In the world of granite - Trekking excursions on the Island of Elba

Difference of level:314 m;
How long it takes: 5 hours;
Difficulty level: medium.

Departure is from the tiny village of San Piero, at 239 m, well worth a visit, especially the ancient granite doorways all over the village. Another must is the San Pietro e Paolo Church, built inside the defence rampart that watches over all of Marina di Campo.

Once you have gone up the granite stairway in the centre of the village, walk uphill for about 30 minutes, until you get to the path that from the San Giovanni Tower leads to the Piane del Canale; after about ten minutes walking, we suggest you leave the path and go to Pietra Murata to admire the view: you can clearly see some of the islands of the Tuscan Archipelago, above all Pianosa, Montecristo and Corsica. This area was in fact a strategic defence watchtower during the pre Roman period.

Once you are back on the path, go down past the Fosso dei Malocci until you get to path num. 35, which takes you to the San Piero granite quarries. Along the way, as well as the odd breathtaking view, you can still see the typical granite terraced vines, now more or less abandoned but still in good condition.

During this last part of your excursion, take a good look all around you: granite masses partially worked on with strange notches in them as well as pieces of columns left abandoned are all that is left of the past granite work, flourishing even during the Pisan era (XIII cent.). The green fields around the Moncione Mill are also worth looking at. The destination is back to San Piero.

Heights

1. San Piero: 230 m
2. Pietra Murata: 544 m
3. Moncione: 366 m

Information from the Tuscan Archipelago Tourism Promotion Offices