I am researching Maremma, a quiet corner of Italy.

"In the center of the hilly town of Pereta, which has existed since the Middle Ages, only67 inhabitants live. Whether you are on horseback, on a bicycle, or on foot, the least populated part ofTuscany offers a pastoral escape, where your days follow the cycles of weather, animals, and plants."

I awoke to the sound of donkeys. Opening the window and breathing in the morning air, soaked with the scents of wisteria and honeysuckle, I saw a herd - 16 cute eyed animals grazing among the olive groves of La Pescaia, a country estate turned idyllic hotel that epitomizes for me a fantasy of pastoral happiness: life among animals, birdsong and olive trees, surrounded by the wilderness of Maremma, in Italy.

The most sparsely populated part ofTuscany, extending slightly into northern Lazio, has preserved vast stretches of nature reserves and untouched woodlands, and during my visits I immersed myself in nature's zen through horseback riding, hiking, biking, swimming on sheltered beaches and informal donkey therapy sessions.

"Here your days follow the cycles of weather, animals and plants, and this natural rhythm gives life a sense of calm," says Margarita Ramella, who owns La Pescaia with her sister Beatrice. The sisters left their careers inMilan to pursue this rural enterprise.

My own rural mission began on horseback. In Maremma, horseback riding was the usual way - for a long time the only way - to get around the dense and marshy terrain, and the old horse paths still exist, passing through secluded forests and overgrown fields, past vineyards, farmland and sometimes picturesque medieval villages rising among the hills.

Buttery, the unique cowboys of the Maremma (and some modern cowboys), are no longer as numerous, but they remain an active and integral part of the region's identity. They accompany herds of long-horned Maremma cows, riding strong, wide-horned Maremmano horses, in a tradition that some believe has roots in ancient Etruria, making Maremma one of the few places where such a long-lasting and important connection to horseback riding has survived.

Tenuta di Alberese, a 400-cow Maremman farm supported by theTuscany region, allows visitors to accompany the batters on their daily horseback rides, a task that requires a 7 a.m. start and enough skill to gallop alongside them for several hours doing the hard work of herding (much more than I have an observer for one morning).

La Pescaia, formerly known as a breeding ground for racehorses, offers riding lessons, all-day excursions and full moon night rides for all levels of ability. One evening on my first visit, we gathered at the stables and rode up the hill through a magical grove of twisted cork trees, with the horses trampling wild mint and everblooming grass under their hooves, smelling of balsam and absinthe in the humid evening air. Not only was the air clean, but it was rich in flavor, untainted by city smog. An hour later we reached a hilly olive grove where aperitifs of white wine and the farm's own jams, honeys and local cheeses were spread out on a table covered with a checkered tablecloth. We watched the sunset over the blushing wheat fields and forests before heading back downstairs, accompanied by the sound of cicadas.

Dinner of land and sea

That night, at Castiglione della Pescaia, just an hour and a half from the coast, a six-course dinner at Posto Público included a spring salad with fresh peas and sea asparagus, a plate of baked octopus marinated in beets, and a dessert of Buffalo milk ice cream. The restaurant offers ambitious cuisine using high quality ingredients from independent farmers and winemakers, a growing phenomenon in Maremma.

"In the pandemic, a new generation became interested in farming and started practicing it using biodynamic and sustainable methods," says Alessio Chek, a talented young chef who opened the restaurant in 2016 with his brother Giulio.

Posto Público is an essential spot for those interested in creative cooking, with a fixed tasting menu as well as affordable pizzas. The restaurant's cobblestone plaza (aptly located on Via dell'Amore) is preparing to transform a medieval church vault into a wine bar with an informal restaurant that will open this year in the fall.

Through the fields on horseback

For a prolonged horseback journey, I met with Piergianni Rivolta at his ranch in Civita di Marittima, from where he conducts group horseback riding tours along the trails.

“In Maremma, there is a tradition that you won't find anywhere else today, but it is fading, and the paths, the old trails, and nature here need to be protected and maintained,” says Mr. Rivolta, a rugged, modern-day Robert Redford in a wide-brimmed hat. I followed him past a flock of sheep and vineyards of Sangiovese grapes, then past fields of wheat that reached up to my waist and patches adorned with amethyst-colored wild pea flowers.

We crossed rivers and walked through meadows with delicate flowers of ripe peas that towered above our heads, where our horses blindly forged a path through the yellow haze of blossoms. For two days, we rode for hours without seeing a car or another person, surrounded by nature so vibrant and lush after the rains that it seemed to be growing right before our eyes.

A small town and an exquisite hotel

Later, I traveled further south into the interior of Maremma, where I found Johnny Petrucci and Elizabeth Silvestri comfortably settling in the small town of Pereta, a hilly village mainly consisting of medieval stone houses. The couple had converted their family home into Locanda Sospesa - a guesthouse with frescoes, silk-upholstered walls, and silk brocade curtains, lovingly restoring the antique interiors of the residence, as if the velvet ropes in one of Italy's great house museums had been lifted to allow visitors to sleep in the display bedrooms.

“Covid gave us the freedom to change everything,” Mr. Petrucci said as we looked out over the hills from the balcony above their gardens. The steep slopes of forests and fields stretched to the horizon—an endless view of greenery embodying the Arcadian experience of Maremma. “The city has always felt like an external force acting against me,” Mrs. Silvestri said, stroking a rather purring striped cat in the lap of the sun. “But here I feel like I’m part of nature.”

The couple organizes events aimed at bringing guests closer to the local culture and nature - hikes and bike tours, horseback riding, lessons on weaving baskets from marsh grass, falconry demonstrations, and much more. I visited the Saturnia hot springs, swam in the warm geothermal river, and tried a bioenergetic massage, but I missed the opportunity to go asparagus hunting with Poldo Cirillo, a resident of Pereta known for his wild food foraging skills.

When I arrived, Mr. Chirillo was busy, just like the whole town, with the annual Pereta festival - a cheese-throwing competition (this year, for the first time, a woman won), accompanied by lewd accordion songs, wine served outdoors in plastic cups, and a parade of children dressed in Renaissance costumes. Normally, this sleepy village with only 67 residents becomes a magnet for travelers seeking tranquility.

The next morning, I set off on a hike with Radston St.