Active Tuscany: Pilates, Yoga and Hiking Between Cortona's Vineyards

Fitness Tuscany is led by Lucia Infelici, a trainer based in Cortona who brings Pilates, personal training and yoga directly to guests' hotels or places of residence. A typical day might start with a Pilates mat class on the terrace of your accommodation, followed by breakfast, then a hike or bike ride through the hills between Cortona and the Val d'Orcia, with an afternoon stretching or yoga session in the vineyard and the rest of the evening free for dinner and wine.

What is on offer is deliberately flexible. You can choose cycling (mountain bikes or e-bikes, tailored to your fitness level), hiking excursions in the countryside or hills, Mind & Body courses combining Pilates, personal training and yoga, or a broader Wellness Retreat combining rest with activity. There is also an adventure element — adventure parks and sailing are mentioned as options.

The sessions are run by qualified instructors, and tours are organised in collaboration with Hill Town Tours of Cortona. Lucia also runs a mountain refuge, Rifugio Fangacci, in the heart of the Foreste Casentinesi National Park at 1,234 metres above sea level. It has rooms for guests and is used as a base for hiking and mountain excursions, making it possible to combine a few days in the hills with days in the vineyards.

The area itself does a lot of the work. Cortona is a hill town of Etruscan origin with views over Lake Trasimeno, and the Val d'Orcia — a UNESCO site — is an hour or so away, with the classic cypress-lined roads, hilltop villages like Pienza and Montalcino, and the vineyards that produce Brunello and Nobile di Montepulciano. The Foreste Casentinesi National Park, where the refuge sits, is one of the largest forested areas in the Apennines, good for longer hikes.

Because the programme adapts to your accommodation and your level, this suits people who want to be active on their own holiday rather than join a fixed group retreat. You book the place to stay, and the training, guiding and classes come to you. If you'd rather have the mountain refuge experience, you can arrange to stay at Rifugio Fangacci instead and use it as a base for hiking in the national park.

One thing to be clear about: this is not a packaged retreat with a set date, fixed room block and all meals included. It is a service — instructors, guides, equipment and itineraries — delivered in Tuscany and Umbria, built around your own travel dates and accommodation.

What's included

- Qualified instructors for all sessions - Pilates, yoga and personal training classes - Guided hiking excursions - Cycling itineraries with mountain or e-bike guidance - Tours organised with Hill Town Tours, Cortona - Sessions delivered at your accommodation - Option to stay at Rifugio Fangacci in the Foreste Casentinesi National Park

What's not included

- Accommodation (unless staying at Rifugio Fangacci) - Flights and travel to Tuscany - Airport transfers (can be arranged separately) - Meals and drinks - Travel insurance - Bike hire (arranged separately) - Personal expenses - Optional adventure activities