Esaom Cesa enjoys a unique geographical position: it is on the largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago, inside the sheltered Portoferraio roads, in the heart of the National Park.
The island is a real gem, with a coastline of 140 kilometres, picturesque little towns and a mild climate all year round: a microcosm just waiting to be discovered and savoured, rich in places of historic and cultural interest and with an excellent food and wine tradition.
A stay on the island offers many leisure opportunities, benefiting from the discounts Esaom provides for its customers with restaurants, bars, hotels, museums, transport services and shops.
Yachting day trips from Portoferraio
- Gulf of Viticcio 6,2 nm
- Capo Sant’Andrea 10 nm
- Fetovaia 18 nm
- Island of Cerboli 12 nm
- Gulf of Viticcio 6,2 nm
- Galenzana 22 nm
- Porto Azzurro 14,6 nm
- Ortano 12 nm
- Cavo 6,8 nm
- Island of Palmaiola 8,6 nm
Sea
Immediately after casting off from Portoferraio, seafarers can decide whether to circumnavigate the island clockwise or anticlockwise; the wind direction will be the deciding factor.
With the Mistral, a typical summer wind, it is better to turn westward, to the white-sand beaches of Sansone, Sottobomba, Capo Bianco, then rounding Capo Enfola to the large, sheltered bay of Viticcio.
Further on come the long beaches of Biodola and Procchio, just after the harbour and town of Marciana Marina, a charming holiday resort on the north-west coast.
This is followed by the elegance and charm of Capo Sant’Andrea, with its wind-honed granite cliffs, the start of a beautiful, wild, harsh coastline of walls of rock interspersed with ridges of maquis running down to the sea, and small sand and shingle beaches.
After rounding Punta Nera comes the first village on the south-west coast, Chiessi and then Pomonte, the sheltered bay of Fetovaia, Seccheto, Cavoli and the largest town on the southern coast, Marina di Campo, a bustling holiday resort with many hotels and campsites, shops, restaurants and leisure facilities.
Continuing eastward, the sailor comes to two large, deep gulfs, Lacona and Stella.
The town of Capoliveri dominates the scene from its hilltop: all around a varied coastline, with an alternation of rock, beaches and vegetation, runs around the perimeter of Monte Calamita, the location of the island’s largest mining site (closed more than 40 years ago).
The coastline now heads north, and the Tuscan coast can be seen on the horizon (Punta Ala, Follonica), as we meet the deep gulf of Mola, with the elegant, sophisticated town or Porto Azzurro, with a marina and mooring services.
Continuing around the island, we come to the gulf of Ortano, with its crystal-clear water and vast Posidonia meadows; a few miles further on are the harbour and town of Rio Marina, a typical mining settlement which grew up and thrived with the mining industry until the 1970s, and has now been transformed into a holiday resort.
Along the coastline which follows there are visible traces of iron ore on many stretches of the rocky coast, which shortly afterwards is covered with woodland and vegetation as far as the small village of Cavo, in the middle of a large bay surrounded by beaches.
The northern shore has now come to an end and facing us is Piombino, with its Channel, criss-crossed by ferries.
We round Capo Castello and the little island of Topi, with the large bay and beach of Frugoso to port, before coming to Capo Vita: Portoferraio, our starting point, now reappears on the horizon. The northern coast we follow back into the harbour is of rare beauty, with very colourful rock formations ranging from red to white and lush vegetation, surrounding the villages of Nisportino, Nisporto, Bagnaia and Magazzini.
The National Park controls a nature reserve in an area of sea at Ghiaie (Portoferraio), between Punta Falcone and Capo Bianco, including the island of Scoglietto.
All fishing (both commercial and leisure) is forbidden in this area of sea, except fishing with a line from the shore and with squid jigs.
Land
On land, the island has surprising, unexpected features: chestnut forests, some of them hundreds of years old, clad the sides of the highest mountains, while vineyards and olive groves cover large areas nearer to the coast, and ilex and maquis complete the picture of an island with lush vegetation.
Monte Capanne, the highest peak in the Archipelago (1012 m above sea level), accessible by trails or cable-car, offers sweeping views of the Tyrrhenian Sea. About 50% of the island falls within the National Park, including various reefs and islands: Formiche della Zanca, Ogliera, Scoglio della Triglia, Corvella Island, Gemini Islands, Ortano Island, Topi Island and Scoglietto at Portoferraio, and the islands of Palmaiola and Cerboli in the Strait of Piombino. A coast road runs right around the island, offering views of rare beauty, with panoramas and vistas over the nearby islands, Corsica and the Tuscan coast.
In the hills, ancient villages, including Marciana, Sant’Ilario, Campo nell’Elba and Rio Elba, still retain a timeless appeal, while Capoliveri, one of Tuscany’s most famous hilltop towns, has successfully transformed itself into a holiday location serving the elite market in search of exclusive experiences, with boutiques, small traditional restaurants, and cultural and artistic events.
The Ginevro mining district near Capoliveri, with the island’s only underground mine, is well worth a visit. The other mining area open to visitors is at Rio Marina on the eastern coast, and also includes a fascinating mineralogical museum.
The island has a large number of farms and agriturismo establishments offering wine, oil and local produce for sale.
Made in Elba
There are a large number of “made in Elba” products: the inventiveness, creativity and traditions of Elba’s people have produced objects and foods which have become real retail stars.
These range from the world-famous Locman watches from Marina di Campo to the Acqua dell’Elba fragrances, which have become an internationally famous brand, Dampaì bags and accessories, Smania limoncino and liqueurs, Aleatico wine (a straw wine produced by many Elban wineries together with Procanico, a dry white made from native grape varieties), “Palamita sott’olio”. a hand-produced “slow food” fish delicacy, and the “Schiaccia Briaca” cake from the eastern side of the island.
