What to see on the Island of Elba, the largest island in the Tuscan Archipelago. Spend a seven-day holiday visiting monuments, discovering mountains, cities, beaches and doing activities with activities with children, spending a low-cost holiday immersed in nature.
The third Italian island, the largest in theTuscan archipelago, is a vast and varied territory with a beautiful coast and a dream sea. And this may be enough to choose it as a holiday destination: the sandy beaches alternate with those of white stones, rocks and there are also black beaches, because Elba is rich in iron (the Etruscans already knew this).
There is something for all tastes, for families and for experienced swimmers, with a common denominator: the clean, crystalline sea of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Inevitably you will find at the bottom of this post my (very personal-questionable) ranking of beaches.
But theElba island it also has other souls to be discovered and for which it will take a few days, let's say a classic week.
Are you walkers? Well, it's beautiful on foot, though trekking modular that cross it all, thanks to the GTE (Great Elban Crossing). The backbone of the island, whose shape resembles a fish, is mountainous. The GTE is all marked, you can sleep in the various stages thanks to the accommodation facilities located along the route and offers unforgettable scenarios: the trekking on the islands is breathtaking. There is also a peak, the Mountain huts that with its 1019 mt. above sea level is no small peak to be conquered on foot. If the GTE seems too demanding there are other shorter routes, organized by the Tuscan Archipelago National Park, to be done on foot or by mountain bike: the Park offices are located in Portoferraio, Calata Italia n. 4, in front of the ferry terminals.
You are a family with children? Choose the low and sandy beaches, there are many: all the Stella Gulf, Procchio, Marina di Campo. But to alternate beach life with some activities, here are two suggestions: from Rio Marina there is visit to the mine with the little train. In this part of the island, linked to mining, a little train will take you to Valle Giove, where you can look for samples of pyrite and hematite. The visits are guided and depart every day. From Marina di Campo instead you can quickly reach theAquarium of Elba, with 85 tanks of fish, crustaceans, sea urchins, starfish and organisms that populate the waters of the island. Star of the small but interesting aquarium, the Charlie Turtle. The Aquarium is open every day from April 1st to October 20th.
Do you love the sparkling and worldly atmosphere of the seaside town? Then you can't get lost Portoferraio, which is the largest center and on the sea promenade unfolds a number of clubs, clothing shops, typical products, perfumes, handcrafted costume jewelery and household items such as ceramics or textiles. On the north coast but further west here Marciana Marina, another center full of opportunities for fun and shopping. And what about Porto Azzurro, south east coast, once famous only for the maximum security prison but today very well equipped, with a square by the sea that looks like the French Riviera, restaurants with "feet in the water" and a charm that conquers.
Not far away but in a higher position on the promontory there is Capoliveri, from here you can reach many beaches but the town above is still what it once was; the exhibition The wreck of the Pollux - Shipwreck in Capoliveri tells the story of the shipwrecked steamship Pollux and the recovery of its treasure. Let's finish the tour with Marina di Campo, south coast, center closed to cars, shops, restaurants.
Another face of Elba is the historical evidence: the island has a thousand-year history, but the most significant interventions are in Portoferraio - the Medici bastionsthe facts built by Cosimo I strike immediately, as soon as the ship approaches. The Volterraio, in Rio nell'Elba, is a 13th century Pisan fortress that boasts the distinction of never having been conquered by the Turks. It can be visited Marciana fortress, reinforced by the Appiani family, which offers a breathtaking view of the sea. But the island's most illustrious guest was the Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, who chose Elba for his exile which lasted from May 1814 to March 1815. Two villas were his residence, the Palazzina dei Mulini and the Villa San Martino, a summer residence. The flag of Elba? it is due to Napoleon: red stripe on a white background, and three golden bees.
And after all these ideas for alternative visits to the sea, here are the beaches:
- of sand: Biodola, a true paradise, but very well known and very crowded; the more withdrawn Enfola (of which I have already written in another post); Seccheto beach, Remaiolo (but you need an authorization);
- of pebbles: the Ghiaie, immediately after Portoferraio, the Padulella, Sansone, all in a row. Crystal clear, unforgettable sea;
- of rocks: Chiessi, Pomonte, Sant'Andrea (Cote Piane): it is the west coast, the most inaccessible one.
