Olá! I’m a gaucho who traded the Pampas for Tuscan trails.
Who I am
I’m Doug Perin. Friends call me Duke. I’m originally from Porto Alegre, Brazil, which makes me a gaucho, hence the Wandering Gaucho. Don’t expect me to slurp mate or ride across the Pampas on horseback, though.
I came to Italy in 2007 looking for my Italian roots in the Veneto region, but I fell in love with Florence and the Tuscan countryside, and that’s where I stayed. In 2020 I went back to Porto Alegre to be closer to my mother during the COVID pandemic. Now I spend my time between Brazil and Italy, and I’m hoping to get back to hiking more often.
What you’ll find here
Day hikes and walks around Florence and Tuscany, grouped by area:
- Florence & Oltrarno Walks: walks you can start on foot from the center
- Florentine Countryside: easy hikes just outside the city
- Mugello & Tuscan Apennines: mountain and ridge hikes north of Florence
- Montalbano: wine, villages and chestnuts west of Florence
- Monte Pisano: trails between Pisa and Lucca
- Renaissance Ring: my series on the long loop around Florence
- Via Francigena: stages of the pilgrim road to Rome (coming soon)
How I hike and write
I plan and track my routes with OpenRouteService and AllTrails, then write up each hike with my own photos and a trail map, so you can see what to expect and follow along. My favorites? I love hiking the Montalbano and the Mugello. The views around there are unsurpassed.
Come wander with me
- Browse all hikes
- Questions or trail tips? Get in touch
- Follow along on X: @wanderingaucho
