Porretta Terme sits in the valley of the Reno River where it cuts through the northern Apennines. The surrounding hills are forested and offer hiking trails of varying difficulty, with views over the ridges toward Bologna to the northeast and Tuscany to the south.
The valley is well-served by the Bologna–Pistoia railway, which passes through Porretta Terme and makes it accessible without a car. Walking along the river or up into the hills above the town is the main outdoor activity, and the scenery is genuinely pretty in the way of the lesser-known Italian mountains.