Via dell'Erica

Departure:Sant'Andrea
Arrival: Colle d'Orano
Average time needed: 2 hours and 30 mins
Length: 5,4 km
Upwards difference in height: 372 m
Route difficulty: challenging
Route tracks: n. 150, n. 127
What to look out for: heather (2A, 2D), forms of granite erosion (2B), mediterranean bush (2C), Punta Polveraia lighthouse (2E), ophiolite

Via dell'Ericais where you start off at route n. 150 , then go from [page id="953]Sant'Andrea and go along the dry stone walls of the now abandoned vineyards then go upwards towards the scenic mountains covered in woods. These hills climb along the coast, offering us breathtaking panoramas of Formiche della Zanca with the islands of Capraia and Corsica in the distant background, both a constant presence on the horizon at this stage of your itinerary.

Mediterranean bush remains the main type of vegetation you will see all around as youv walk along; As you go through the areas known as Serrone and Sambucaia you will be able to admire some forms of tree heather.

Going downwards the route now approaches the hamlet of La Zanca so then go past some abandoned terracings as far as one of the most fascinating coasts on the Island of Elba; here, the magnificent, white cliffs sculptured by the sea as well as the pale rocks at the bottom of the crystal clear water make up a scenario you will never forget.

From Cotaccia the track goes uphill again and you go through a wood of holm oaks in the lush, Mediterranean bush; at this point it leads on to an easier track that, just below the main road, gets you to the tiny town of Patresi. Once here, just follow the main road down, pass by the building known as the Punta Polveraia lighthouse until you reach the sea. Past Patresi beachfollow track n. 127 then go upwards along the old paved road that is on the shade of strawberry trees. This route heads towards the hamlet of Colle d'Orano, which then , once you arrive at the main road, means you have reached the end of Via dell'Essenza.

The Ophiolites

In this part of Via dell'Essenza, the rocks that make up the ground consist of ophiolites known aslittle snakes, and are a major part in the geology of the Island of Elba.

Ophiolites are very important from a geological point of view because they represent the ocean's crust and part of the Earth's mantle below. These rocks were formed in very deep sea areas (hundreds of km below the surface) and they came back to the surface thanks to tectonic movements,, proving that an antique ocean was present in the past.

These "serpents" are fibrous and very large and made up of crystals and their colours go from light green to darker green. The events that have deformed the ophiolitic rocks on the Island of Elba date back to the formation of the ocean from Western Tethys (Jurassic) so have created metamorphic structures that can be seen in the area near Punta di Fetovaia, Colle d'OranoPunta Le Tombe, along the coast of Golfo Stella and in the area of Monte Strega.