Coed Tuscany Cycling Retreat

Come join us on our most celebrated retreat and rekindle your passion for the art of living: la dolce vita (Italian for “the sweet life). We’ll cycle quiet back roads through the Tuscan wine country, visit magnificent medieval villages, discover the best gelato and cappuccino stops, and hike along the shimmering Mediterranean Sea. We’ll also enjoy the mindfulness of daily poetry and yoga, 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, Co Ed Tuscan retreat. All ability levels welcome. 

See Italy in a whole new light on this amazing cycling vacation in Tuscany. From the shimmering Mediterranean Sea to the rolling hills and ancient villages, we’ll absorb the essence of Tuscany and allow our senses to run wild. From the honey-soaked light of the morning glowing over fields of red poppies, to the golden rays shining through the vineyards in the evening, we will discover the blissful rhythm of Tuscany. We’ll bike the most charming roads in the world, and delight your taste buds with spectacular local foods, all while learning about our surroundings: art, architecture, history, and the art of making olive oil, wine, cheese and authentic Tuscan cuisine. 

All ability levels are welcome and each bike ride is guided. 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 us in the sweet life. 

Where We’ll Go on La Dolce Vita Co Ed Tuscany Cycling Retreat:

We will split our 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 we 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), Abbazia di Monte Oliveto Maggiore (if we time it right we can hear the chanting of the monks), Castagneto Carducci, Sassetta, Suvereto, Montescudaio, Bolgheri, Massa, 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.

Our 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, 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. Our meals are specially prepared and served in the hotel’s noted restaurant, L’Olivo, which specializes in homestyle Tuscan cuisine.

We’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 our adventure, we’ll head inland to the magnificent region of Val d’Orcia, where we’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.

The cycling in the Val d’Orcia region, particularly the Le Crete (pronounced cret-tay) area, is nothing less than breathtaking. The landscape is the quintessential dream of Tuscany, unfolding its splendid and miraculous beauty mile after mile along some of the most idyllic roads in the world. On our daily rides, we will 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 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.

What to Expect at the La Dolce Vita Co Ed Tuscany Cycling Tour: 

Most mornings we will begin with yoga to awaken our senses and limber our bodies before enjoying a buffet breakfast with foamy cappuccinos. Then we’ll pedal our E-Bikes (or road bikes) on the Tuscan roads, famous for their cypress trees, lack of traffic, and friendly drivers. Our afternoons will be spent exploring villages, swimming in the calm sea or our 25 meter pool which is right out our door, and rekindling the spark for life.

Throughout the retreat, you will have personal and individualized professional instruction and guidance during all activities. Our staff consists of world-class athletes and coaches, who will offer you heartfelt support and instruction. We’ll create 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). PLUS we have E-Bkes!!!

Included in the Price:

• 7 days, 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 for all the rides
• Transportation to Sienna, from Campastrello Sport Hotel to Fattoria Del Colle and back again.
• 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
• After one of our days of riding we visit world-renowned artist Rolando Stefanacci, who has hot springs at his house and offers us great discussions and the best lunch EVER!!
• A visit and guided tour of the magnificent town of Siena.
• A visit to CiccloSport, a Tuscan bike shop with even more local color than the sunsets over the Tyrhenian Sea
• cooking class with Chicca in a Tuscan farm house
• Yoga classes (daily, or as demand dictates)..
• Price does NOT include airfare, airport transfers, or bike rental.

Bike rentals are normally 400 to 450 Euro for the week. We are using E-bikes which are really fun or you can also rent an regular road bike

What are the accommodations?

We will be staying in two beautiful locations for our tour.  The first is located just outside of the small, rural hilltop town of Castagneto Carducci, named after the Nobel Prize-winning poet, Carducci. The hotel is situated below the town, about 5km inland from the Mediterranean and 75km south of Pisa. The region was settled by the Etruscans and is known as the Upper Maremma.  Our home-base in this region is the lovely Campastrello Sport Hotel. Set in a beautiful Mediterranean garden, the hotel is modern but built in traditional Tuscan style. The rooms are spacious and comfortable, featuring modern conveniences as well as charming views. The beautifully landscaped grounds feature fruit orchards and olive groves, a state-of-the-art 25 meter swimming pool, and great views of the village and sunsets. Our meals are specially prepared and served in the hotel’s noted restaurant, L’Olivo, which specializes in exceptional, home-style, Tuscan cuisine. Come settle in to the sweet life in Tuscany: we don’t run you ragged packing and unpacking every day. 

Our home for the second portion of our adventure will be historic Fattoria del Colle.  Set in a spectacular setting of cypress-lined lanes, ancient stone villages, and undulating hills studded with castles, Colle is a beautifully renovated borgo, or hamlet, comprised of an 18^th century manor house and surrounding farm buildings.  The borgo also includes a beautiful swimming pool, trails through the olive groves and a gourmet restaurant preparing our sumptuous Tuscan meals from fresh, local produce.  Colle is a working winery and the harvest should be in full bloom during our stay. 

From Colle we will return to our home base at Campastrello for two additional nights which includes a special night of cooking and festivities at a local’s home.  

When moving from Campastrello to Colle we will be checking out of Campastrello.  Since we will be staying at Colle for only two nights you should plan on bringing a small bag (anything that works as a carry on is perfect) to Colle since we will be luggage space constrained while traveling.  You can leave your big bag at Campastrello and pick it back up when we return.

Single Room are available for $1200 extra

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE RETREAT: Q&A

Payment Policy

A deposit is required to hold your reservation at a retreat. Deposits are $500 for domestic and $1,000 for international retreats. Additional deposits may be required to reserve a single room. All deposits are non-refundable.

We cannot hold your reservation until we have received your deposit. If you would like to reserve an available spot in a retreat 90 or fewer days prior to the retreat date, we require payment in full for the retreat to hold the spot. This is in accordance with our payment policy below.

Payment in full for all retreats is due 90 days prior to the retreat date. If you do not provide payment in full by 90 days prior to the retreat you risk losing your reservation.

A 4% payment processing fee will be added to all payments made using PayPal, Stripe or Venmo. 

You are welcome to send in a check or pay by Zelle to avoid this fee.

Cancellation Policy

If you must cancel a reservation, a full refund, less your deposit which is non-refundable, will be provided for any cancellation we receive in writing at least 91 days prior to the commencement date of the retreat. We are sorry but we cannot refund any payments for cancellations made 90 or fewer days prior to the commencement of the retreat.

We reserve the right to cancel retreats with inadequate participant interest. Women’s Quest IS NOT responsible for any personal expenses, such as airline tickets due to changes in schedules or tour cancellations.

Purchasing Travel Insurance

We highly, highly recommend you get travel insurance to cover your expenses and losses, in the event you cannot make the Women’s Quest retreat for any reason or if you test positive or come down with Symptoms prior to the retreat, develop Symptoms during the retreat, or cannot return home due to Covid related issues.  We recommend getting insurance that covers the cost of your trip, and any medical care while at the retreat. 

Irrespective of the travel insurance you get, please make sure you talk to a travel insurance agent prior to buying any insurance and make sure you have the coverage you desire and that the policy will cover trip cancellation, medical expenses and trip interruption. 

You can do your own investigation by checking out Squaremouth, a travel insurance comparison company that helps travelers search, compare and buy travel insurance online https://www.squaremouth.com/22393