things to do.....
Elba Island is known for its crystal-clear sea and a thousand beaches, all different from each other, but it actually holds many surprises for those who want to discover every aspect of it.
Here there is a list of excursions and activities to enjoy every aspect of the island, from unspoiled nature to village life to the flavors of our Island.
Island Tour
The Magic Princess motorboat departs from Marina di Campo heading east to skirt the entire coastline. During the mini cruise you can admire Elba’s beautiful coastline and its beautiful beaches, wild coves and inlets, sea caves, and with a little luck you may spot dolphins, sea turtles and minke whales. The trip includes stops for swimming and snorkeling and on board you will have the opportunity to have lunch or a cool drink.
VIsit the Island of Pianosa
To visit Pianosa Island, it is possible to embark from the dock of Marina di Campo or Marciana Marina. Visits are limited in number and you have to book in advance your trip. In Pianosa you can visit the Christian catacombs, dating back to the 3rd century AD, the remains of the baths and the Roman villa of Agrippa as well as part of the former prison colony that was active on Pianosa from 1858 until 1998. Activities include hiking and biking to the natural beauty that Pianosa offers with its caribbean coves, such as the beautiful Cala Giovanna and the Roman Port. You can visit the two islets of Scola and Scarpa and go on a kayak excursion circumnavigating all the island. For those who want to swim, they can spend a nice day at Cala Giovanna, which is located just a short walk from the docking port.
Relitto Elviscott
Pomonte is also a tourist resort renowned for the presence of a shipwreck lying in the bottom of its sea a few meters from the shore. In 1972, a 65-meter-long merchant ship sank due to a violent swell that brought it into collision with the Ogliera rock. At first the ship was visible even from land because it was trapped between the rocks, but as a result of the swells it sank.
Today the wreck of the merchant vessel Elviscott, lies at a depth of 10 meters and after several years spent under the sea, its own marine micro-climate has been created inside. It is one of the few dives on Elba that can be done starting directly from land, without needing a boat, in fact it is located adjacent to the Ogliera rock which is about 150 meters from the beach in the Pomonte district. For those who want to enjoy the spectacle of diving, mask and fins are essential. To visit the interior of the wreck, however, it is necessary to be an experienced diver, where you will be able to admire the engine room, the galley and observe among the wreck’s plates bream, octopus and conger eels that have made the wreck their natural habitat.
Sweet Touch
Exploring Elba Island aboard a small, romantic boat for a unique experience
Andrea: 335.1377670
La Barca dei Matti
Live your day as a fisherman, immerse yourself in a super exclusive adventure by stepping completely into the shoes of a fisherman Sail your nets , learn about sea creatures . An authentic and unforgettable way to learn about traditions while looking at our island through different eyes . Eat what you have managed to catch!
Elbaoutdoor
Choose from the different excursions ELBAOUTDOOR can offer, Trekking, E-bike tours, snorkeling sailboat and more…. Mail: elbaoutdoor@gmail.com Telefono: 393.8152197
OTHER EXCURSIONS
Cabinovia del Monte Capanne
Along the provincial road that connects the town of Poggio to the town of Marciana in the locality of Pozzatello in front of the fork to turn to Marciana Marina, is the large parking lot of the Monte Capanne Cabinovia, where you can park your car and go to the ticket office. At the boarding point located 375 meters away there is a Bar and a Restaurant with Pizzeria with an equipped outdoor terrace. Going up on the gondola, which can accommodate a maximum of two adults with one or two small children, you can reach the panoramic peak of Mount Capanne in about 20 minutes by reaching the hut where there is also a bar at the height of 950 meters above sea level and enjoy the wonderful view of the island from above.
Il Parco minerario di Rio Marina
Rio Marina Mining Park was created to preserve and enhance what remains of nearly three millennia of culture marked by iron ore mining and human labor. Today the Rio Marina Mining Park, offers the opportunity to be visited, where you can admire the striking mining sites, which are almost reminiscent of Mars in their conformation and color. The visit begins at the Mining Museum located in the historic center of Rio Marina, and then continues to the heart of the open pit mine, where aboard a quaint little train you will be accompanied by the mine’s tour guides. You will be able to walk along the mining paths, and during the tours you will be able to photograph the distinctive and unique landscape. During stops you can also dig and search for ore samples that you can add to your collection.
Miniere di Calamita
Mount Calamita is located in the municipality of Capoliveri from where it dominates the Costa dei Gabbiani on the southeastern side of Elba Island. The name calamita, is due to the presence of magnetite, an iron ore in which the area is rich and which was mined here since ancient times. After the closure of mining activities, today the Ginevro Gallery has been reopened to the public and can be visited on a guided tour by expert guides. The Ginevro Mine is Elba’s only underground mine, where during the visit you can admire the tools that were used during the miners’ work and the old mining stations. During the visit you can also admire the Old Workshop Museum, located a few tens of meters above the Vallone construction site. While visiting the Old Workshop Museum, you will be able to see the miners’ rooms, such as the locker rooms, offices, infirmary and a fully equipped workshop. On the outdoor forecourt in front of the museum, there are numerous mechanical equipment and working tools, documenting the mine’s intense mining activity.
Forte Longone (Porto Azzurro)
Located on the top of the promontory overlooking the northern part of the town of Porto Azzurro. Easily reached from the village by climbing the steep and winding streets of the old town. The central inner area of the fort cannot be visited, except on very rare occasions, as it houses the Island Prison. From the outside, it is possible to admire the circle of walls, including by taking advantage of a beautiful footpath that runs along a large part of it, from where one can enjoy breathtaking views of the village below and the eastern coast of the Calamita Peninsula.
TYPICAL ELBAN PRODUCTS
Schiaccia Briaca: schiaccia briaca is a typical Elban soft, round-shaped, lightly leavened, eggless cake. The name derives from the use of Aleatico dell’Elba, a highly appreciated raisin wine, and the addition of alchermes, a liqueur that gives the sweet focaccia its typical reddish color. www.schiacciabriaca.com
La Sportella: The sportella is an Elban baking dessert. Once an object of exchange between fiancés, the sportella originally incorporated a shell egg as a wish for fertility. We can find these two typical sweets at the Muti and Lupi Pastry Shop in Rio Marina, open since 1882. The bakery is located in the heart of the village, a stone’s throw from the port.
Jams : Ge’s store, from Pulvi’s in Marina di Campo awaits you on Elba Island to let you taste their handmade jams and many other products.
Honey: Ballini Farm in Cavo, in the enchantment of Elba Island, operates under organic farming in its orchards, while the beehives, distributed in 22 different locations, collect nectar from the blooms of numerous and diverse plant species. Monoflora’s range of honeys is really interesting: they range from rosemary honey to award-winning thistle honey and then chestnut, eucalyptus and heather honey to arbutus and lavender.
Aleatico: Aleatico and the island of Elba: a perfect match. Sea, sun, land, geographical location: these are the foundations on which a unique product has been built. Elba currently has 150 hectares of vineyards registered as DOC and boasts a production of about 400,000 bottles. Food pairings: fruit tarts, “schiaccia briaca,” chocolate and red fruit preparations. Fantastic with sliced peaches in summer and an uncommon but sure-fire pairing at the end of a meal with blue cheeses such as Gorgonzola or Roquefort. We can find it at Cecilia Farm in Marina di Campo. www.aleaticoelba.it
Oil: The Due Palme farm in Schiopparello produces an extra virgin olive oil that is golden in color and rich in the scents of the Mediterranean scrub. It is a qualitatively excellent product, the only PGI oil on the Elban territory recognized by the Tuscan Consortium. www.agriturismoelba.it
Birra artigianale: Emporio Napoleon a Portoferraio produce diverse linee, la linea classica, la linea moderna, linea speciale, linea elite. www.birranapoleon.com
RECOMMENDED WINERIES
Sapereta
The winery’s production (agritourism) is around 100,000 bottles; among the most important wines are Elba white Vigna Tea and Le Stipe as well as Ansonica and Vermentino. The reds Vigna Tea and Vigna Pontecchio and the passito wines Moscato, Aleatico and Ansonica. Sapereta | Porto Azzurro (Li) | loc. Mola | tel. 0565-95.033 | www.sapereta.it
Fattoria Delle Ripalte
420 hectares of property of which about fifteen are planted with vines and offer a Toscana Igt Vermentino, a Toscana Igt Rosso delle Ripalte and Aleatico Alea Ludendo. Fattoria Delle Ripalte | Capoliveri (Li) | loc. Ripalte | tel. 0565-94.211 | www.fattoriadelleripalte.it
Monte Fabbrello
The company – which is also an agritourism – produces about 30,000 bottles, in a dozen labels. From the Elba white Le Giuncaie to the Contessa Castori version from Procanico, Ansonica and Vermentino grapes. Elba Ansonica Doc, Vermentino Igt Trassassi, Elba rosso Le Lenze from Sangiovese and Merlot grapes and Elba rosso Riserva Bonfiglio, Sussurro del Vignaiolo Toscana rosso Igt, and of course Aleatico and Ansonica passito.
Monte Fabbrello | Portoferraio (Li) | loc. Schiopparello, 30 | tel. 0565-93.33.24 | www.montefabbrello.it
La Chiusa
9.50 hectares planted with vines, about 50,000 bottles produced, plus extra virgin olive oil, honey and grappa. Wines include Elba, white, rosé and red, and three very characteristic passiti wines of the estates, Ansonica, Moscato and Aleatico.
La Chiusa | Portoferraio (Li) | loc. Magazzini, 93 | tel. 0565-93.30.046 | www.tenutalachiusa.it
Cecilia
A total of 10 hectares under vine with a production of about 50,000 bottles, including Elba Bianco, Ansonica, Vermentino, Elba Rosso, Syrah, a Rosato, Moscato passito, and Aleatico passito.
Cecilia | Campo nell’Elba (Li) | loc. La Pila | tel. 0565-97.73.22 | www.aziendacecilia.it
Arrighi Vigne & Olivi
About 15,000 bottles are produced, including the Elba white DOC Ilagiù, from Procanico, Ansonica and Biancone grapes traditionally grown on the island. Also interesting is a spicy Toscana Igt Tresse, made from Sangiovese, Syrah, and Sagrantino grapes; the Elba red Centopercento, from Sangiovese grapes only; and finally an Elba Aleatico, sweet, creamy and pleasant.
Arrighi Vigne & Olivi | Porto Azzurro (Li) | loc. Pian del Monte | tel. 335.6641793 | www.arrighivigneolivi.it
Acquabona
100,000 bottles produced: classic island wines from Aleatico to Elba red, also in the Riserva version, Tuscan Igt Voltraio, from Merlot and Syrah grapes, white Ansonica dell’Elba Doc, Elba bianco Doc, Bianco Igt Toscana from Vermentino and Viogner grapes, fragrant and gentle.
Acquabona | Portoferraio (Li) | loc. Acquabona, 1 | tel. 0565-93.30.13 | www.acquabonaelba.it
