Visit Elba Island
un tour virtuale per conoscere meglio l'Elba
Elba is the third largest Italian island and the largest in the Tuscan Archipelago. The island, Situated at 10 kilometres from the mainland, can be accessed by ferry or hydrofoil in one hour of navigation.
The island has a population of 35.000 divided into eight different towns, 12.000 alone residing at Portoferraio.
Besides the fact that her perimeter measures only 147 kilometres, Elba is capable of offering a mild climate and a multitude of diverse landscapes and scenery: romantic fishing villages, small towns on rocky hill-tops, ancient castles, green valleys and enchanting bays combined with sandy beaches.
Only minutes away from the steep cliffs that plunge into the crystal clear sea, the granite mountain, Monte Capanne rises to 1019 metres of altitude.
The ever present evidence of history and culture, combined with an extraordinary wealth of natural beauty, make this magical island unique.
For excursions in the National Park of the Tuscan archipelago:
Cooperativa di Guide Ambientali Pelagos: www.pelagos.it
For driven excursions in historical places, museums and mines:
Gruppo Guide Turistiche: www.elbaguideturistiche.it
Curiosities about Elba and the Tuscan Archipelago
How to visit the Island of Montecristo
The island is under the protection of the National Park of the Tuscan Archipelago and the Corps of
forest rangers. The European Council, following the European Diploma for the conservation of the
environment, has set a limit of 1000 visitors per year on the basis of the received requests favouring
institutional representatives, the world of research, of culture and of the associations committed to
environmental education. From 2008, thanks to the Park of the Tuscan Archipelago, 100 people per
year residents in the Comune of Portoferraio can visit the island as the island is part of the territory
of the Comune. Daily trips can be authorized by the Corps of the forest rangers, care of the 'Ufficio
della biodiversità in Follonica (Livorno) on +39 0565 40019. The waiting list it is particularly long.
The daily trips are guided and consist of two educational programmes aimed at a naturalist
education. The excursions are particularly hard due to the big rise, the high temperatures, the lack of
high vegetation, and hence the lack of shade on the tracks.
