Tuscany Key Towns: Beyond Florence

While Florence remains Tuscany’s celebrated crown jewel, the soul of the region lies in its rolling countryside, ancient hill towns, and world-renowned wines. This page gathers the towns and destinations beyond the Renaissance city that Gigia has personally explored—with more to come as her adventures continue.

📍 Currently Featured

Porto Ercole

Maritime elegance on the Monte Argentario peninsula, where Spanish fortresses guard a sun-baked fishing village and Capalbio’s medieval streets beckon just inland.

Saturnia

Surreal thermal springs where steaming waterfalls cascade over ancient travertine, surrounded by hilltop villages like Manciano and Montemerano.

As Gigia continues exploring Tuscany, this page will further expand with new destinations.

📚 Planning Your Tuscany Exploration

For accommodation throughout the region, our guide to finding cat-friendly accommodation in Italy explains how we evaluate properties. For countryside stays, see our guide to cat-friendly agriturismo in Italy.

For a broader understanding of travel preparation, see our complete guide to traveling Italy with your cat.

📖 Discover More of Gigia’s Journey

For the full collection of Gigia’s tales and travel tips, explore these resources:

Porto Ercole (GR)

Porto Ercole: Salt, Secrets & Coastal Drama

On Tuscany’s Monte Argentario peninsula, where the Tyrrhenian Sea meets a landscape of rocky cliffs and umbrella pines, Porto Ercole offers something entirely different from the region’s inland hills. This sun-baked fishing village has always thrived on drama—Spanish fortresses guard its approaches, Medici nobles once schemed within its walls, and pirates lurked along its shores. Even Caravaggio, the tempestuous Baroque master, met his end here in 1610 after what local lore describes as “one hell of a bender.”

Today, the village maintains its dual character: a working port where fishermen mend nets alongside a glamorous marina where yachts anchor where smugglers once unloaded contraband.

🐱 Why Porto Ercole Works for Cat Lovers

Porto Ercole’s scale makes it unusually manageable. The historic center climbs from the harbor up narrow medieval streets, compact enough to explore on foot (or paw) without overwhelming. The surrounding macchia—Mediterranean scrubland—offers scents that can occupy a curious cat for hours. Unlike Florence’s dense crowds, here the rhythm is set by tides and fishing boats rather than tour buses.

The village’s layered history also means quiet corners abound—crumbling ramparts, shaded courtyards, and fortress walls where the only sounds are waves and wind.

🎭 Gigia’s Porto Ercole Experience

🐾 Gigia, never one to miss a good spectacle, claimed her royal box seat atop the old borgo’s crumbling ramparts. Below her, the Tyrrhenian put on its daily show: turquoise waves lapping at 16th-century bastions, bronzed Italians arguing over anchovy prices, and some poor soul inevitably realizing their rented Ferrari wouldn’t fit through the medieval alleyways.

She yawned. Seen it all before.

Because Porto Ercole’s real magic isn’t in the glamorous marina—it’s in the way the village clings to its hillside, the fortresses standing silent watch, and the sense that this place has been welcoming travelers (and cats) for centuries.

For more of Gigia’s adventures along the Italian coast, including the stories behind “Whiskers & Wars: A Cat’s Guide to Italy’s Most Scandalous Shores,” visit our Gigia’s Books page.

🏔️ Capalbio: The Hilltop Counterpart

Just inland, Capalbio perches like a golden crown atop its hill—the medieval yin to Porto Ercole’s maritime yang. This honey-stoned village, once the Medici’s favorite hunting retreat, now lures artists and aristocrats with its dusky pink sunsets and hidden wine bars. Where Porto Ercole flaunts its sea salt and celebrity yachts, Capalbio whispers of truffle hunts in the Maremma woods and midnight passeggiate along Etruscan walls.

The two are connected by winding roads lined with umbrella pines—two sides of the same golden coin, each offering a different version of coastal Tuscany.

🏨 Where to Stay in Porto Ercole

🏖️ Harborfront properties Hotels and apartments with views of the marina and sea. Expect smaller rooms but unforgettable outlooks.

🏛️ Historic center Small B&Bs tucked within the medieval streets, often in restored palazzi.

🌿 Surrounding hills Villas and agriturismi with panoramic views across the peninsula and access to the macchia.

Our guide to finding cat-friendly accommodation in Italy explains how we evaluate properties. For countryside options, see our guide to cat-friendly agriturismo in Italy.

📋 Practical Notes for Porto Ercole with a Cat

🚗 Access The historic center is largely pedestrianized. Park outside the walls and walk in.

📍 Nearby Porto Santo Stefano, the other main town on the peninsula, is worth a visit. The Orbetello Lagoon and Maremma coastline are short drives away.

🍽️ Dining Many harborfront restaurants welcome well-behaved cats on their terraces, especially in the evening. For a splurge, try the bottarga—Gigia-approved.

🌤️ Season Spring and autumn offer ideal temperatures. Summer brings crowds and heat; winter, quiet and occasional storms.

Nearby Towns: If you have time to explore further, the hilltown of Capalbio is minutes inland. Orbetello, on the lagoon, and the Maremma coast are within easy reach.

For a broader understanding of travel preparation, see our complete guide to traveling Italy with your cat.

🐾 Gigia’s Porto Ercole Verdict
Porto Ercole’s real magic isn’t in its glamorous reputation—it’s in the way medieval shadows dance with harbor lights, the sirocco wind carrying whispers of artists, soldiers, and one supremely unimpressed cat, all agreeing this view was worth killing (or at least napping) for.

📚 Planning Your Tuscany Adventure

For more on traveling Italy with your feline companion, explore these resources:

Eat & Drink

Antico Borgo Caffè

Ristorante Tullio

Explore

Palazzo dei Governanti

Saturnia (GR)

Saturnia: Thermal Waters, Open Skies & Etruscan Roots

Southern Tuscany unfolds into a landscape unlike any other—open skies, rolling hills, and the surreal sight of steaming waterfalls cascading over ancient travertine. Saturnia, known for its thermal springs since Etruscan times, offers a completely different rhythm from the Renaissance cities of the north.

The landscape exhales here. At Terme di Saturnia, nature has crafted its own cathedral—steaming waterfalls flowing over sculpted travertine terraces, their mineral-rich waters maintaining a constant 37°C warmth that has soothed everyone from Etruscan warriors to modern wellness seekers. The Cascate del Mulino, named for the ancient mill they once powered, create natural whirlpool baths where morning mist dances with rising steam in an eternal waltz.

🐱 Why Saturnia Works for Cat Lovers

Saturnia’s appeal lies in space and silence. Unlike dense urban centers, the thermal springs are set within open countryside, with wide skies, grassy banks, and the constant whisper of falling water. For cats who tolerate car travel, the drive through southern Tuscany’s landscapes is itself part of the reward.

The surrounding medieval villages offer compact historic centers with pedestrian streets and manageable scales—qualities appreciated by calm travelers and cat lovers who prefer environments that feel welcoming rather than overwhelming.

💧 Gigia’s Saturnia Experience

🐾 While her human surrendered to the thermal waters’ embrace, Gigia demonstrated her own version of relaxation—curled up inside her carrier with only her nose visible, observing the steam rising from her mobile observation post. The occasional twitch of her whiskers suggested either approval of these natural wonders or amusement at human rituals. With Gigia, one can never be entirely certain.

For more of Gigia’s adventures across Tuscany, including the stories behind her most memorable moments, visit our Gigia’s Books page.

🏘️ The Villages Around Saturnia

Nearby, the medieval villages of southern Tuscany stand sentinel over this watery wonder:

🏛️ Saturnia itself Perches modestly above its famous springs, its Etruscan roots still visible in weathered stone walls. The village offers a glimpse of rural Tuscan life untouched by mass tourism.

🏰 Manciano Crowns its hill like a watchful guardian, offering panoramic views across the Maremma’s rolling landscape. Its medieval streets reward wandering.

🌸 Montemerano With honey-colored walls encircling a postcard-perfect piazza, moves to the rhythm of church bells and casual conversation. One of Italy’s most beautiful villages, it rewards slow exploration.

🏨 Where to Stay Near Saturnia

🌾 Agriturismi in the surrounding hills Working farms with self-contained apartments, many offering views across the Maremma. These often provide the secure perimeters and quiet settings cats need.

🏛️ Historic villages Manciano and Montemerano have small hotels and B&Bs within medieval walls.

♨️ Thermal resorts Properties near the springs with direct access to the pools, though these tend to be busier.

Our guide to finding cat-friendly accommodation in Italy explains how we evaluate properties. For countryside options, see our guide to cat-friendly agriturismo in Italy.

📋 Practical Notes for Saturnia with a Cat

🚗 Access The Cascate del Mulino are free and open 24 hours. Arrive early morning or late afternoon to avoid peak crowds and enjoy the best light.

🏨 Accommodation Book well in advance for thermal season (spring and autumn), when the weather is ideal for both soaking and exploring.

📍 Nearby villages Montemerano, Manciano, and Pitigliano are all within a short drive and worth exploring.

🍽️ Dining Several agriturismi and village trattorias welcome well-behaved cats, particularly those with outdoor seating.

Nearby Towns: If you have time to explore further, Pitigliano, carved into tufa rock, and Sovana, with its Etruscan tombs, are within easy reach.

For a broader understanding of travel preparation, see our complete guide to traveling Italy with your cat.

🐾 Gigia’s Saturnia Verdict
At Saturnia, the earth offers its warmth freely, the villages guard their ancient charms, and even visiting cats find their perfect comfort—whether in mineral-rich pools or in the familiar cocoon of a well-loved backpack.