La Dolce Vita Tuscany– Cycling through Italy!

September 20 – 27, 2015
A beautiful time to be in Tuscany! Cycle quiet back roads through the Tuscan wine country, visit magnificent medieval villages, discover the best gelato and cappuccino stops, savor the freshest local cuisine, learn to prepare authentic dishes from local cooks, taste the finest wines, olive oils, and cheeses together with the families that produce them, and experience true Tuscan hospitality and local color in all aspects of this unique retreat. All ability levels welcome! The high staff-to-participant ratio means you’ll have someone to encourage you, as well as teach you cycling tips, whether you’re a beginner or a veteran. This is the trip you always promised yourself you’d take. Come join this “La Dolce Vita” sweet life.

Where You’ll Go On the Tuscany Cycling Retreat:
You will split your time between two spectacular regions of Tuscany: the authentic, unspoiled countryside of the Etruscan coast on the Mediterranean Sea, and Val d’Orcia, known as the heart of Tuscany, with gentle, carefully-cultivated hills peppered with picturesque towns and villages.

Some of the towns you will be visiting and riding through are: the Etruscan city of Montalcino, Pienza (the jewel of the Renaissance), Monastero di Sant’Anna (where the English patient was filmed), Castagneto Carducci, Sassetta, Suvereto, Montescudaio, Bolgheri, Monteverdi and Populonia. We’ll have a full day to savor the charms of mystical Siena, considered one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Italy. An expert local guide will lead us into the heart of Siena’s history and art.

Your home base for the first portion of the retreat is the lovely Campastrello Sport Hotel (www.campastrellosport.com) in the Etruscan coast region. Set in a beautiful Mediterranean garden (voted in the top 10 in all of Tuscany), the hotel is modern but built in charming, traditional Tuscan style. The beautifully landscaped grounds feature fruit orchards and olive groves, a state-of-the-art Olympic swimming pool, and great views of the village and sunsets. Meals are specially prepared and served in the hotel’s noted restaurant, L’Olivo, which specializes in homestyle Tuscan cuisine.

Yoga in Italy 
You’ll spend three nights here, exploring the Etruscan coast by day — a cyclist’s paradise of rolling hills and quiet roads through some of Italy’s most prized vineyards. Stretching from medieval village to medieval village, our select routes take in glorious views with sublime spots to stop for a cappuccino or a gelato.

For the next portion of your adventure, head inland to the magnificent region of Val d’Orcia, where you’ll spend two nights at Fattoia de Colle (www.cinellicolombini.it). Set in a spectacular setting of cypress-lined lanes, ancient stone villages, and undulating hills studded with castles, Colle is a working wine and olive oil producing estate with beautifully renovated farmhouses and a main villa for our lodging. The estate also includes a small chapel, two swimming pools, and a gourmet restaurant preparing our sumptuous Tuscan meals from fresh, local produce.

The proprietor of Colle, Donatella Cinelli Colombini, is the producer of award-winning Brunello di Montalcino wines. Her signature vintage, Prime Donne, is produced solely by women.

On your daily rides visit Montalcino, the elegant wine town, jewel-like Pienza, considered the most perfect Renaissance town in Italy. Sant’Anna, the graceful monastery where the English Patient was filmed, and, if time permits, the magnificent frescoes in the grand Abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore, where it is still possible to hear the monks celebrate mass in Gregorian chant.

You return back to Campastrello Sport for your last 2 nights of the tour. (NOTE: There will be an optional extension to the island of Elba as well).

Italian Cuisine:
Most mornings you will begin with yoga to awaken your senses and limber bodies before enjoying a buffet breakfast with foamy cappuccinos. Then you’ll pedal the Tuscan roads, famous for their cypress trees, lack of traffic, and friendly drivers. Your afternoons will be spent exploring villages, doing art projects or creative journaling, swimming in the calm sea, and rekindling the spark for life. Poetry, and creative processes for clarifying your heart’s desire are sprinkled into the mix of all our adventures, bringing mindfulness to our Italian adventure.

Throughout the retreat, you will have personal and individualized professional instruction and guidance during all activities. The staff consists of world-class athletes and coaches, who will offer you heartfelt support and instruction. You will be part of small riding groups to ensure everyone rides with others at a similar ability level. Riding options are provided for beginners to accomplished riders. And, all rides are fully supported with a bike mechanic and a sag wagon (full of fruit, water, cookies and, of course, chocolate).

To compliment your cycling, also offered are hiking and running adventures on trails lined with olive trees, and on roads leading to wonderful places. For instance, at Fattoria de Colle you can run/hike to a cheese maker’s house!

What’s Included:
• 7 nights accommodations at comfortable, charming, and authentic family-run Tuscan establishments
• 6 dinners, four lunches, and daily breakfasts – all amazing food, in true Tuscan spirit! And all snacks
• Daily road cycling rides, guided by our professional staff
• A bike mechanic and sag wagon with spare parts
• Transportation from Camastrello Sport Hotel to Fattoria de Colle and back again
• A guided visit to Fonte di Foiano, rated one of the best olive oil presses in Italy
• A cooking class in a renovated Tuscan farmhouse with our friend and culinary artist Chicca
• Lunch and a wine tasting at the winery of Giovanni Chiappini
• Picnic on the beach at the tranquil Baratti Bay, the beach of the Etruscans
• A day with world-renowned artist Rolando Stefanacci
• A visit and guided tour of the magnificent town of Siena
• Wine Tasting in the heart of Brunello country
• A visit to Cicclo Sport, a Tuscan bike shop with even more local color than the sunsets over the Tyrhenian Sea
• Yoga classes (daily, or as demand dictates)
• Goodies from sponsors
Rate $3,500 per person double shared (shares available + limited single accommodations)

Sponsors Provide:
•  T-Shirt
• Odwalla Bar
• Journal

* Note: airfare, transportation to and from the retreat and bike rentals are NOT included in the cost. Single room space is limited and not guaranteed at an additional cost of $500.

Don’t wait to book this unique and memorable journey! Contact us today for more details!