Here is a description of one Elba Island Tour
a logbook of one of our seven stop-overs tour from a few years ago, to give a more realistic idea of this week long trip by kayak around the island. Obviously every tour of Elba has its own history, itinerary and sense of distance, not to mention that each stage’s length varies according to weather conditions and to the aptitudes and needs of each different group.
Saturday
It is Saturday afternoon, just after we disembark our ferry at Portoferraio harbour, ”IL VIOTTOLO” minibus arrives to pick us up, it is three of us on it, the other five participants have already arrived on the Island and await us at the campsite, after a twenty minutes or so on the road we reach our destination and are accompanied to our pitches where we find few tents already assembled by our traveling companions who are probably at present enjoying a dip into the Elba sea already; Vittorio provides us with watertight bags for luggage and tents. We arrange to put together a money fund in order to purchase communal food for lunches, dinners and breakfast, which we’ll buy the following day, in the meantime we gather at 9 pm to go for dinner together, a chance to get to know each other and ask a few questions to our guide.
We agree to meet up in the morning at 9am by the reception to go and buy some food, with our tents already dismounted and luggages packed.
Sunday
On Sunday morning the appointment to meet up is at 9am at Villa degli Ulivi campsite in Marina di Campo (Loc. La Foce). Vittorio brings the minibus along on in order for us to load the luggage that we are not going to carry with us on our kayaks. We then set off to the supermarket for a general food shopping, (water, pasta, sauces, fruit, vegetables, biscuits, jam, bread, etc.). Back at the campsite, we reach the starting point by foot through Marina di Campo beach, about 150 meters from the campsite. Kayaks are already on the beach ready for us, 5 singles and 2 doubles. Vittorio explains us how to arrange our belongings, heavier luggage in the rear compartment, drinking water in the cockpit; then advises us to paddle with our torso standing in an upright position, our back at 90 degrees, hold each paddle slightly further than our shoulders range and to paddle with long, slow movements. Alessandra gets in one of the doubles with our guide, Mr. and Mrs. Negri in the other; after an inevitable question and answer chat with few nearby bathers and the just as inevitable photos of our departure, we take to the sea in the direction of Punta alle Mete, eastwards, we are going to tour the island counterclockwise as this is the advisable way in the present weather conditions (north-west mistral wind). We skirt the eastern side of the Gulf of Marina di Campo , a little further on we pass within the small granitic isle of Portocaccamo then after skirting a small inlet called Ischia, we reach Fonza, a beach with a beautiful sandy seabed, then after rounding Punta le Mete granite pinnacles and flanked Cala al Fico we reach Buca dell’Acqua, a tiny cave characterized by a fresh water spring in it, after that we round Capo Fonza and enter the Gulf of Lacona by the “lisce di Penco” (a small natural rock pool) where we dive off our kayaks for a swim. After an about 25 minutes break we set off again along Cala del Diavolo and Laconella beach with its beautiful sandy seabeds then pass through the narrow passages at the feet of Punta Contessa, we get to Lacona beach, the second largest on Elba by width, and stop for lunch on its eastern edge. After an hour break among “civilization”, we get on our kayaks again towards Capo Stella; Sergio, an alpine guide, tired of arguing with his wife, swaps kayaks with Fabio, he takes the single one, and leaves him the double; it is very hot and after having paddled for twenty minutes along a very beautiful stretch of coast whose Mediterranean vegetation laps into the sea, we stop at Spiaggia Bianca to swim; while Nello, Patrizia and Gianluca are snorkeling, others have a nap in the shade of a small cave that has an edge one meter above sea level. Meanwhile the temperature seems to have dropped a bit, so we resume our tour of Elba and admire the striking rocky formations of Capo Stella called “pillow lavas”: brown, purple and green rocks formed by underwater eruptions that extend for a couple of kilometers and are one of the most evocative points of the coast, also due to the fact that they are home to the second largest Herring Gull colony on the island. After rounding that spot and flanking some very suggestive rocks, we enter Golfo Stella, the largest gulf of Elba where we stop in a small but deep and sheltered beach for our first bivouac.
Monday.
At 7am Sergio, Bianca and Fabio are already in the sea; each of us at our own pace enjoy the morning stillness, at about 9am, just after breakfast, we are ready to take to the sea again by kayaks, together with all our same equipment brought along the previous evening. Dark sand beaches alternate to sea moulded rocks all the way to Margidore Beach, where we stop for a mid morning snack. At 11am we are back at sea, it is a truly a beautiful day, the mistral wind makes the sea particularly clear and once opposite Aquarilli beach we dive off our kayaks, there and then everyone realizes that diving into the sea from our kayaks and climbing back is pretty simple, after this sort of initiation, dive + swim stops are to become more and more frequent. We paddle downwind until Lido di Capoliveri, then thanks to the astern mistral wind we quickly head back south towards Punta Calamita, coasting the beaches of Zuccale, Barabarca, Madonna delle Grazie together with the white and friable Peducelli rocks and after leaving behind us also the beaches of Morcone and Pareti, we finally get to Innamorata beach where we unanimously decide to go and eat some pasta. A simple pasta dish turns into an abundant lunch, and pleasantly chatting in the sea breeze, time flows … by the time we get our kayaks back in the water is already 5pm, after circumnavigating the Gemini Isles, we stop opposite “Grotta della spiaggia”, (a small cave with a narrow but deep beach in it, big enough to fit 8 people and their kayaks) we keep going along the coast up to Punta Calamita where remains of mines shut at the beginning of the 80’s give this place a post-war look. Once rounded Punta Calamita we reach the wide white Spiaggione delle Miniere then Sassi Turchini beach where among limestone pebbles, can also be found fragments of Malachite and Azurite. Leaving behind on our right the rock of Remaiolo, we then round Punta di Ripalti reef, home to the largest Mediterranean colony of Herring Gulls, it is difficult to establish a number, but in late spring usually there are an estimated 250,000 of them. While skirting Ripalti cliff, the highest on Elba, its dark vertical rocks rising more than 100 meters in height, evoke images of a primordial world while the wild goats living in the area give this place an even more extraordinary look. We are now on the eastern side of the island, mainland on our right, we get to Capo delle Brache behind which is Miniera del Ginevro, the last mine to close its activity in the centuries old mining history of Elba Island. After leaving behind the mine and what used to be its old loading pier protruding from the rocks, we reach Ginevro beach where we stop for the night.
Tuesday
We all wake up very early, and at 7.30am already in the sea with our scuba masks, Vittorio wants to show us a large school of Barracudas that, to even the most skeptical people’s surprise, materialize in front of us after a few minutes, it is about one hundred of them, each roughly 50cm long. Back to the “base” we get our kayaks ready and set off to travel up the east side of the island, today on the leading double kayak with the “boss”, it is Bianca’s turn to paddle while on the other double are Silvano and Alessandra. Just after leaving we pass in front of the beautiful beach of Stagnone and after rounding Capo Calvo we visit a small cave then stop by Sassi Neri beach, to go and see the namesake small lake of slightly sulphurous fresh water, surrounded by thick thicket.
Off again, we coast a series of small wild bays and after rounding the Islet of Liscoli , we get to Calanova bay, after a few more paddles between shallow waters and stratified rocks, we arrive at Cala Grande beach where we have breakfast. Refreshed, we take to the sea again, and after rounding the imposing Forte Focardo (a seventeenth century Spanish fortress) right beyond Capo della Tavola we cross the Gulf of PortoAzzurro close to the ramparts of San Giacomo, a Spanish fortress, current site of Porto Azzurro prisons. We then coast the gulfs of Barbarossa and Reale and stop at Terranera beach to visit the small lake bearing the same name located just a few meters from the beach. This lake, generated from the basin of an abandoned open-pit mine where hematite used to be once extracted, is now characterized by colours and smells of sulphur dissolved in water. Off we go again up to the Islet of Ortano where by taking advantage of our kayaks short draught, we pass over a rocky shallow depth with beautiful colors. After visiting a small cave whose walls are adorned by endless shades of red iron oxide, we continue to bear away up the eastern coast, then land our kayaks on Rio Marina beach, overlooked by the majestic Appiani Tower. Although the local mines have been closed for over twenty years, around this iron town, everything is still very much mining-oriented; we stop for food shopping then leave again under passing an abandoned loading dock just outside town; we voyage along this suggestive stretch of coast and its vivid colors then stop at Fiammingo beach where by rolling in a sand formed by billions of tiny and shiny foils of hematite, we turn ourselves into “Iron men”. Continuing to paddle, we round the town of Cavo first, followed by Isolotto dei Topi (the Islet of mice) and Capo Vita, we are now on the North side of Elba; the coast here is amazing and wild, the depths of Cala Mendolina hold an irresistible appeal for a dip. Further on we meet the phantasmagoric red jasper rocks of Punta Rossa, one of the most beautiful spots of our Elba tour, not longer after, we stop in Cala dei Mangani for our third bivouac.
Wednesday
We set off at around 9am right after our customary morning swim, today everyone has slept longer than usual maybe due to the long stretch of the previous day or to the fact that we all have become accustomed to this “stray” life of us by now; after twenty minutes or so we get to Nisportino, where a collective craving for pasta urges us to stop at “Battigia”, a characteristic and unique restaurant on the beach. Not long after we set off again, our skills are put to to the test in an interminable series of spectacular passages through narrow, dry and multicolored rock arches all around Nisporto beach; by now our kayaks have become a trusted companion for each one of us. Once reached Punta della Falconaia, we head towards the Forte Stella lighthouse in Portoferraio, our dread of swaying because of the many sailing ferries, turns out to be unfounded and after half an hour we find ourselves already coasting the majestic Medicean Walls of Portoferraio. The subsequent coastline is very beautiful and with a long series of white pebble beaches ; optimal weather conditions mean that after a few more swims and dives we get to Sansone beach by dusk. One more mellow dip, then through a beach path we reach a nearby restaurant for a pleasant dinner.
Thursday.
The morning quietness is enhanced by a completely flat and transparent sea which like a glass panel displays beautiful depths that tempts you to dive. While swimming over white rocks and lush beds of Posidonia, it is pretty common to spot salps, sea breams, porgies or, for the more attentive, even octopuses. Leaving this beautiful beach to early morning tourists, we start off our fifth day of navigation in style, by passing through Faraglione degli Argonauti (named after the intrepid “Golden Fleece Argonauts” who according to a legend were founders of the mythical Port Argo); Gianluca, struck by the Faraglione, strands his kayak and climbs on the overlooking natural dolmen to take pictures; we continue to circumnavigate the Enfola peninsula, here rocks seem more compact and sinuous perfect for climbing, once rounded Punta di Capo Enfola and while skirting “Nave”, in front of our eyes stands a majestic view of the predominant granite massif of Mount Capanne with Corsica in the background. While flanking along the compact granite cliffs, what looks like a huge shark’s mouth suddenly appears in one of the rocks before us, we follow Vittorio as he slots himself between this “stone monster”’s teeth, the inner sight is fantastic, light filters through its “mouth “and ceiling, on which is a wide open crater that, in rough sea, lets out loud and spectacular salty geysers just like a whale vent, and that is indeed at the origin of this cave’s name: ‘Sbruffo’ (Puff). After leaving, we stop at the small beach of Enfola to have breakfast. We set off again, leaving behind us an old tuna fishery building and paddling along the Gulf of Viticcio, then once rounded Punta Penisola, we reach the tiny conglomerate of Forno situated on a small beach of golden sand, after rounding also Scaglieri beach, we get to the shore of Biodola which, with its 750 meters of sea front, is one of the largest on Elba. While continuing to paddle inshore, we observe bunkers and military trenches dug into the cliff, dating back to World War II. Next we reach Porticciolo, a small shaded bay, able to provide shelter from any wind, and therefore already used as a port two thousand years ago by Etruscans. The whole north side of the island has got a dense and lush vegetation even in the summer, with this stretch in particular being characterized by numerous holm oaks skimming into the sea water. Just after Punta della Guardiola, we arrive at Procchio beach, known also for its Etruscan and Roman shipwrecks lying on the sea bottom a few meters from the shore. After passing the gorgeous bay of Spartaia, we reach the Paolina Islet, which owes its name to Napoleon’s sister. An abundant vegetation made up predominately by holm oaks, accompanies us while reflecting on a sea rich of Poseidonia. After passing the tip of Crocetta, we find ourselves in front of Marciana Marina town where we get to enjoy a superb view that embraces the whole northern slope of the massif of Mount Capanne, surrounded by the vegetation of chestnut woods, and the two villages of Poggio (339 m asl) and Marciana (350 meters above sea level). Once rounded also Marciana Marina’ s seventeenth century lookout tower, built on rocks in order to be able to warn people in case of attack from the sea, the coast becomes more impervious with granite rocks accompanying us to an imposing Punta del Nasuto.
Capraia to the north and Corsica’s northern side to our west, fill up the horizon, while the clear sea by Ripa Barata tempts you to dive in for a swim. Off we go again and, after a few minutes, the sea under our Kayaks is enlivened by a large school of sardines that, with their elongated bodies, reflect intermittently the sunlight. Rounded Punta della Gioma, we are paddling in an area where it is easier to catch sight of whales: they often get close to the coast and it is really exciting to admire these wonderful cetaceans sailing silently and elegantly just a few hundred meters from the shore, showing off their presence with spectacular puffs. After some challenging passages between extraordinarily shaped granites, we reach Cotoncello, whose spectacularly transparent sea bottom enhance the spherical shapes of the many large pebbles lying on its sea bottom, then, under the seemingly distracted glance of a rare Corsican seagull, we circumnavigate a small white granite peninsula and enter S. Andrea bay, where sand alternates with spectacular granite rocks eroded and polished by the sea. All this, together with such a transparent sea, make this place one of the most famous on the island… we are stopping here for the night.
Friday
Sant’ Andrea. The sleepy, still silence of Sant’ Andrea is interrupted by the local cleaners of the cliffs and small beach, soon after the local barkeepers turn up, we wait for fresh pastries to be delivered and after a classic (and ample) Italian breakfast, we begin our penultimate leg of our tour among the shared curiosity of few early morning bathers. We round Sant’ Andrea’s point, and paddle around its “Granite Whale”, while dazzled by shimmering granite walls and their indefinable forms hanging over us, we finally reach “Grotta del Papa”. This cave’s entrance is very narrow and difficult to figure out, but once you managed to get through its gully – which is just about slightly wider than our kayak – the inner space is unexpectedly vast. Inside, we manage to easily fit all of our kayaks, a dim light and the rocks’ multicolored incrustations combined to water seepages, make this location particularly impressive. Vittorio suggests a snorkeling excursion with underwater torches leaving from the main cave space. We “park” our kayaks and four at the time dive in, sliding through a labyrinth of more or less dark canals where light filters from the most disparate angles while drawing laminae and light figures on the water and granite walls, blinding at times. After this unscheduled psychedelic experience, doable only with a calm sea, we resume our itinerant paddling to reach Cala della Cotaccia, one of the most beautiful and unique bays on the island, due to the transparency of its seabed illuminated by imposing white granites embracing this cove both above and below the sea surface. Majestic granite cliffs adorned with orthoclase crystals and inlaid by sea salt escort us to the beach of Punta Polveraia, where they are abruptly replaced though by dark rocks belonging to the local thermal metamorphic ring, an important hint of how complex Elba’s geological genesis actually is. While passing dark Punta Polveraia, we admire its white lighthouse above, an elegant building topped by a large lantern, that every night intermittently illuminates the salty marine darkness while acting also as a precious reference for the sailors amidst the Corsica channel. While in front of Patresi beach, we draw the attention of few bathers who approach us with their air mattresses and rafts to ask us lots of questions. Flattered by such admired interest, we smugly round the tip of Furnace then continue to paddle a few meters off the long dark shores of Campolofeno, behind which we get to admire a small colony of Corsican seagull. We are on the extreme west of Elba, at the most exposed point of the whole tour, impassable in case of wind blowing from the west. Rounded Punta Nera, we land on Felci beach, where we allow ourselves a break, used by all for a bit of snorkeling. After a short pause we leave again and once rounded Punta Timonaia, we can admire Chiessi with its small white houses, a village lying on smooth granite cliffs that plunge into the sea like a disenchanted tourist from another era. With the prows of our kayaks facing south we reach Pomonte, a small town built where once stood an ancient Roman port, behind it we can admire its valley, the largest on Elba, with green vineyards that contrast with the surrounding rocks and Mount Capanne, the highest peak of the island (1019 meters).
On Pomonte beach we land our kayaks again and go to visit this quaint village, a chance also to buy food for our dinner. Once back to the beach, we get ready for diving on the shipwreck by the Ogliera rock, on our left is the only fishing vessel of Pomonte lying on the eastern edge of the beach, ready to set off for a few hours like it does every evening. We round Punta dell’ Argentera and in the quietness preceding dusk we approach Le Tombe black beaches.
The warm sunset light inflames the chalcopyrite walls descending fragmentarily on the beach’s dark line and while the sun is setting behind Corsica’s cutout, we land on the sheltered Cala dell’Alga for our bivouac; we are now back on the South side of the island, on the horizon the dark shapes of Pianosa and Montecristo stand out, and as the first stars light up, we settle for the night.
Saturday
A slow awakening after a night spent talking around the fire, is enliven by the now usual swim that precedes all our departures. Kayaks back in the sea, we leave again escorted by the reflection of dark rocks mixed to the cobalt blue of the deep sea. Rounded a green Punta di Fetovaia, we travel up close to the ravines to reach its beautiful white beach, one of the most frequented shores of the whole island. We decide not to stop, but we allow ourselves a swim into this emerald sea.
We leave Fetovaia bay, trying to keep in our minds a paradisiacal but “virtual” image of it rather than with all the sun umbrellas it has on it at the moment, and continue towards East, skirting the smooth white granite, we reach Le Piscine (pools): small hollows from the old granite quarries times, located just a few meters from the shoreline, therefore filled naturally by sea water. Once past Ghiaieto we get to the small beach of Seccheto, where we land for our lunch. Unlike Fetovaia and Cavoli, where buildings are all of recent construction and used as accommodation facilities , Seccheto is a proper little town, whose origins are lost in the mists of time, peasants and stonecutters who lived here until 30 years ago, have been now replaced by tourist operators. Overlooked by a very dry southern slope of Mount Capanne, we leave Seccheto bay to enter the Gulf of Cavoli. Despite being pretty overcrowded, this bay is still enchanting, especially due to a sea so clear, it makes our kayaks seem suspended. Paddling now with the profiles of Montecristo and Giglio islands to our right, we reach Grotta Azzurra. This cave has a wide entrance and a pleasant temperature, inside we observe the foundations of massive stalactites and stalagmites that have been unfortunately destroyed by human stupidity, after circumnavigating its small inner islet, while exiting, our attention is drawn to the sunlight that, filtering inside, ‘draws’ on the white rocks the sea eternal movement. Maneuvering among the cliffs, we arrive in Colle Palombaia, the only ever growing beach on the island. Not long later, we find out why: this stretch of coast is very friable and its debris, once into the sea, get transported ashore by currents. We are now in an area named Libreria, we stop at Monte Turato beach, surrounded by rocks just perfect to dive from. The warm temperature, beautiful sea and a lack of desire to return to “civilization” make time stretch for longer, so much so that when we lazily get back, the sun is already disappearing from above the bay. When we round Capo Poro, the rocks around us are of granite again, overlooking above the yellow high ridges, is Marina di Campo’s lighthouse, hinting to an imminent arrival into its Gulf. Among granite rocks and their striking long shadows, Vittorio lead us to discover Grotta del Vescovo, a very fascinating place with a double entrance that inevitably invites to go around it twice. The last cave we visit is Bue Marino, name given by locals to the now extinct monk seal.
We then round Punta Bardella and enter the Gulf of Galenzana, a natural bay facing East within the Gulf of Marina di Campo which as is exposed to South East, allows this bay to be sheltered from all kind of winds. Galenzana, due to its calm, shallow and very warm waters, is a very important environment for the reproduction of marine creatures, plus, its “bagnolo”, a very extensive outcropping visible at low tide, makes it particularly appealing. Paddling on Galenzana shallow waters, we reach also the two beaches of Salandri, then navigate by the fascinating walls of Marina di Campo look-out tower. It is evening time already when we get back to Marina di Campo beach. After seven intense days of kayaking, beyond a great communal sense of satisfaction for having completed our “mission”, you can also sense a bit of envy for the participants of the following round.
Sunday
Sunday is departure day, at around 9am the minibus picks us up from our campsite and takes us to Portoferraio harbour where we embark for Piombino, our holiday is over …
