Trekking excursion to the Terranera lake

Length: 800 metres
How long it takes: 15 minutes
Level of difficulty: easy

The excursion starts off from Reale beach about two kilometres from Porto Azzurro where you can park your car. From here a short walk of about ten minutes along a path takes you right to both the [page id="326"]beach and the Terranera lake[/page], a very suggestive little cove that, due to the area being rich in hematite and pyrite crystals, makes the sand shimmer in the sun.

The scenery all around is truly beautiful, and from a geological point of view the whole area is very interesting thanks to the many different minerals to be found there. As you go along you will see what is left of the old mines: from the plants to the old loading bridges that carried the iron along.

Terranera Lake is like a tiny, emerald green jewel of mineral origin that came to be when a mining well was filled up with both sulfurous water (from the ex quarry) and sea water.

In in the past swimming in the lake was allowed, but now for safety reasons it is forbidden.

A small stretch of sand separates the lake from the sea, and this makes the whole area even more fascinating.