Passeggiate con alpaca: dove farle in Toscana

Where to take beautiful and tender walks with alpacas in Tuscany for the sweetest of walking pet therapy.

What we talk about in this article:

Alpacas, tender, woolly, humpless camelids
A fleece of inestimable value
What kind of nature does an alpaca have?
Man and alpaca
Albus Alpaca in the lands of Maremma
My Alpaca in Florentine land
Alpaca trekking in Siena

Alpacas, tender, woolly, humpless camelids

Pbefore telling you where and how it is possible have experiences and walks with alpacas in Tuscany, you should know that these strange, tender animals, in whose soft fur you would immediately want to sink your hands, belong to one of the smaller breeds of the camelid species, so much so that, in fact, if you look at them carefully, they look like a camel with a long, hairy neck, and without humps on the back.

A fleece of inestimable value

Alpacas are believed to have been created about 6,000 years ago through a breeding strongly influenced by the vicuna. And since then, little by little, they have become known throughout the world for their rich, fine fiber. Their fleece in fact boasts a fiber more resistant than mohair of the Angora goat. AND more refined than cashmere, more lucid than the silk, softer, lighter and warmer than wool. Furthermore, since it does not contain lanolin, it is 100% hypoallergenic and odorless: it is in fact its size, usually less than 30 microns, that allows it to eliminate itching.
It also includes 22 natural colors, ranging from white, through ivory, reddish brown, dark brown, silver, gray, up to black.

What kind of nature does the alpaca have?

The alpacas, kind and curious, I am pets popular on many family farms, and respond well to children. They are also used as therapy animals in schools, nursing homes, and programs that work with children and adults with disabilities. In the USA and Germany, programs have been held for many years. alpaca therapy activities in hospitals, orphanages or nursing homes.
Their affable personality conveys a sense of calm, along with a long, soft neck to hug with love.

From 3,500 BC to now

There oldest known testimony of these animals dates back to around the 3500 BC. I Inca nobles They demonstrated their wealth thanks to the number of alpacas which they owned, and dressed in alpaca fur. Their fleece was called “fiber of the gods”, because it was more precious than gold and allowed the existence of athriving economy for thousands of years.

Today there are about 350,000 alpacas in the United States, as many in Australia, more or less. 50,000 in the UK, but most of it (over 90% of the world's population) is in South AmericaItaly is one of the largest importers of alpaca fiber from Latin America.

Albus Alpacas by Cecilia Scheggi, in Sasso d'Ombrone (Gr)

Cecilia in In 2015, at the age of 21, she discovered alpacas and fell madly in love with them. In 2016, she began raising them, and now boasts more than 30 specimens of huacaya alpacas.

Alpaca walks in Maremma

Cecilia offers various and interesting experiences with alpacas, including the walk, designed even for those who are not great walkers: 2.5 km in the countryside in an area near the Ombrone river with a mini grove, without major climbs.

The start time of the walk varies depending on the season. The average duration is 1 hour and a halfIn case of cancellation due to adverse weather forecasts, you have 12 months to rearrange the experience.

Trekking con alpaca in Toscana con l'azienda Albus Alpaca

Alpaca trekking or Alpaca experience?

THE'Alpaca Trekking (or long walk with alpacas) is an experience dedicated to those who do not disdain a suggestive 4.5 km walk, between countryside and woods, with beautiful climbs and relaxing descents, immersed in greenery and suggestive panoramas. The excursion of Alpaca Trekking takes approximately 2 and a half hours.

THE'alpaca experience allows instead to interact with the alpacas for longer, compared to walking or trekking. During the walk, in fact, it is not advisable to touch the animals that are...fearful and unpredictable nature, while it is possible to do so during the breaks of approximately 10 minutes which open in thealpaca experience, petting them, feeding them, and taking pictures. Obviously this is thechildren's most loved experience, especially when they can initially feed them pressed grass kibble, so they can get to know them and become friends. The staff also provides a complimentary Polaroid-style instant photo, as well as many digital photos.

For further information: Horseback riding holidays in Tuscany: freedom, beauty, and food and wine at a gallop.

Alpaca Espresso nella fattoria in Toscana Albus Alpaca

Alpaca therapy for disabled people

It is scientifically proven that the contact with animals – whether it is part of an assisted therapy or an occasional interaction carried out independently – induces numerous benefits to people's physical and mental health, especially in elderly or vulnerable individuals. Alpacas are trained to interact with the many people who come to visit them every day, and manage to convey beautiful emotions which have evident positive effects on the psychophysical health of those who experience them.

Because of this Albus Alpacas makes available a few hours a week delivering free alpaca therapy services for people with disabilities. Another part of the farm is planned to be equipped for this service in 2023.

My Alpaca, in Roveta / Scandicci (Florence)

TO Roveta, an area of the hills of Scandicci very close to Florence, you can make beautiful walks with alpacas in the woods, or on dirt roads, small paths, fields and olive groves. The alpaca, led on a longhina, is a silent and curious companion, relaxing and fun, while children learn to walk with respect for nature and its inhabitants.

Among the services:

– consultancy for those who have purchased alpacas
– alpacas made available for events
– know the alpacas: for the little ones, it's an hour spent with their new woolly friends, discovering their world and their habits, as well as a short walk in the meadow with Venus.
– my romantic alpaca: at the end of the walk it is possible to taste the products of local farms, in a context set up with charm and care
– birthday partyFirst, a nice walk, and then everyone onto the lawn where the tables set up for the party await us.

Donna dà da mangiare a un'alpaca e al suo cucciolo

Alpaca trekking at Fattoria Pernici, Siena

The paths of “Alpaca trekking" I am experiential workshops, aimed at respect for natural ecosystemsWalking with alpacas allows you to slow down your pace and of enjoy the natural landscape in a different way, to stop often to get in tune with the animal and the surrounding landscape, generating a sort of "itinerant therapy”.

The walk allows humans and animals to achieve mutual trust, so as to establish a relationship based on respect. And to make the time together even more constructive, walk with alpacas is rich in tales and stories on these splendid beasts.

For finish with a flourish, if you want to know something more about them, well, we can tell you that Spok is the softie of the situation: all new arrivals rely on him. Robin Hood does everything Spok does. Plush penguin He loves water incredibly. Sirius He is the smallest alpaca on the farm: cute, beautiful, sweet and loving. Go on, think about it He's beloved by the group; just looking at him is enough to make you fall in love. And then there are the others, but we won't tell you more. Go and discover them.

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