6 Beautiful Waterfalls in Tuscany

Let’s start from the beautiful Colombara waterfall, on the way to the Bosco di Rossano, in the territory of Zeri, in the beautiful Lunigiana. 

From the town of Rossano, follow the signs for "Bosco di Rossano" and walk the road for about 2.2km. After 2.2km, just around a bend, you will find a path on the right. Follow the path for a short distance through the woods. You will come to a small stream which you must cross. Before reaching the foot of the waterfall there is a short steep section, but it is secured by a fence.

Learn more about the waterfalls in Lunigiana.

On the boundary line between Siena and Grosseto, we’ll find the Canaloni del fiume Farma (the big canals of the Farma river) shaped in millions of years by water erosion. 

The itinerary is located in the woods of the Farma Natural Reserve, near the village of Roccastrada; it is about 3 km long and returns to the starting point by going back the way you came; it is easy and follows a path a few metres from the bed of the Farma stream.

The place is evocative, green and enriched by grey rocks sprinkled with quartz fragments and smoothed by the streams and the waterfalls. From a historical point of view, the Farma river represents the connection among the world of mines, the trade of manufacture and metals, the iron and steel industry and the beauty of the wood.

In the heart of Tuscany, in Colle Val D’Elsa, the Elsa river forms enchanting corners like the Diborrato waterfalls. Fifteen meters high, they jump into a 10 meter-deep small lake. 

You'll meet it along the Sentierelsa, a beautiful itinerary in the nature which is perfect for all the family.
This trail will also bring you to the Caldane, ancient basins with waters rich in beneficial properties used since Roman and Etruscan eras: these baths are the favoured destination of locals in search of relief in the summer.

In the Valdera area, there’s a little medieval hamlet called Chianni. It is situated in a 70 square kilometer region covered with chestnut woods, vineyards and olive tree gloves, enclosed between two mountains 600 meters high (Monte Vaso and Monte Vitalba) and crossed by two rivers (Era and Fine).

Near Chianni, on the way to Castellina Marittima, we can find the Ghiaccione waterfalls. After crossing the tiny bridge on the Carbonaia stream you’ll find a parking lot, then you can take the trail that goes up, following the river flow. After having waded across it, you can reach the first of three little waterfalls.
Ghiaccione means freezing, and it’s really like this due to the shady wood that encloses it.

Between Rondinaio and Tre Potenze Mountains, in the territory of Bagni di Lucca (to be more specific, in Val Fegana) there’s the Orrido di Botri Protected Area that contains a calcareous canyon which is a deep, narrow, rocky gulch, with steep cliffs carved by the cold waters of Mariana and Ribellino rivers (that form the Rio Pelago when they meet).

There you'll find a beautiful stratification of different kinds of greenery: the higher you go the warmer it is, so it changes from moss and fern to columbine plants. The sides of the canyon reach 200 meters and are the ideal place for golden eagle nests.

You can reach the Orrido di Botri from Montefegatesi by a stretch of dirt road or more conveniently by following provincial road 56 to Tereglio. Tours start from Ponte a Gaio, the only access to the gorge where the ticket office is located. By renting a protective helmet, you can go up the course of the Pelago River choosing among 3 itineraries.

The most interesting hiking routes crossing the Foreste Casentinesi, Monte Falterona and Campigna National Park, are those that bring you to the Acquacheta waterfalls, on the boundary line between Tuscany and Emilia Romagna. They are so impressive that even Dante Alighieri wrote about them in the famous Divina Commedia.

The easiest, most well-beaten path starts from the medieval village of St. Benedetto in Alpe (495 meters high), achievable by car from San Godenzo via the Muraglione pass. From there, take the trail number 407 leading to the waterfalls (720 meters high). The climb takes a couple of hours but it's worth it.

If you want to discover more waterfalls in Tuscany, read this article about three waterfalls in Versilia.