area of about 600 km² and includes the land areas of all the islands of the archipelago: Elba, Capraia, Giglio, Giannutri, Gorgona, Pianosa and Montecristo. According to legend, the Goddess Venus, when emerging from the waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea, in her haste to reach the shore, broke the necklace given to her by Paris and seven pearls, falling into the sea, turned into the islands of the Tuscan Archipelago. In addition to being rich in trails, the park is part of the International Cetacean Sanctuary. Important sites include: the Orto dei Semplici in Rio nell’Elba, a veritable living museum of plant species; and the Stagnone of Capraia, a special case of a freshwater wetland in the archipelago.

NATURAL PARK OF MIGLIARINO, SAN ROSSORE AND MASSACIUCCOLI

Behind Versilia lies the Migliarino, San Rossore and Massaciuccoli Natural Park, an extraordinary protected area that extends along the Tuscan coast but also in a more inland strip that reaches as far as the foothills of the Lucca mountains. Encompassing the provinces of Pisa, Lucca and Livorno, it hosts unique and extremely diverse environments: 10,000 hectares of lowland forests, 6,000 hectares of wetlands and 30 kilometres of beaches. The park offers an incredible range of opportunities: it is equipped with a complete network of trails and it is possible to visit on foot, on horseback, by bicycle, by carriage and by boat. The beauty of the park is combined with the fact that the most famous resorts of the Tuscan coastline are nearby: Viareggio, Forte dei Marmi and Torre del Lago Puccini, to name but a few.

APUAN ALPS REGIONAL PARK

The Apuan Alps Regional Park extends between the provinces of Lucca and Massa-Carrara, a wonderful protected natural area established in 1985 with the aim of protecting the mountainous complex and managing the extraction of marble. For its environmental and landscape heritage, the high number of geosites present and the high biodiversity, it has obtained the coveted UNESCO recognition which has included it in the World Network of Geoparks. Inside there are many points of interest that deserve to be visited and among these there are: the Antro del Corchia in Levigliani, a complex of tunnels, wells and halls dug by water over millions of years; the “Pellegrini-Ansaldi” Botanical Garden, a splendid alpine garden in the Pian della Fioba area; and Monte Forato, unique for its spectacular hole, 32 meters wide and 26 meters high.

ORECCHIELLA PARK

In the heart of Garfagnana is the Orecchiella Park, a vast protected area that extends between the municipalities of Piazza al Serchio, San Romano, Sillano and Villa Collemandina. Here the purest and most intact nature reigns supreme: extensive woods alternate with green plateaus and above all the limestone massif of the Pania di Corfino stands out. In addition to being the perfect place for a picnic, it is the home of trekking, mountain biking and horseback riding. Inside the park, the following are worth a visit: the Maria Ansaldi Pania Botanical Garden of Corfino, with around 400 plant species that offer a succession of blooms from spring to summer; the Naturalistic Museum, where the cycle of natural elements and the characteristic habitats of the protected area are represented; and the Verrucole Fortress, dating back to the Middle Ages. The park in turn is included in the larger Tuscan-Emilian Apennines National Park.

LUCCIOLA BELLA NATURE RESERVE

In the municipal area of Pienza, in the province of Siena, the Lucciola Bella Nature Reserve extends, which possesses all the characteristic elements of the Val d’Orcia landscape. Inserted in the last eastern offshoots of the famous Crete Senesi, it takes its name from the Lucciola Bella farm, one of the many agricultural settlements in the area, from which you can enjoy, among other things, a magnificent panoramic view of the valley. The characterizing element of this protected area is the presence of gullies and especially biancane, erosive forms mainly linked to the practice of grazing, which host exclusive vegetation and ornithological aspects. In fact, a particular vegetation has developed here, made up of plants adapted to aridity. For those who want to spend a relaxing day immersed in nature, there is nothing better than a walk in this splendid reserve.