Is there a place you dream of visiting? Maybe a landscape you have seen in paintings. Somewhere otherworldly in its beauty, where the weather is perfect—the sun warms, the breeze cools. For me, that place is Tuscany. I ride horses, and the idea of exploring the paths and rolling hills of the Tuscan countryside on horseback was very appealing.

A few years ago, I visited Bitterroot Ranch in Wyoming. The owners scout the world for riding facilities with hospitable owners, delicious food, good horses, and rideable trails—all at a reasonable price. Their research led to them starting Equitours. How about a riding vacation in Egypt or Brazil? Pick a country and you’ll find an incredible equine establishment there that you can book via Equitours.

At age 70, there are still places I want to explore before I’m too old to walk through airport terminals pulling my luggage behind me. My husband, on the other hand, is quite content to remain at home. Equitours provided a week with limited risks involved for an older woman traveling alone. I would stay at one location, an 18th century stone farmhouse. I would have all my meals provided—real Italian food—and have no need to rent a car.

 

Simplified Travel, Relaxing Accommodations

I was picked up at the train station by Sadio. He and his wife Donatella own and operate the Equestrian Center of Berardenga. During my stay, Sadio and Donatella also escorted me on lovely afternoons to medieval towns: visiting an Etruscan museum, touring the breathtaking countryside while gazing out the car window, visiting a central square café, or discovering a tucked-away-in-the-hills cheese shop.

Everything was included in the price for the week—horseback riding, touring, meals, and accommodations for $2,900. That breaks down to roughly $400 per day for a beautiful room, three delicious meals a day, being chauffeured around by Italians who know the area, and hours of horseback riding. Simplified travel at its best.

My private room was in the main farmhouse with its own bathroom. I was the only visitor using the winding staircase up to that section of the house. Quiet and peaceful, doves cooed in the acacia trees outside my windows. The room glowed with a golden canopy over the bed and terracotta floor tiles. Sun laid down patterns through curtains fluttering in the breeze. Ancient wooden beams supported the high ceiling.

Mornings I could rise whenever I chose. I would head down to breakfast at 8am to find strong Italian coffee along with a crusty loaf of bread made by Donatella. Butter and jams, cheeses, and meats were available with the couple’s own organic eggs cooked to perfection. After breakfast, I took my time getting into my riding breeches and boots, grabbed my helmet, and headed over to the stables.

 

Getting to Know the Horses

The Equestrian Center of Berardenga typically has six guests at the farm for the week, so you get to know others and share camaraderie on trail rides. During my week, there were only three other riders—two American sisters and a Yale University student working at the farm for the summer.

The sisters were staying in one of the apartments in the stone house across the courtyard. This is a less-expensive option where you have your own kitchen, get your own meals, and rent a car, touring the area on your own in the afternoons. This is great if you are traveling with a spouse or friend who doesn’t ride. You can still enjoy a two-hour trail ride in the morning but spend the afternoons with your partner.

The first day, Donatella took guests into the outdoor riding arena to evaluate their skills. With Tuscany’s mild climate, the arena can be more open than a typical indoor riding arena in New England. It was surrounded by greenery and birdsong.

Donatella has her own riding program with 20 local girls coming for lessons each week. (I overlapped with them only once.) She is an experienced rider, teacher, and trainer who knows her horses and the area trails very well. I was a little intimidated at first, but I quickly realized that her instruction was helpful and supportive. She is a warm person who is happy to talk about the places where you will ride in Tuscany.

 

A Breathtaking Ride

My favorite ride was to Montalto Castle on the hill just beyond the farm. Heading down the small road alongside fields filled with horses and tall grass, the castle sat perched in the distance. Our leader gave a hand signal allowing a trot down the cobbled road lined with wild red poppies. When we reached a shallow stream, we let our horses drink and then headed to another meadow on the other side. We spotted deer grazing there.

Just before reaching the castle, we arrived in a meadow with olive groves and grape vines. With their delicate green-silvery foliage, the olive trees were placed in rows wide enough to ride between and were reminiscent of riding through an apple orchard back home.

Up ahead was the castle gate and old stone towers loomed overhead. As we clip-clopped along the cobblestones, I imagined the people who lived there 1,000 years ago. Looking up I saw a variety of sturdy doors, barred windows, narrow twisting staircases, and stone walls covered in vines.

The views from inside the castle walls were breathtaking. A patchwork quilt of the Tuscan countryside was laid out before us with tall cypress trees flanking roads, rows of vineyards, rolling olive groves, and settlements of stone buildings clustered together. Off in the distance was a huge extinct volcano, Mount Amiata. It was easy to see that the castle site was well chosen—one could spot an enemy approaching long before they arrived.

Exploring the Area

Tuscany provides open fields and dirt roads that allow for easy cantering and comfortable trotting. There were plenty of times where our horses were at a walk, allowing opportunities to study the landscape and snap photos. Back at the barn we untacked our horses, cooled them down, gave them a brush, and let them relax with their hay.

Lunch was at 1pm—Italian pasta and organic home-grown salads. Afternoons were for napping, reading, exploring the grounds, or touring area towns. My favorite town in Tuscany was the tiny village of Castelnuovo Berardenga. There was so little traffic that one could stand in the middle of the cobblestone street at the town common and chat with a friend. The narrow streets were some of the most beautiful I have seen in all of Europe, though it’s a wonder that cars could make it through. The buildings rose straight up on either side of alleyways that felt unaffected by tourism. Authentic Italian life was happening here. An old woman was led into a shop for a haircut. A small child gazed longingly at the array of gelato colors in a glass case. A man and woman sipped coffee at an outdoor café with their dog curled up at their feet.

Evening dinners were back at the farm and often shared with the family at a long wooden table. Both Donatella and Sadio spoke English, so we could talk about Italy’s history, the food, and horses. My trip to Tuscany exceeded what I even imagined. To spend a week riding in a beautiful place while also relaxing (since all my travel needs were so well taken care of by Equitours and the farm) was a dream come true. This was truly no-stress adventure travel. 

 

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