Boating vacations: the top ten beaches in Elba to enjoy from the sea

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Cabbage
Cabbage. © Civvi/CC BY-SA 3.0

From Palombaia to Innamorata, here are the shores not to be missed. And if you get there by boat, you avoid all the problems of “social distancing”! The beautiful side of Elba’s best beaches that you can enjoy from the privacy of your boat.

1. Biodola

The most beautiful beaches on the island, the ones not to be missed are at least ten. First among them is Biodola beach, within the bay of the same name, which also offers good anchorage. It is located on the north side halfway between Portoferraio and Marciana Marina.

It has a sandy bottom that gives the water a special transparency and is characterized by the fact that the shrubs of the lush Mediterranean scrub here reach all the way to the sea.

Biodola
Biodola. © Carlo Pelagalli/CC BY-SA 3.0

2. Cable

Near the small port of Cavo is the beach of the same name. Divided in two by the small village, it consists of sand and gravel and is about 450 meters long. Unique above all is its wild appearance, although some villas are camouflaged in the lush greenery behind. Nearby is Mouse Island, a curious cliff covered with Mediterranean scrub.

3. Cabbage

Cabbage Beach, on the other hand, was once the mining and loading point for granite. Perfectly facing south and protected from northern winds by Mount Capanne, it has a very clear sea thanks in part to the sand formed by tiny grains of quartz. The beach is divided in two by a cliff, and to the west is the free, equipment-free stretch.

4. Palombaia

Located near the bend of Cavoli just over two miles from Marina di Campo, Palombaia is one of those truly unique shores. Also called the “beach of a hundred steps,” because to reach it from inland you have to walk down a long flight of granite steps, it is 300 meters wide and consists of gravel that even reaches the seabed, giving the water a distinctive color.

Palombaia
Palombaia. © Carlo Pelagalli/CC BY-SA 3.0

5. Fetovaia

Near Punta Fetovaia, the southwest corner of Elba, then lies the beach protected by this very wild promontory covered with Mediterranean scrub. Fetovaia is 420 meters long and made of the finest sand that flows into water so crystal clear that it is the envy of the Caribbean.

Fetovaia
Fetovaia. © Donald/CC BY-SA 2.0

6. Galenzana

Located on the south coast, Galenzana is the most beautiful beach in Marina di Campo: 200 meters long and sandy, it has a couple of small pebble beaches around it and is surrounded by greenery.

7. Lido delle Ghiaie

Instead, it is located on the north side and considered the most fascinating in Portoferraio, thanks to the beach and the seabed consisting of small white pebbles smoothed by the sea. In front of the beach is the Scoglietto islet with a lighthouse.

8. In love

On the southeast side of Elba, the best beach, located near the town of Capoliveri, is Innamorata beach. Long and sandy, it derives its name from the eponymous, romantic cove endowed with particularly clear water. Opposite rise the Gemini islets where colonies of gulls and cormorants dwell.

9. Marina di Campo

It is the strand of the village of the same name, in front of which you can also anchor for the night since it is well protected by the gulf of the same name. Consisting of fine sand, it is the longest beach on the island (about 1.5 kilometers). Behind it is a beautiful pine forest.

10. Terranera

Finally, here is Terranera beach, near Porto Azzurro. It is a small, pristine 120-meter shoreline of ferraria origin mixed with gravel, which glows with silvery reflections from the sun’s rays.

 

A wreck for everyone

For those who enjoy diving, visiting a wreck almost at the surface of the water is a fascinating experience. On Elba it is possible to take this particular walk on the waters, arriving near the Ogliera rock, a rocky promontory located near the town of Pomonte on the west coast of the island (sailing at coordinates 42°44′ 59N – 10°7’11 “E). The site is where the wreck of the merchant ship Elviscott is admired, which sank in 1972 during a storm while carrying a cargo of lumber. Positioned at a depth of just 13 meters on a sandy seabed, the wreck can be reached even by those with some freediving experience.

Immediately its bow is discovered, half-destroyed, while the stern is intact. Paying close attention, one can also enter the hold where shoals of bream, octopus, croaker and conger now live.

Wreck
Wreck of the Elviscott. © Federico Scorzoni/CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

 

Don’t miss the other installments of Boat Vacations in the Tuscan Archipelago

 

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