Where: Tuscany, Italy
Time of visit: August 2021
Duration: 5 hours
Length: 17 km
My rating: 5/10
This is a trekking route that I have wanted to do for a long time having heard about it for a long time. It is a route along the coast between Piombino and Populonia, in the middle of the Tuscan Maremma; the route is particularly renowned for its sea views and is also recommended for less experienced trekkers (as I am, indeed).
We are in the middle of the Tuscan Maremma, one of the most beautiful, wild and unspoiled regions of Italy, where the butteri (a sort of local cowboys) still ride horses like a century ago and where it is still possible to see hills covered with strawberry trees and holm oaks as far as the eye can see and rows of cypresses in the sunny countryside. This is also the land where, before the advent of Roman civilization, the Etruscans thrived and evolved a fascinating civilization that left many unsolved questions for historians and archaeologists, despite having reached very high peaks of civilization at the same time as the development of the archaic Greek civilization.
The route passes through the lands that were the nerve center of the Etruscan civilization, near the fortified walls of the ancient city of Populonia (not visible along the way) and through ancient burial sites, where you can still see ancient underground tombs.
The starting point is at the Cala Moresca car park, here
From there, you have to head north to the Gattarossa bar, until you find the beginning of the track.
The path to follow is the number 302; it is a path with little difference in height that in less than three hours leads to the Buca delle Fate covering almost its entire length on the coast at a height of about one hundred meters, on average, above sea level; there are no particular difficulties or exposed sections, so the route is suitable for almost everyone, including children.
Only in some sections it is necessary to pay a minimum of attention not to slip because the track is not beaten and it is necessary to go from one stone to another. In most of the route it is necessary to proceed in single file because the width of the track does not exceed one meter. It is common to meet cyclists who travel the path on a mountain bike, so it is advisable to pay attention because in the downhill sections they can also arrive at high speed. The route is not always well signposted, and in some cases you can be disoriented, but all in all even an inexperienced trekker like me managed to find the way easily despite some mistakes and second thoughts.
Along the way, I was beginning to feel rather fatigued when my daughter pointed out that an uninvited guest was scrounging a passage without my knowledge, making me very heavy. After placing it on a tree, my pace immediately became lighter and faster.
Shortly before arriving at Buca delle Fate there is another cove (Cala San Quirico); from there it is sufficient to proceed for about ten minutes, keeping close to the coast to arrive at Buca delle Fate. This leads to a fairly suggestive plain of rock (I'm no expert but I think that it is limestone) where the view sweeps 180 ° over the stretch of sea that separates Piombino from the Island of Elba; the plateau slopes gently towards the small gulf of Buca delle Fate. The place is suggestive, the view is spectacular and the rock formations perforated through the centuries are quite curious, so we decided to stop for half an hour to rest and enjoy the view.
According to the initial plans, once we arrived at Buca delle Fate, a renowned cove on the slopes of the Etruscan city of Populonia, we should have spent a few hours snorkeling in a rocky stretch of coast where it should be easy to make interesting sightings. However on the day of our visit the sky was cloudy, the temperature rather cold for a day in late August (22 Celsius) and a few drops of rain also fell.
We therefore decided to abandon the snorkeling program and continue on the ring route that would bring us back to the starting point in Cala Moresca.
On our way back, instead of following the same way in the opposite direction, we decided to take the path (number 300) that passes by the small church of San Quirico; in particular I had read about some Etruscan tombs visible along the route, where an ancient monastery was also indicated, so I thought that this route was also worth exploring.
That was basically a mistake; the Etruscan tombs are little more than holes in the mountain wall; beyond the charm of crossing the places inhabited by the Etruscans 2500 years ago, I believe that these are not works of particular interest, if not perhaps for archeology experts (not my case). The church of San Quirico is a modern work without the slightest interest, while the monastery, which requires a detour of 5 minutes from the main route to visit, are the few remaining rocks of what a millennium ago were the walls of the monastic building.
For the rest, the path n. 300 is a wide cobblestone road, tediously and painfully uphill through the woods for most of its length, without any views or glimpses worth visiting.
Bottomline: the Buca delle Fate itself is an interesting place, but the 5-hour trekking route doesn't offer much more than a couple of views, albeit beautiful. Is it a place to be included in the "before I die" bucket list? No. Is it worth a detour if you find yourself passing by? I would still say no. It makes sense if you want to stretch your legs, sweat a little and see some views. Yup.
Below: one of the few (beautiful) views that you'll get along the way
Comments