Yachtcharter Elba (Portoferraio)

The third largest island of Italy Elba is located just a few kilometers from the Tuscan mainland and is part of the Tuscan Archipelago with six other islands. „The largest, richest and most beautiful island of the archipelago“ as it is called in the British Admiralty's handbook of coastlines, combines the most diverse landscapes: The coasts of the island alternate between paradisiacal pebble and sandy beaches, while around the whole island also small bays with steep cliffs and large bays with charming harbor towns.

The islands of the Tuscan archipelago can be reached within a day's drive and, in addition to relaxation while swimming and sunbathing, offer active vacationers as well as divers and snorkeling fans a diverse underwater world. The mainland is also nearby with Piombino, Puntone di Scarlino and Puna Ala. Experienced sailors can also transfer to Corsica üover and include the East Coast in their itineraries. The Portoferraio port of departure allows sailors to freely choose their itineraries according to their individual needs and desires, making it possible to plan both one and three week trips.

Climate: Mediterranean with temperatures between 22 and 30 degrees
. Winds: Mistral
Sailing season: May to October

Yacht charter Elba

A yacht charter Elba is also suitable for families and less experienced sailors. The local conditions make pleasant sailing. There are many sightseeing opportunities and sheltered swimming bays, where even children will feel at home, for shore excursions.

Arrival: There are direct flights to the airport near Marino di Campo during the summer, otherwise with transfers, for example in Milan, Pisa or Florence. It is also possible to arrive by car from the mainland. From San Vincenzo or Piombino you arrive directly on Elba after a one-hour ferry crossing.

Portoferraio, capital of the Island of Fire

You will start from Portoferraio, the capital of the island. Its name, Iron Port, recalls its importance as a port of departure for metal and minerals, which were mined and processed here from before the birth of Christ until the 20th century. Thus, on the island itself there are still remains from Etruscan times in the form of round cones that were used as smelting furnaces. Today you can learn more about the history and about iron in museums, on guided tours and during practical demonstrations in the Elba Island Mineral Park and Calamita Mineral Park.

The Marina Edil Nautica shipyard is located in the southwest of Portoferraio's extensive port facilities. It is not far from here to the beautiful old town with its historic harbor. In contrast to the industrial area near the marina, the island has of course better preserved its historic atmosphere there. Elba is particularly closely linked to the fate of Napoleon Bonaparte, who was banished here for ten months after his defeats in Russia and Leipzig and his abdication from the throne. You can visit his villas San Martino and dei Mulini in Portoferraio, which served as his seat of government for some time. In both buildings there are also museums on the subject.

Portoferraio was also once the residence of the Medici. From the fortress Forte Falcone, built by them, there is a great panoramic view.

From Portoferraio, the mainland is not far away. ©e55evu/AdobeStock

Around Elba and to the mainland

The atmosphere of Elba is one of tranquility and deceleration amidst old streets and colorful bourgeois houses from the Middle Ages, as tourism has not yet developed the breadth of Elba in terms of construction. Parts of Elba are also set aside to protect the natural landscape as part of the Tuscan Archipelago National Park. Thus, Elba's paradisiacal overall picture of maquis, deep blue sea, tranquility and lush vegetation is preserved in its form. The interior of the island welcomes you with its high mountains to the west, all adorned with chestnut woods and charming secluded mountain villages.

In the west of the island are several early historical sites, the menhirs in Sassi Ritti, also known from Sardinia and Corsica.

Due to the former iron ore mining, which started as early as 700 BC, you can even go underground and visit the former mines. In Porto Azzuro there is also a mining museum. Around the island there are many bays with beaches, of which there are touristy developed as well as remote and difficult to access ones all over the island.

Anchorages are possible, for example, in the north in the Golfo della Biodola, where there is also a beautiful sandy beach, or in the southwest the bay of Fetovaia. Other possibilities in the south are in Golfo Stella and Golfo della Lacona. Marinas with supply facilities can be found for example in Marciana, Porto Azzuro and Cavo.

Elba is only a few kilometers away from the mainland of Italy, so that longer cruises to the Tuscan coast are also possible. For more information, please visit our Tuscany page.

Varied: The island invites you to hikes, sightseeing and beach vacations. ©scabrn/AdobeStock

In the middle of the fantastic Tuscan archipelago with a yacht charter Portoferraio

If you start from Portoferraio with its picturesque harbor and old town, you should not miss the other islands of the Tuscan Archipelago. The area belongs to the largest marine protected area in Europe. Even in ancient times, people praised the beauty of the area, attributing its origin to the fact that when the goddess Venus came out of the sea, she lost pearls from her necklace, which today have given rise to the islands of the Tuscan Archipelago - Elba, Montecristo, Pianosa, Capraia, Gorgona, Giannutri and Giglio - and other smaller islands.

Each of them has its own character and therefore makes the area exciting and unique: Pianosa, the smallest of the seven islands is flat, characterized by limestone, while on Capraia, due to its volcanic origin, is more lava rock. The latter is also attractive for scuba diving and snorkeling, and with a little luck you can also see whales and dolphins here. The island of Giglio also has a diverse underwater world with lobsters, moray eels and tuna. Giannutri consists of limestone and in the coast the water has washed out and formed caves and grottos. A highlight for divers here is the shipwreck Anna Bianca. Land lovers can get a glimpse of the ruins of a Roman villa. Montecristo, made famous by Alexandre Dumas' novel, juts ruggedly out of the sea; not for nothing was it long used as a prison island. Gorgona is even today a prison island, a penal colony that can be visited only with permission.

A kind of "Route Napoleon": from Elba to Corsica

You can also cross from Elba to Corsica, reaching Cap Corse on the east coast with the port city of Bastia. The area around Cap Corse, rugged with rocks and exposed to the mistral, is challenging to sail, so sailors with experience are more likely to choose this area.

Yacht charter Elba - set sail with 1a Yachtcharter!