Six places worth the early alarm — with the light direction, the best hour, and an honest word about the parking. Built from years of getting guests there before anyone else.
01
The Cypress Avenue near Monticchiello
“This is the curve you have seen a hundred times without knowing where it is. Get here before the first cars and it is yours; by nine there are ten tripods.”
Best time
Early morning, first 90 minutes of light
Light
Sun rises behind and to the left — you shoot the curve side-lit
Parking
A single small pull-off on the road below; room for one van. Arrive early or it is taken.
From Colle di Val d'Elsa
80 min drive
02
Podere Belvedere
“The classic Val d'Orcia farmhouse. The magic is the mist in the hollow below it at first light — twenty minutes later the sun burns it off and it is just a nice house.”
Best time
Sunrise — be in position 15 minutes before
Light
Sun comes up to the left of the house; mist sits in the dip in front
Parking
Gravel lay-by on the SP146; space for a few cars. It fills fast at dawn in spring.
From Colle di Val d'Elsa
75 min drive
03
Podere Baccoleno, Crete Senesi
“The winding drive up to Baccoleno with its spiral of cypresses is the shot people think is somewhere far away. It is forty-five minutes from home and almost always empty.”
Best time
Late afternoon into golden hour, or spring green
Light
Afternoon sun rakes across the ridges from the right
Parking
Narrow gravel track; I drop you and reposition the van so nothing blocks the road.
From Colle di Val d'Elsa
60 min drive
04
Cappella della Madonna di Vitaleta
“The little chapel standing alone between two lines of cypresses. A short walk keeps most people away — most only ever see it from a car window at speed.”
Best time
Early morning or the last hour before sunset
Light
Golden-hour sun sits low behind the chapel from the classic viewpoint
Parking
Park near San Quirico and walk the short farm track, or shoot with a long lens from the road.
From Colle di Val d'Elsa
75 min drive
05
Crete Senesi ridges at sunrise
“When a cool night meets a still morning, the whole of the Crete floats in mist and the ridges come through like islands. This is the closest of the great sunrise spots to home — forty minutes.”
Best time
Sunrise, ideally with ground mist after a cool night
Light
Sun breaks along the ridgelines from the east, throwing long shadows
Parking
Several quiet roadside spots along the SP438; I know which ones frame cleanly.
From Colle di Val d'Elsa
55 min drive
06
Abbazia di San Galgano
“A vast Gothic abbey with no roof — grass floor, sky above, and the famous sword in the stone in the chapel on the hill above it. Twenty-five minutes from home and my favourite quiet stop.”
Best time
Open-to-sky interior best mid-morning; exterior at golden hour
Light
Midday light pours straight down through the missing roof; evening light warms the west wall
Parking
Proper car park at the abbey; a two-minute walk to the doors.
From Colle di Val d'Elsa
40 min drive
Want the sunrise shot without the guesswork?
We leave at 05:30, I bring the coffee, and you are standing in the right spot as the sun comes up — while the valley is still empty. Only possible with a driver who already lives here.
