Departure is from the harbour of Marina di Campo at 9:15 AM. We continue anti-clockwise along the entire southern coast, crossing the Gulf of Lacona and Capo Stella until we reach the Costa dei Gabbiani. Our first stop is at the wild Cannello beach for a surprising swim in the heart of the Calamita Mine, with the beach surrounded by excavations and the towering abandoned structure of an industrial wash house. The sound of the wind and the crashing waves is music to the ears.
We continue by crossing the entire Costa dei Gabbiani, an area accessible only by sea, entering the eastern side of Elba until we reach the village of Porto Azzurro. From there, we sail along the entire coast of the Rio mines up to Cavo, called the “Shining Coast” in honour of the almost dreamlike shimmer of the black mining dust present on some beaches, which gives them their distinctive appearance.
We then find ourselves on the northern side of Elba, first in a wild area up to Portoferraio where the “Costa Verde” begins, a beautiful stretch marked by white cliffs plunging into the crystal-clear sea of a deep blue, a turbulent azure, and a brilliant turquoise. Here, we will pass near the Scoglietto Marine Reserve, which is rich in marine wildlife.
Before the bay of Viticcio, at Sansone beach, there will be the second swimming stop, a natural, unspoiled environment with a beautiful panorama of the Enfola peninsula and the west coast dominated by Monte Capanne.
Our journey continues into the bay of Biodola and then into that of Procchio, two of the longest sandy beaches on Elba Island, until we reach Marciana Marina, the last harbour on the northern coast. From here, we continue to Sant'Andrea, one of the most famous beaches for the transparency of its sea and for the granite cliffs that sink into the turquoise waters, where we will make our third stop for a swim.
Here we are on the western side, characterised by a high, rocky coastline. We pass through Chiessi and Pomonte, where there is a wreck that sank in the 1970s, the Elviscot, at a depth of only 12 metres. The fourth swim break is in Fetovaia on the southern coast, one of the most picturesque and celebrated beaches on the island for its seabed, sheltered location, crystal-clear water, and the colour contrasts between the sapphire and turquoise sea and the fine white granite sand.
We cross the bay of Cavoli with its Blue Cave and return to Marina di Campo at approximately 3:15 PM.