1993. The Tuscan Archipelago, a park in the blue

Welcome to the special section “BAM 35 Years.” We are presenting “cult” articles from the Motor Boats archive, starting in 1990. A journey through time among stories unobtainable today, even in the great sea of the internet! A dive into the world of epic moments in motor boating. Here is one of the stories we were most passionate about.

A park in the blue

From Motor Boats 1993, no. 8, September, pp. 56-64.

In the sea between Tuscany and Corsica are seven islands protected by a new national park, fragments of a landscape of caves and cliffs, clear waters and a green hinterland that smells of Mediterranean scrub. From Capraia to Giannutri via gentle Elba.

A park in the middle of the sea. In fact, seven, as many as there are islands from the blue between Tuscany and Corsica. Seven precious stones adorned the neck of Venus, as the legend goes. But the necklace broke and the gems fell into the Tyrrhenian Sea. Three of them, Gorgona, Pianosa and Montecristo are practically inaccessible, the first two because they are home to penal colonies, the last one as a nature reserve where, since the late 1970s, landing and sailing within 500 meters of the coast are prohibited. Gorgona and Montecristo are part, along with Capraia and Giannutri, of the newly createdTuscan Archipelago National Park, while for Giglio, Pianosa and Elba the areas to be included in the park have yet to be identified. Inhabited since ancient times, the islands were an important point of reference for Etruscan and Roman civilization, as a supply area for iron and wood, as a stopover on the main trade routes, and as patrician residences. Evidence of this is provided by the numerous finds at sea and the remains of villas. But today’s maritime villages have much more recent origins and bear the imprint of the maritime republics of Genoa and Pisa and the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. There are still inadequate recreational facilities along these coasts, and while this helps to maintain the charm of small fishing ports, the problem of mooring and refueling comes to a head, especially during the “hottest” periods.

Discovering this paradise

The Tuscan islands are known to most yachtsmen primarily because they bridge the Italian coast with Corsica, from which Capraia is only 15 miles away and the western end ofElba less than 30. But the archipelago deserves more than a hasty stopover and is worth an ‘entire cruise by itself. For those departing from Liguria, the itinerary necessarily begins from the island of Capraia, while those coming from the south first encounter Giannutri and Giglio. In both cases we recommend sailing clockwise and calling atElba, which has several ports and numerous good weather anchorages on both the outward and return routes. On the nearby Tuscan coast, the marinas of Punta Ala and Cala Galera provide a convenient point of reference for all kinds of assistance (though not exactly cheap), but throughout the summer season very calm weather conditions allow frequent anchorages in the roadstead, thus avoiding the traditional crowding of ports, where it pays to call only away from peak hours. Having miraculously escaped building speculation thanks first to the penal colony, which occupied part of its territory for more than a century, prohibiting both transit and landing, then to its inclusion in the new national park, Capraia is an island of wild charm. The only port of call is the small harbor overlooking the northeastern side, where the few houses with a few trattorias and food outlets offer the same image today as they did many years ago. The haven is safe in all weather conditions, but the Grecale creates a strong undertow there, while with the Libeccio very violent gusts creep in. At the height of summer the small dock fills to overflowing with boats, and it becomes difficult to find a place even in the second or third row. In good weather you can anchor in the wide roadstead outside the pier or at the foot of the tower. A road about a kilometer long goes up from the harbor to the village, gathered under the rugged rock rampart on which the 15th-century Pisan-Genovese fort of San Giorgio stands: a village, a harbor, a fort, the structures of the dismantled penitentiary, four churches, four watchtowers: the history of Capraia begins and ends here. The island is crisscrossed by a mountain range that slopes gently with “vadi” (small rivers) to the east and precipitates abruptly to the west. North of the harbor, Cala della Mortola is the only one with a small but unsteady sandy beach, while the jagged west coast has very high and impassable cliffs all the way to Punta dello Zenobito. Here the beauty of Cala Rossa leaves one breathless: the cove is part of the cauldron of a very ancient volcano that has sunk into the sea, with rapidly sloping seabeds and rock walls with extraordinary color effects, with the bright red of the rock brushed by the metallic green of the helichrysum.

From Capraia to Elba

About halfway down the eastern side you can stop for a swim at Cala del Ceppo, just below the Punta della Civitata. After about 20 miles of sailing southeast, you will land in Portoferraio, the main center ofElba. From offshore, the Scoglietto with its small stone lighthouse and the 16th-century fortifications, the work of Cosimo I de’ Medici, with Forte Stella are clearly visible. Behind the Citadel hides the old dockyard, where you can moor with your stern in the dock at Calata Mazzini or Calata Matteotti. From the defensive walls that follow the outline of the harbor, palaces with bars and stores have been carved out overlooking the street in a chaotic bustle of people, cars and boats. Beyond the Porta a Mare is the entrance to what was once the parade ground, large and tree-lined, surrounded by old stores, before climbing the long staircase to the forts and Napoleon‘s house. In the village you will find a food market and several restaurants where you can taste the specialties of Elban cuisine, from persata (soup with eggs, marjoram, oil and bread) to gurguglione (island vegetable soup and bread), from fish dishes to game and, to finish, schiaccia briaca, the island’s typical dessert. Leaving the roadstead of Portoferraio towards Capo della Vita, you will encounter three beautiful coves: Cala Nisporto, Cala Nisportino and Cala Piscatoio, which, however, we do not recommend for stopping as they are always crowded with bathers and campers and disturbed by the waves created by the frequent ferries. As far as Cavo, a modern village surrounded by green gardens and Mediterranean scrub, navigation presents no difficulty, and the coast is a splendid alternation of rocks and beaches washed by crystal-clear waters hemmed in by shallow waters (the small port can only accommodate boats with a draft of less than 2 meters). Doubling Cape Pero, one spots the large ochre- and rust-colored mines from which the precious iron was extracted for centuries. Against this backdrop stands the town of Rio Marina, the center of the island’s mining activity, now almost completely exhausted, where even the beach has the dark, shiny color of iron. Few, for those who need to moor, places at the South Quay, between the Clock Tower built by the Pisans and the Red Tower. From here to Porto Azzurro there are no interesting stops, and the beaches are generally very crowded, bordered by shoals and rocks. Arriving from offshore, the only visible construction is Forte San Giacomo, until, having uncovered the pier, the entire roadstead with the town of Porto Azzurro appears, dominated by the fortress of Porto Longone, which was built in the 1600s by the Spanish and is now the site of a penal colony. The dock is reserved for ferries, which are very frequent, and the quay is always crowded with boats arranged in several rows. The stop is in any case uneventful because of the intense movement of boats from the first light of dawn. Managing to get there, there is water at the dock, while ice and excellent fresh fish can be found at the nearby fish market. A good alternative to the harbor is the deep Mola Bay, where, however, it is best not to go too deep because of the shallow waters.

From Elba to the island of Giglio

From here begins the circumnavigation of the Capoliveri peninsula, from the Latin “Caput Liberum,” the untamed corner ofElba that since Roman times has opposed the foreign dominations that have alternated on the island. The promontory offers several bays for anchorage depending on the wind and crowding, but beware of some dangers: on the eastern side the shallows around the islet of Liscoli, on the western side those between the coast and the Gemini islands, and finally the rocks between Capo Stella and the islet of Corbella, which should always be rounded outside. Also, don’t forget that Mount Calamita ‘s high concentration of iron ore greatly influences the magnetism of the area, literally driving shipboard compasses crazy. At the base of the more than 400-meter-high mountain rises the charming, medieval town of Capoliveri, built on a hill, from which a scenic road leads to the old mines in a sort of journey back in time. At this point, instead of continuing in the circumnavigation ofElba, head southeast again to reach the southernmost islands of the archipelago, Giglio and tiny Giannutri. After the green hills of Elba, the island of Giglio immediately appears barren and barren, very different from what it must have looked like at one time, when it was entirely covered by forests later cleared with the introduction of agriculture and animal husbandry. The only harbor, rebuilt on the remains of an ancient Roman pier on the eastern side of the island, is sheltered from all winds except the Grecale, but even here in midsummer luck and patience are needed to find a place at the dock. Ashore, a row of pastel-colored houses overlooks the great movement of the harbor, with the terraces of bars and restaurants crowded with day-trippers arriving by ferry from Porto Santo Stefano. A bus service takes you to the medieval village of Giglio Castello, with fortifications built by the Medici against pirate raids, to which you can also climb on foot along 4 kilometers of mule track. With westerly winds you can also give bottom in the Cala delle Caldane or in the adjacent and more popular Cala delle Cannelle, while on the opposite side of the island, the Seno del Campese, where you can anchor between Punta Faraglione and the Tower, is well sheltered from easterly winds. Here the granite beach and vineyard terraces frame the turquoise water, although unfortunately flashy hotel complexes dot the bay. With calm seas, one can also temporarily stop in the small cove of Capel Rosso, with impressive scenery characterized by manganese in the rock.

From Giglio to Giannutri

Only 10 miles from Giglio, theisland of Giannutri is the most barren of the archipelago, the wildest. Its distinctive crescent shape and rocky physiognomy give it beautiful coastlines and views. Here, too, the choice of appprodo will be dictated by the winds: with the easterly ones, you can stop near Monticello Adami, in Cala Ischiaiola or in the ancient Cala Maestra, where the island’s only pier exists. In all winds, except the Scirocco, it is possible to find shelter in the Cala degli Spalmatoi. At the northwest end of Giannutri, in front of Punta Scaletta, however, stopping and anchoring are prohibited, as it is a protected archaeological area with numerous remains and testimonies, especially from Roman times. From Punta Scaletta a short walk leads to the splendid villa built on a ridge of Cala Maestra by the Domizi Enobarbi, a powerful family of imperial Rome, with elegant Corinthian granite columns, a water reservoir, storehouses, baths and mosaic fragments. The island, which is now part of the national park, has been saved from speculation, although modernity has left some traces there: a few private villas, a tourist village converted into condominiums, a restaurant, but not a store or gas station, and water by the pound. Leaving Giannutri, the itinerary climbs, with a stop back at Giglio, to Marina di Campo, at the center of the southern coast of theisland of Elba.

Return to Elba

Given the impossibility of finding space at the dock, you will have to give bottom in the bay immediately north of the port or in the one to the south, more beautiful and quieter. Circumnavigating Capo di Poro, one arrives at the famous beach of Cavoli, of very fine white sand, an excellent stop for a swim, while for the night it is advisable to cross the bay of Secchetto and anchor near the beach of Fetovaia. From here begins a beautiful but inaccessible stretch of coastline (we are on the slopes of Mount Capanne, more than a thousand meters high), where the villages of Pomonte, Chiessi, Patresi and Sant’ Andrea overlook a deep sea with no landings. And a wild and bewitching coastline, where granite dominates the geology of the land and the mountains sink directly into the sea. On this side ofElba, where in summer the sun beats for almost fifteen hours a day, its most famous wine,Aleatico, is born. The last stop is Marciana Marina, a pleasant town on the northern coast with a small harbor well sheltered and equipped for pleasure boats, where all supplies can be found. It is an excellent base for short detours to the three gulfs to the east, Procchio, Biodola and Viticcio, along which bursting nature, new villas and beach facilities alternate. Don’t miss the excursion to the ancient village of Marciana, inland, from which you can take the cable car up Monte Capanne. From up there you can see the entire archipelago.

by Cristina Griner

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