Exploring the Charming Village of Isola Santa: A Hidden Gem in Tuscany

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Hello, dearest friends!!

How are you? Right now, I'm in Tuscany. I don't have a good internet connection, and the air conditioner in the place where I'm staying is broken. I've been pretty unlucky lately.
But even after these mishaps, I managed to visit a place that I already knew over the past few days. It's a very charming village located in the province of Lucca, and we can say for sure that this is truly a very touristy spot. I can't say I'm crazy about that, but it's definitely beautiful to visit.

The village is called Isola Santa, and it's located at about 500 meters of altitude, nestled in the Apuan Alps. So, we're still in the area of the previous villages that I had introduced you to here in the community.

This place is said to have been founded as a hospice for pilgrims. In fact, a challenging path used by pilgrims passed through here, connecting the Versilia area. But what struck me immediately was the church dedicated to San Jacopo, which I had the chance to visit because there was a contemporary art exhibition inside with free admission.

After visiting the beautiful church, I immersed myself in the paths surrounding the village, which overlooks an artificial lake, as you can see from the photos I shared. This is why the place gets crowded with tourists and locals on Sundays.

I even managed to have a packaged ice cream since, fortunately, there's a bar here. Then I resumed my walk to discover more corners of this beautiful village, which, as you can see, is very well-maintained.
I think swimming is not allowed in this lake, but there are many beautiful trails for trekking enthusiasts. After all, you're immersed in nature here, which is the best part. As I noticed, many trails marked by the CAI start from here. I think they're of medium difficulty, and I would like to try some of them one day, but it was too hot to walk.

Another activity that I've been told is possible around here is exploring the numerous caves that are hidden in the area. Maybe next time I'll organize myself; perhaps there are tours.
In conclusion, I can say that coming here is always lovely—a place where you can relax, though Sundays are a bit less peaceful because there are so many people, but you just need to distance yourself from the crowd.

I hope you liked the photos! See you on my next adventure!! See you soon, friends!!