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Departure: Porto Azzurro
Arrival: Barbarossa beach
Distance: 1.6 km
Time to complete: 15 minutes
Difficulty: very easy
Trails taken: n. 222
The Carmignani walk is one of the many nature trails on the Island of Elba: it's a beautiful route offering spectacular panoramic views along the trek, and it's not particularly difficult from an excursion point of view, making it ideal for children as well.
In about 1 km, the trail connects Porto Azzurro to Barbarossa beach.
The trail is equipped with benches with sea views, is illuminated, and runs along the cliffs above the sea offering a stunning view that stretches from the Capo Perla lighthouse to the Straccoligno beaches and the entire promontory of the Costa dei Gabbiani.
The sea view and the coves below will leave you amazed.
The walk is named after Luciano Carmignani, a former general and mayor of Porto Azzurro for just over two years, from 1999 to 2001, due to illness.
From the Porto Azzurro seafront, you need to reach Pianotta beach and from there take the path that climbs along the historic bastions of the Fortress of San Giacomo.
To make the walk even easier, you can avoid the small climb from the beach to the Fortress by starting from the parking lot below the fortress.
Located on the Porto Azzurro promontory, the fortress is in a dominant position. The structure has a star-shaped plan, with three sides facing the sea above a steep cliff. Passing under the fortress, you’ll notice the impressive outer walls, some covered in bricks and others in stone.
Today, the San Giacomo Fortress houses a prison, so visitors cannot enter.
The Carmignani walk continues along the cliffs with a beautiful panoramic view from the coastal sea to Capo Perla, the Focardo Fort, the entire Costa dei Gabbiani promontory, and all the way to the Island of Giglio. Surrounded by the scents of the sea and Mediterranean scrub, you’ll continue along the trail until you reach Barbarossa beach.
Those who are not tired can continue the trekking to the beach and the Terranera Lagoon, another fascinating and unique location on the Island of Elba.
This extension of the walk to the lagoon adds about 25 minutes of additional travel time one way.
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