An authentic path, a magical place where man has not done too much damage: visit to a natural place not accessible to everyone and full of charm!
The most unspoiled, mysterious, lonely island ofTuscan archipelago: L 'Montecristo Island. Integral nature reserve, like any place not accessible to everyone, it has an incredible charm. Montecristo refuses to visit it, or rather to visit it it is necessary to make long stalking, until finally being able to fix a first appointment.
An integral nature reserve
Indeed Montecristo you cannot reach it with your own boat, nor can it be visited independently. The guides lead us along precise itineraries, in total respect of one integral nature reserve. It goes without saying that the rules to be respected are strict: in addition to leaving no waste, you cannot pick flowers or plants, disturb the animals, you cannot lie on the beach, bathe, smoke or pee.
Nothing should disturb the natural development of an environment that is intact and is part of both National Park of the Tuscan Archipelago, which of the Biosphere Reserve of the Tuscan Islands; an environment in which, currently, man is present only thanks to the supervision of the Carabinieri Biodiversity Group; however in the past the man lived in Montecristo, as you can discover by exploring the island.
How to book
Through the National Park office you can book the service of an Elban agency that provides a navigation and visit service with an environmental guide to the lucky few. It is necessary to keep an eye on the Park website and immediately book as soon as visiting days are published (which usually take place from May to October). You send the names, the number of the document with which you will show up for boarding and you immediately pay the agreed sum (100 euro per person).
Boarding takes place from the port of Piombino at 8,30 in the morning or from Porto Azzurro, on the Island of Elba at 9,30; navigation continues in the open sea for a total of three and a half hours.
What to expect
The first sighting of Montecristo from the ship is a cone of pink granite, with steep and inhospitable walls. The natural inlet where the tiny marina is located, Cala Maestra, welcomes visitors with a beautiful beach, a building (the Park's documentation center) and a somewhat demoted villa.
We will then discover, during the visit, that the villa was much loved by Vittorio Emanuele III of Savoy who made it an exclusive game reserve in 1899; in the 70s a building project aimed to make it an ultra-luxury hunting resort, a project that failed due to the unanimous opposition of the inhabitants of Elba.
The peculiarity of Montecristo is its isolation, which has allowed the Mediterranean flora and fauna to flourish. The island is the kingdom of the Mediterranean scrub, with a fragrant seedling typical of the place, the brown. A secular holm oak wood is protected (and cannot be visited). Some species are endemic such as the Montecristo viper, the wild goat, the Sardinian discoglossus (a very rare species of frog).
The sea
The sea around Montecristo is crystalline and protected, which is why boats cannot get closer than a kilometer. The waters are very rich in posidonia, sea anemones and corals; moreover the island is included in the International Sanctuary of the Pelagos Cetaceans.
experience
The island is silent, interrupted only by the screams of the seagulls. But if you can't do beach life, you can't swim, what kind of visit do you do?
A walk on foot, on a rocky path and all uphill (and under the sun). Climb up this cone, you arrive at the remains of the convent of San Mamiliano, a hermit of Palermo origin and founder of a monastic community, residing on the island until the 16th century. What you can visit are the remains of the ancient abbey and the Monastery of San Mamiliano.
The walking routes are guided, must be done safely (mountain shoes, hat, water supplies, etc.) and continuously offer glimpses of the sea. Furthermore, the island is linked, in the common imagination, to the novel by Dumas: The Count of Monte Cristo, where there is talk of a legendary treasure kept right in the abbey.
The impression I got is that of approaching a shrine, a natural shrine, where man has not yet done too much damage; the way in which we should all begin to approach nature, to respect it more.
Infopark Information Services Bookshop
Tuscan Archipelago National Park
Portoferraio - Elba Island
tel. 0565 908231
