Excursions

Hiking “On the Western Footpaths”
Our Hotel has scheduled a series of day trips free for customers on a weekly basis which will be held every Thursday from May to June and from September to October. These excursions, all conducted on the massif of Mount Capanne, will be preceded by a briefing leaflet of the path, and topics of interest to discover the history and nature of our seats.

The scheduled dates are the following:

For Hikers Elba we use the center "Il Viottolo" that with so much passion and experience from 15 years to discover the paths of the Elba.

Hiking
ELBA and the GRANIT - THE MEDIEVAL ELBA

Trekking on Elba
To go trekking on Elba means to go through the thousand-year-old history of its inhabitants, from the prehistoric grottos to the ancient, high stone villages; to re-discover Etruscan forts and furnaces; and to visit the ancient granite caves from which the Romans carved out the columns for their monuments. It means to enter into the heart of the earth-- into the now dis-used iron mines, discovering the places where iron was extracted for thousands of years-- and to immerse yourself in the surreal colours of the land and the minerals. You can re-live the age of the Saracen scourge and visit their battle fields, defensive forts, and places destroyed and never-more rebuilt.

But the thing that makes trekking on Elba even more fascinating is the enormous variety of scents and vivid scenes, from the geological formations that in a few kilometers can hold more than 150 geological species of the 200 known (some of which were discovered for the first time right on Elba) which make the environment extremely varied and colourful, to the beaches below, always present in the panoramas seen from the splendid high vistas. Not to mention the variety of plants that a few hours’ walk allows the trekker to admire: coastal vegetation, rocky or sandy beaches, passing flowers and the scents of rosemary, lavander, and other species of the native scrub; which also allows room for broom, the strawberry tree, juniper, myrtle, and other types of Mediterranean macchia--up to the forests of oak, and climbing again towards the chestnut woods and conifers of the massive peaks of Mount Capanne. But beyond the huge variety of flora (there are more than 40 species of orchids alone, some of which are native), in every trekking itinerary we will be immersed in the sounds of the birdlife: from that of the sea to that of the mountains. In the massifs of Mount Capanne we will also meet the mouflons, the undisputed stately masters of the heights.

Walking on Elba will allow you to discover and get to know these and other things, thanks to the enormous concentration of interesting things that this small large island offers, ideal for an active holiday dedicated to trekking excursions in the Tuscan Archipelago National Park.

For guided trekking excursions we advise the excursion centre Il Viottolo which has a lot of experience and enthusiasm and will know which is the most suitable excursion to recommend for every requirement.

Elba by Mountain Bike
For the enthusiasts of mountain biking Elba is a real paradise: the climate allows us the possibility of doing activities all year round on various routes and for all levels.

But it is the beauty of the island and its morphology that make Elba an ideal destination for a holiday by mountain bike. In the space of a few kilometres you can ride on a wild natural beach, on ridges with breathtaking panoramas or on paths in the woods; pause to visit ancient ruins and linger in the most charming places amongst historical remains, refreshing yourself at natural springs...

Climbing rapidly amongst vegetation that changes as quickly as the surrounding countryside, or on quiet tracks in the woods, you can descend in a free ride towards the sea among inebriating scents and colours, then take a regenerating break to admire the view that changes with every curve. There are mountain bike routes for all tastes and all levels: from the heights of the granite peaks of Mount Capanne with mountain side flora and fauna, and where an elevation of 1,000 meters dominates the whole Tuscan Archipelago, to the not-less-spectacular itineraries that wind around the interior of the mineral parks on the west of Elba, and areas of the island with ruddy, multi-coloured or iridescent sand, shining with the presence of iron minerals; two contrasting worlds just a dozen kilometers apart, both equally enchanting. And between these two peaks an infinity of possible mountain bike itineraries.

For mountain bike excursions on Elba we recommend the environmental guides from the excursion centre Il Viottolo, who have a lot of experience and enthusiasm and will know how to advise you on the most suitable treks to help you experience those unforgettable moments.

Elba by Sea Kayak
Elba, with its 147-kilometer-long coast, indented with grottos and stupendous inlets and small bays, all surrounded by a crystal clear sea, is rich with life and ideal places to go sea-kayaking.

But to go kayaking on Elba is also a voyage into a huge variety of scenery, with different types of beaches and changes of colour that the morphology of the island presents you: from the white, golden or black sand beaches to the granite pebbled coasts that show you an intense blue; to the white pebbles over which the water flows with a transparency so clear as to make the kayaks seem suspended in air; to the eastern coasts covered in an emerald green.
Paddling around Elba we will get to exclusive ravines, accessible only by sea and because of this even more natural and wild. Thanks to the agility and manoeuverability of the kayak and, in the silence of its movement, we can approach the two different types of cormorants and, naturally, the splendid Royal seagulls, curious and friendly, as well as the smaller passage seagulls.

The kayaks from the excursion centre Il Viottolo are planned for sea excursion use and have watertight compartments so you can bring on board photographic equipment, baggage, tents and sleeping bags for longer excursions.

For sea-kayaking excursions on Elba we recommend the environmental guides of the excursion centre.