Island of Capraia

Capraia Island is located in the Corsica Channel and is the third island of the Tuscan Archipelago, with an area of about 19 km². The island, an autonomous municipality in the Province of Livorno with a population of about 300 inhabitants, is considered the most maritime island, located 54 km from the mainland coast, closer to Corsica than to Tuscany, and is therefore regarded as the most “wild” among the archipelago islands.

The island has two inhabited centers: the harbor area and the town, the oldest village near the San Giorgio Fort.

The island offers numerous historical sites of interest accessible via paths and mule tracks: Ex Penal Colony, Porto Tower, Church of Santo Stefano, Church of the Assumption, Church of San Nicola, Church and Convent of San Antonio, San Giorgio Fort, and several beaches, coves, and caves.

Capraia is considered a small geological paradise, as the only volcanic island in the archipelago, formed by a double eruption: one ancient eruption about 10 million years ago that shaped the island and a second one about 1 million years ago, on which many studies have been carried out.

Steep cliffs rising sharply from the sea, scenic rocks exposed by wind and sea erosion, document the successive eruptions and lava stratifications. This is clearly visible in the famous Cala Rossa, certainly one of the most unique coves in the archipelago, where the conical-shaped rocky walls feature colors ranging from red to black.

The central area of Capraia is the most mountainous part of the island, and the highest peak is Monte Castello, rising 445 meters above sea level. This area is marked by Mediterranean scrub rich in heather, strawberry tree, mastic, and myrtle; a small water catchment basin, the Stagnone, is also present. The vegetation contains several rare endemic species, including those found on the islet of Peraiola (or Seagull Island), such as Capraria linaria, dwarf borage, and Centaurea capraia.

Regarding fauna, the avifauna is significant, with some species linked to migratory flows and others resident.

Among marine species, you may encounter crested grebes, shearwaters, and the rare Corsican gull, adopted, flying on a rippling wave, as the symbol of the Tuscan Archipelago National Park.

Among terrestrial species, the small Corsican vulture, kestrel, peregrine falcon, and imperial raven are noteworthy.

The waters around Capraia are often a destination for snorkeling and diving enthusiasts, where among the rich seagrass meadows, you can observe groupers, dentex, and breams.

infoelba recommends: Around Capraia, sightings of marine mammals such as dolphins, fin whales, and sperm whales are frequent. The island is part of the “Pelagos Sanctuary for Mediterranean Marine Mammals”, the largest marine protected area in Europe, spanning French, Monegasque, and Italian territories. After decades of absence, the presence of the Mediterranean monk seal has also been confirmed.

The Palmenti

Cultural Route to discover the island’s ancient agricultural traditions with the possibility to visit the ancient palmenti: rock-hewn basins used for wine production, where the grapes were crushed to extract the juice, probably used since the 16th century. In addition to the four palmenti already open for visits (Forte San Giorgio, San Leonardo, Segalaio, and Tigghielle), new ones have been added thanks to recent excavations, located in the Il Piano area. Their accessibility has been enhanced through the creation of a dedicated trail with explanatory panels.

The Blue Mile

The Blue Mile of Capraia is a designated swimming corridor for safe recreational swimming in open waters, intended for open-water swimming, swim trekking, and snorkeling. In this area, navigation, anchoring, and mooring are prohibited.

The corridor is marked by twenty-two buoys (some with night-time light signals) along a line stretching in front of Capraia's inhabited area, between the far southern zone of the harbor, just before the Cave under the Tower (accessible to all from land), and the Torretta al Bagno, also accessible from land. The route is about 1100 meters long and 20-25 meters wide.

The round trip route allows you to swim almost a nautical mile in the emerald waters of Capraia.