Both Venus, Roman Goddess of Beauty and Napoleon, all-powerful French emperor, chose Elba as a great place to take a walking tour through picturesque fishing villages, along rugged coastlines, mountain ridges and on the dreamy, sandy island beaches. Enjoy a climb up to the top of Monte Capanne and get that tingly feeling as you look out across the rich blueness of the Mediterranean Sea out to Corsica, mainland Italy and the Tuscan Archipelago. Experience paradise!

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS
• Fabulous walks through varied landscapes, from lush Mediterranean to Alpine in just a few km
• Marina di Campo A lovely fishing villages with the largest beach on the Island
• Marciana Marina a trendy hangout with nice boutiques
• Historical sights of all ages, from 3000 BC to the present day: churches, fortresses, villas
• Idyllic, authentic mountain villages
• Great beaches for swimming with crystal clear waters

6 DAY PROGRAMME.
Day 1 - Arrive in Marciana Marina.Marciana Marina on BB basis.
From the airport go to the nearest train station and take the train to Piombino. Then board a ferry and marvel at the magical emerald blue Mediterranean Sea as you make your way to Portoferraio. At the port, a transfer will take you to your accommodation in Marciana Marina.

Day 2 – Selection of walks in Marciana Marciana Marina on BB basis
After breakfast take the local bus to Marciana where both walks starts. In the afternoon take the local bus back to Marciana Marina. Today you can choose between 2 scenic walks.
WALK A Marciana to Poggio:
This is an easy walk on the northern side of Monte Capanne, the highest of the island from where you have spanning views of Marciana Marina and other villages.
10km - (height meters from 425 to 515)
WALK B: Marciana & Madonna del Monte Sanctuary round walk
Start climbing on the Monte Capanne ridge to the panoramic point of “La Tavola”, from where you have great open views of the Eastern side of the Island and of the islands of Pianosa, Montecristo and Capraia. Then gradually descend to the most important chapel of Elba: the “Madonna del Monte Santuario”. A shady descend leads you across some streams back to Marciana. Afternoon local bus back to Marciana Marina.
km 15 - (height meters from 800 to 800)

Day 3 – San Piero in Campo round walk Marina di Campo on HB basis
A morning transfer takes you to the village of San Piero in Campo. Here starts a panoramic round walk with spectacular coastal views. Waking through the Mediterranean vegetation you will encounter some “Caprili”, ancient stones huts once used by the shepherds for milking the goats and making cheese. Afternoon private transfer from San Piero in Campo to the lovely fishing village of Marina di Campo characterized by a long sandy beach and below a beautiful pine tree forest.
8km - (height meters from 365 to 365)
10,5km - (height meters from 565 to 565)

Day 4 - Marina di Campo round walk via Monte Poro and Colle di Palombaia.Marina di Campo on BB basis
The day’s walk takes you up to Monte Poro and Colle di Palombaia along a panoramic ridge path running along the cliff edge. Most of the walk is in the shady woods and there are good views on Monte Capanne and Monte Calamita. Short and long option.
km 10 (height meters from 345 to 345)
km 13,3 (height meters from 375 to 375)



Day 5 - Marina di Campo round walk via Monte Fonza.Marina di Campo on BB basis
The day’s walk climbs on the ridge of the Monte Fonza from where you can admire the whole of the Gulfs of Marina di Campo and on the other side of the mountain the bay of Lacona. You can go swimming at the end of the bay of Marina di Campo or at the small pebbly cove.
Km 15,5 (height meters from 410 to 410)

Day 6 - Depart Isola d’Elba. Arrivederci!
The trip and our services end after breakfast unless you have booked extra services with us.

Getting there and away
Florence and Pisa airports are flown to by both major and low cost international carriers. These two airports can be easily reached by local transport, which is affordable and offers a frequent service.
From Pisa airport take the city bus (Red Line) to Pisa Centrale train station. Here take the train to Piombino Marittima.A few trains are direct, otherwise you change train Campiglia Marittima.
From Florence airport take the direct local bus to Santa Maria Novella train station from where you take a train to Piombino Marittima. There are no direct trains so you always need to change in Pisa Centrale and sometimes also in Campiglia Marittima. To reach the port, be sure to get off in Piombino Marittima as in Piombino there are 2 train stations: one in the city centre and the other at the port.
In Piombino Marittima, there are many ferry/boat companies to choose from to reach Portoferraio. The main companies are Toremar, Blu Navy and Moby Lines. For more information check on www.traghetti-elba.it

Accommodation and Meals
In Marciana Marina you stay in a 3* hotel situated just few meters from the beach. All rooms have private en-suite bathroom, balcony, A/C, SAT TV with Sky, telephone, hairdryer, refrigerator, safe and free WI-FI connection. The hotel has a free private parking area. Everyday breakfast includes a large hot and cold continental buffet. The hotel doesn’t have an internal restaurant but it has agreements with some restaurants in Marciana Marina. The bar is available at any time of the day and you can have a drink in the internal private garden; if you want to take a ride along the coast, bikes are available for rent. In Marina di Campo you stay in a very nice 3* hotel, newly renovated, 200 m from the largest beach on the island, and 400m from the centre town. All rooms have private en-suite bathrooms, SAT-TV, AC and telephone. The hotel has a very nice garden and a free private parking lot. A large buffet breakfast is served every day. Dinner is included on the day of arrival and it is served in a nearby restaurant.

Alternative accommodation
During high season, you might be booked into an alternate accommodation, which may not be listed in your route notes. The stand or end of the walking routes may be slightly altered, so remember to check whether you accommodations are the same as those mentioned in this programme. If not, pay close attention at the start and end of the routes. In some cases, we have provided extra descriptions to be used when starting from/returning to an alternate accommodation.
In choosing alternate accommodations we have tried to maintain the same standards and quality and, whenever possible, location (in the same town or village), in order to modify the routes as little as possible.

Luggage transfer
Luggage transfer is included in your package on day 3. This service is normally provided by the accommodation or a taxi supplier.
Please clearly mark all your belongings with your name. Labelling your belongings prevents mix ups, delays and loss. Ask the accommodation owner where the bags should be left in the morning.
Bags should be ready and at the reception or store room by 9:00 hrs.
If you are unable to walk, you can always ask the luggage transporter if they can take you when transporting your luggage, but this is not always possible and sometimes you have to pay a small fee locally. In some countries there are special insurances for transporting peoples and sometimes the vehicle is not suited for transporting persons.
When you travel with public transport you always take your luggage with you.

A note on our self guided adventures
Self guided walking or cycling requires individuals to use problem solving skills, be adaptable and have a keen eye. It is recommended that you are comfortable map reading, referring to route notes and that you have a good sense of direction (or are willing to work on improving this!) Sometimes route finding, losing your way, finding it again and asking the locals for help is all part of the adventure. If you’ve never been on a self guided trip, after the first couple of days you will get the hang of if as the vast majority of our first time travellers attest. Please be assured that our written material issued to you for route finding is updated regularly and we provide a 7day service hotline in the event of any problems. There is a certain level of the unknown that comes with self guided trips, however with a methodical approach potential problems will be averted. The freedom of a self guided trip is something that, once experienced, is sought time and time again.

Fitness preparation
The concept behind most of our trips is active holidays and the fitter you are the more easily you will adjust and enjoy yourself. This walk is graded introductory to moderate. We expect participants to take responsibility for their fitness and preparations on a consistent basis prior to departure, and INCREASE the regular weekly training schedule in the two months leading up to departure. That way, when you start walking, you will feel relaxed and comfortable and strong, having done more than sufficient preparation for the trip. You will also have more energy to enjoy the views, take photos and explore the sights in your spare time, rather than just make it to the next hotel. During the day is when the most interesting features of interest will be found, and being fit allows you to optimize every situation you encounter. As a minimum, we recommend 40 minutes of aerobic type exercise; running, swimming, biking, hill walking, or gym work two to three times a week for two to six months leading up to your walk. Note the best training is the activity that you are actually going to be doing; walking up and down hill, and cross-country. Practice this as much as possible. Training should be stepped up as you get closer to departure, to an amount you feel appropriate (you don’t want to cause yourself an injury!). Using your gear before departure (boots, daypack, clothing, etc.) gives familiarity and comfort whilst on the walk. It makes sense to know that all your gear ‘works for you’ BEFORE departure, rather than discovering how things work or fit (or don’t!) on the trip you have invested so much in. Use the philosophy of ‘getting fit to go walking’, rather than ‘going on a walk to get fit’, to avoid problems.