On foot
The options for walking on the farmhouse holiday resort, Le Mandrie di Ripalta, are many. Either walk for an hour or so along the footpaths which extend through the property and simply enjoy the views. Alternatively, more ambitious trekkers will find they can walk for half a day or more through our vineyards and olive groves! Likewise, passionate joggers will find no lack of paths to keep up their running practice.

By bike
Cycling is a national pastime here in Italy both as a professional and recreational sport. It is possible to tour the local sights, villages and farm estates discovering all that the area has to offer, by bicycle. It’s an experience you will never forget! We have some bicycles available for the use of our guests, otherwise you can book the use of electric bicycles by calling +39 3939774847

By car
La Fattoria Le Mandrie di Ripalta is in a strategic position in the Chianti district. We are right in the centre of one of the most world-famous historical areas of Tuscany. Florence is just 21 km away, San Gimignano 20 km, Siena 45 km, Pisa 60 km, Volterra 44 km. This means that our guests can easily reach these tourist destinations enjoying the unforgettable views over vineyards and olive groves that line the roads along the way.

Guests who are already familiar with the area will want to discover the more off route destinations which reveal the Tuscany of our great-grandparents, where the rhythm of life has maintained its pace from times past……making a holiday here an almost unbelievable experience.

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Visit the national parks of Tuscany

For those visitors who want to dedicate some time to exploring the protected natural areas, there are several options to choose from:

PARCO DI SAN ROSSORE

This park lies between Pisa and the sea. It used to be a royal residence and later became a presidential residence. It comprises thousands of hectares of pine trees, oaks and Mediterranean holm oaks and extends from the suburbs of Pisa as far as the uncontaminated Tyrrhenian coast. It is home to a variety of animals including deer and wild horses. This extraordinarily peaceful setting is also home to an organic cattle farm

PARCO DELLE ALPI APUANE ( GARFAGNANA )

A visit to this park will prove to be a remarkable experience. You should enter the park from Barga (by the way, make sure you find time to visit its cathedral!) and climb the Apuan Alps as far as the famous Galleria del Cipollaio (the Cipollaio tunnel). From here, at 900 m above sea level, you cannot imagine beforehand the view that opens up as you climb. From here you will see the length of the Tuscan coastline stretching from Portovenere to Livorno. That is not all….because here you will find yourself in the same marble quarry where Michelangelo chose the blocks of marble he would use for his art works. It is almost impossible to imagine how they managed to extract these enormous blocks and then transport them to Carrara!

PARCO DELLE FORESTE CASENTINESI

This natural park is situated in the Apennines between Florence and Arezzo. It is full of chestnut trees, firs and other plants at 250 to 1200 m above sea level. This is an ideal place for meditation and thought. There is a Franciscan monastery which also welcomes guests, including, it seems, political figures of our recent past, in the (unsuccessful!) search for spiritual inspiration! You cannot visit this area without being affected by its atmosphere.

PARCO DELL’UCCELLINA

This amazing natural park is in the province of Grosseto and includes a chain of spectacular hills which divide the Aurelia state road from the coastline. An excursion here will take you from the south of Grosseto to the Argentario headland. The park aims to preserve the traditions of this area, the Maremma. Here, the last local Maremman cattle-herders, known as ‘butteri’, are guarding the conservation of the Maremmana, a breed of cattle with characteristic long horns, originally from Asia, as well as the Maremmano horse, particularly suited to managing the Maremman cattle herds. As you walk through the lush pine forests, you will almost certainly get a glimpse of some of the protected animals, including local deer and wild boars that roam freely through the forest. When you reach the end of the forest you will be taken aback by the beauty of the sandy beaches which suddenly appear and extend along the coastline.