Tuscan Trekking in Capraia and on the Island of Elba. Directions and addresses to eat well and low cost and do physical activity, even outside the station.
I propose you to go to two of the most beautiful islands of the Tuscan Archipelago, but not to go to the sea (if you still feel like it) but to try some scenic and beautiful autumn trekking.
It's no longer hot - well, almost - and the season is perfect. Otherwise, keep these tips for next spring, the islands I propose will always be there.
The first proposal is theElba island. The largest among those of the Archipelago, with varied landscapes and a mountain, the Mountain huts, which lends itself well to hiking.
Reaching the Island of Elba is very easy throughout the year, it is well connected from Piombino with a frequency of about 1 hour; we are in low season and the passage without a car costs € 6,43 with Toremar. You will arrive in Portoferraio after an hour and I will immediately give you a tip for a snack: look for it The Castagn Acciaio, in via del Mercato Vecchio. It is a pizzeria where, however, the specialty to taste is the schiaccina e Torta, that is, flatbread served with chickpea pie. This specialty from the whole Livorno coast (including the islands) is made with chickpea flour (such as Ligurian farinata) and large pans are always ready from Castagn Acciaio.
It's nice to sit on the veranda, if the weather permits: they spend it € 4,50 for a flatbread and cake, € 3 per cake (alone) or you can opt for the pizza. Also try the castagnaccio.
After a snack you can consider trekking. It is necessary to reach the town of Marciana Marina on the northwest coast of the island, and then Marciana, a town perched on the side of the mountain from where, right in the center of the town, the CAI path no. 1 which rises to Mountain huts. The height of the Capanne is mt. 1019: are you walkers? The time needed to climb is about two hours which takes to walk a beautiful mountain path, partly in the woods, partly in the sun, climbing rocks and rocks. The truly extraordinary thing: we are on an island surrounded by the sea, but this is a real mountain!
If you need a break you can consider stopping at theOratory of San Cerbone, we are about halfway up: equipped with picnic tables and space for embers. In any case, you will not reach the top without comfort, in fact on the top of the Capanne there is a bar with a panoramic terrace. Oh yes, because this same walk you did on foot can also be done ... by cable car from Marciana. You will feel like you are traveling back in time, the cable car has a look of other times…. but without effort and for the modest sum of € 13 you can climb Mount.
Whatever the means chosen, the view from the top is priceless: you can see the nearby islands, Montecristo, Corsica, the elongated shape of Elba itself, which looks like a fish. For the descent you can still choose on foot or the cable car.
Another island destination, other unforgettable treks: those offered by Capraia.
I talked about this wild island in another post, and therefore I will not repeat that you can reach the beaches by walking on paths and mule tracks, of different lengths. But the possibilities of trekking to Capraia, which is inhabited in a very small part and therefore largely uninhabited, are very numerous. The walk that I can recommend is the one that leads from the village of Capraia to the suggestive one Cala Rossa. A demanding trek, because the slope varies: uphill to the rusty ruins of the Semaphore, the rest of a Navy lookout post, then downhill.
The goal to reach is the Zenobito Tower, a name that distinguishes an ancient volcano: the cliff below is steep and incredible, because it brings together two absolutely different types of rocks, one red of volcanic origin, rusty and sanguine, one limestone.
Once here, as on all the trails on the island, your only companions are the seagulls. The wind whispers or screams, the feeling of loneliness is infinite.
There are variants to go back, the walk will still take you for several hours. On the way back, head towards the port: here at the corner with an ocher yellow church, you will find Grandfather Beppe, a place where you can eat divinely without spending too much money.
It is open for a quick lunch, but in the evening they make exceptional raw fish dishes, or express fries. The choice is not wide but all the dishes tried are delicious and the fish very fresh. It is little more than a cabin with an outdoor space, spartan and pleasant, but not very suitable for winter climates (although less rigid, we are on an island).
Indeed Nonno Beppe it is only open from April to October. The same applies to Elba, you can do the trekking now or plan it for spring. The connections by ship from Livorno are however guaranteed all year round, the navigation takes about 2,5 hours.
