Tuscany small group walking holiday in Italy

Planet

We stay in a family owned and run agriturismo (farmhouse) in rural Tuscany. Our accommodation has been owned by the same family for over 20 years. The farm is run in as environmentally a way as possible using solar panels for hot water and heating in the cooler months as well as voltaic electric producing panels that produce 20kw of electricity per day.

Each cottage has a wood burner, the wood coming from their own woodland that naturally re generates, they never clear fell and being sourced within the farm itself there is no additional transport needed to bring the wood onsite.

We use the local train to get to Lucca, Pisa and Cinque Terre and make day walks around this beautiful area including the Apennine Mountains, Cinque Terre, the Garfagnana valley and Monte Prado. Walking is one of the most sustainable and lowest impact forms of transport so it’s a great way to keep your carbon footprint (and waist measurement!) low.

As well as being low impact, walking is a great ways to get closer to the local way of life as you can easily stop and visit offbeat places, chat to the locals… so it’s friendly and environmentally friendly.

As a travel company we are continually looking for ways to improve and are proud to be ‘Responsible in everything we do’. Education is key, and so all staff, Tour Leaders and partnering suppliers are trained in responsible and sustainable tourism. At our Head Office, we continually strive towards a sustainable and planet-friendly working environment, including having solar panels installed and a company commitment to reducing our plastic usage.

People

The Garfagnana area of Tuscany is a rural community which we support by sourcing food products produced in the village. For the meals that are not taken at the farmhouse, guests are welcome to try a number of nearby local restaurants and bars, keeping tourist euros in the community and providing a source of employment.

Italy is without doubt one of Europe’s most fascinating and varied countries and this part of Tuscany one of its best kept secrets. We uncover some of hidden treasures of this beautiful and quiet corner of Tuscany with the help of our tour leader who will be able to explain aspects of the history, wildlife and culture of the region. We will take several hikes during which our Tour Leader will explain about the local fauna and flora and also village life and customs, and about the importance of safeguarding these for future generations.

As a company we have valuable and longstanding partnerships with UK charities Toilet Twinning and Send a Cow, plus many smaller initiatives and projects around the world. We’re members of the UK travel industry body AITO because we believe it’s important to share our knowledge and experience, as well as learn from other operators.