Lamaia beach, in the Commune of Marciana

Lamaia is a small, peaceful inlet about 60 metres long that in some parts is as wide as 15 metres.

It is at the foot of a valley, separated from the woods behind it by a cane thicket, and is particularly rugged; since it is seldom cleaned, you will often find the beach covered in dry posidonia that has been washed up by the tide; .

It consists partly of the sand from Biodola beach and partly of the pebbles from the valley behind it. There are beautiful cliffs on either side that are perfect if you want to go snorkelling.

Lush vegetation is all around so it is in the shade from the early hours of the afternoon: in mid august it is already in the shade by 5.00 p.m.

There are no facilities on the beach, and this means it is very quiet so is perfect for those in search of peace and quiet where nature is 100% pristine.

A particularly interesting fact: no matter in which direction you look, there are no buildings to be seen and a quick glance from this narrow inlet stretches right to the farthermost part of Enfola and Peninsola.

Since it faces North and North west it is perfect for all winds blowing from the opposite direction, be they from the east - levante - or from the west - ponente.

How to get to Lamaia beach

If you start off at the nearby Biodola beach (a promontory separates the two beaches), you just need to follow a path across the smooth rocks and through an old, underground wartime bunker, that helps to make the walk somewhat easier.

The path continues across the woods rich in holm oaks, strawberry trees and heather, and in the heart of lush, Mediterranean high bush. A short walk of just a few minutes along this path gets you to the nearby [page id="801"[ tiny Porticciolo beach[/page], similar to Lamaia, but smaller and with less posidonia (about 300 metres long).

If you follow this beautiful path right to the end, known as the Sentiero della Salute ("Fitness Track"), you get to Procchio beach.

Alternatively, you can get to the beach by following another path - number 45 - that from a scenic point of view is truly beautiful, but it is somewhat longer and more tiring; it starts off at a tiny chapel on the main road from Portoferraio to Procchio.

Information and facilities