My 5 favorite hikes around Pisa

When we think about Pisa, we immediately think of its leaning tower. But the city is not just about this famous monument. It is also the starting point of a incredibly rich region to explore on foot or by hiking near Pisa, between mountains, hills, hilltop villages And wild coast.

A few kilometers from the historic center, you can already access the Pisa Hills. It is a small, little-known massif, perfect for walks between forests, ridges and viewpoints over the sea. A little further on, we find the Apuan Alps, wilder and more spectacular. They offer more sporty hikes in a mineral setting worthy of the Dolomites. And of course, it is impossible not to mention the Cinque Terre, these five villages suspended between sky and sea, which can be reached by a magnificent coastal path.

Along the way, we come across family trattorias, producers of Tuscan cheeses and wines, the scents of pine forests, and that very special Italian light. It is this Tuscany, simple, lively and a little secret, that I invite you to discover through My five favorite hikes around Pisa.

A hike at the gates of Pisa: Monte Faeta

If you're looking for a short, easy day hike near Pisa, you absolutely must visit the Pisan Mountains. This small mountain range separates Pisa from the city of Lucca. It boasts truly unique vegetation, with cultivated fields of olive trees at the lower slopes, oaks and pines in the middle, and chestnut trees at the top of the peaks. From the heights, you have excellent views of the Pisan plain and beyond.

The hike I'm suggesting climbs to Monte Faeta, one of the massif's main peaks at an altitude of 800m. It's therefore ideal for exploring this little-known mountain range. It's 10km long with an 800m elevation gain and presents no particular technical difficulties. The starting point is the village of Asciano, a 10-minute drive from Pisa.

To discover the hike's topo and its GPX track, you can visit my page hiking to Monte Faeta.

Mount Prana in the Apuan Alps

If you're looking for a real mountain hike around Pisa, with rocky landscapes, spectacular peaks, and significant elevation gain, you absolutely must visit the Apuan Alps. I'm a huge fan of this wild mountain range with its unique landscapes, located in northern Tuscany. For me, they're among the most beautiful mountains in Italy, along with the Dolomites.

I've traveled these mountains in every direction. From my perspective, a good starting point for exploring this massif is Monte Faeta, the closest to Pisa. From the summit, you can admire this astonishing landscape, typical of the Apuan Mountains, a rocky peak overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea with views that extend as far as the other side of the Gulf of Genoa. In May, the grassy slopes are covered with daffodils, and the landscape becomes enchanting.

To hike to Mount Prana from Pisa, take the car to the Passo del Lucese, 1 hour 20 minutes from Pisa. The road is typically Italian and very narrow! The hike is 20 km long and has a 1000 m elevation gain, without any technical difficulty. It is also possible to reach the summit of Monte Piglione as a bonus, for an additional 300 m of elevation gain. To discover the details of the hike and the GPX track, visit my page hiking to Mount Prana.

The Cinque Terre coastal path

It's a great classic of Ligurian tourism: the Cinque Terre, these five (ex-)fishing villages clinging to the cliffside in a superb green landscape. Unfortunately, they suffer from overtourism; you often have to use your elbows to get through the villages.

But fortunately, there's much less traffic on the superb coastal path that connects the five villages. The hike is easy, except for the heat, which is why it's not recommended to do this trail in summer. However, you can enjoy a pleasant dip in each village you pass through! You'll also discover the typical Ligurian terraced vineyards. The plants are truly suspended above the sea.

To start this hike from Pisa, I recommend taking the train, changing at La Spezia. The villages are very difficult to reach by car, while the trains are regular and serve the stations of the 5 villages. You can therefore choose the length of the hike by simply returning to Pisa from the last village reached. To discover the GPX track of the route, you can go to my page hiking in the Cinque Terre.

Mounts Lieto and Gabberi

After the crowds of the Cinque Terre, I suggest you return to the deserted trails of the Apuan Alps. From the beautiful village of Valdicastello Carducci, a 45-minute drive from Pisa, you can take a loop that passes through Mount Lieto and Mount Gabberi with beautiful views of the Apuan peaks. We pass by Sant'Anna di Stazzema, a martyred village during the Second World War. A monument commemorates the horrific crimes committed by the Germans in this village.

The hike is a little difficult to follow at times due to poorly marked trails. The path can be steep, so you shouldn't be afraid of heights. Other than that, it doesn't present any particular difficulty. To find the corresponding GPX track, go to my page hiking in Mounts Lieto and Gabberi.

A two-day hike near Pisa: the tour of Monte Matanna

If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend packing your tent and exploring the Apuan Alps in complete freedom! There are many possible itineraries, from a five-day trek across the entire massif to shorter two-day loops. Here, I'm suggesting one such two-day bivouac itinerary to explore Monte Matanna. The trek starts in Stazzema, a 1-hour 10-minute drive from Pisa.

During this trek, which is not particularly technically challenging, we will pass through all the typical Apuan landscapes. Large beech forests, high-altitude meadows with the tall grasses characteristic of the Apuan Mountains, rivers cascading into gorges, and finally, large rock faces. The bivouac site is enchanting, with views spanning the entire Apuan chain and the Gulf of Genoa. We will pleasantly end this two-day hike with a delicious pie at the Forte dei Marmi refuge.

So grab your tent and sleeping bags and go check out my description of the Monte Matanna tower for two days of enchanting bivouac hiking in this little-visited mountain range.

Conclusion: explore Tuscany differently

The surroundings of Pisa reserve much more than one imagines. Moving away from the tower and the crowds, one discovers secret mountains, hanging villages, luminous ridges, deep forests... And this Wild Tuscany, far from the clichés, is better experienced on foot.

These five hikes are among my favorites, but they are just a few examples among many. If you are looking for other ideas for walks around Pisa, in Corsica, in the Alps or elsewhere, I invite you to consult the other routes available on my website.

And if certain landscapes speak to you, move you or inspire you, you can also find them in my photo gallery. Many are available in art prints or in posters to bring a little bit of the mountains or Italy into your home.