A Boat Trip Around Elba Island

We're on Elba island and it seems appropriate that we should take  a boat trip around part of the island to get a better understanding of the area and for a little swimming in the bays off some of the beautiful beaches.  The boat tours leave from Marina di Campo, on the other side of the island and we catch a taxi over.

Harbor at Marina di Campo

We arrive a little before out trip and wander around the waterfront, picking an interesting looking restaurant on the harbor for lunch.  We prepare for our trip with octopus and potatoes, a ham and cheese panini, and spaghetti vongole.

Around the harbor

Bicycle advertising our cruise on the Baby  Princess

Lunch

Our tour boat, the Baby Princess heads out of the harbor and around the point and we explore the island:  the land, the beaches, and the caves.

Heading up the coast

We pass a small towns and beaches, stopping occasionally for those of us interested in swimming.

Passing towns and beaches

Our final swimming stop is at the location of a shipwreck, the Elviscot, an Italian merchant ship that sank in about 12 meters of water in 1972.  Surrounded by beautiful fish (fed by the boat crew), we can just barely see the wreck in the water.

Swimming near the shipwreck

Soon, it is time to return and our ship turns around and head back to Marina di Campo.

Heading back

It's been great lunch, a great trip on the water, some great swimming and now it's time to head back to our hotel and think about dinner.

Taking the Ferry to Isola d'Elba

We leave Monterosso al Mare and take the train toward Rome, stopping about half way in Piombino to catch a ferry to Isola d'Elba, a new place to us.  The last stop on the train line is right at the ferry terminal and we walk on board and enjoy a glass of wine in the lounge for the 40 minute ride to Portoferraio on Elba.

One of the highlights of the history of Elba is that Napoleon Bonaparte abdicated the French throne and, in the Treaty of Fontainebleau, was banished to the island of Elba in May of 1814, living in Portoferraio until March of 1815 when he returned to Paris and reclaimed his emperor title.

In his short stay as Elba's ruler, Napoleon oversaw massive infrastructure improvements: building roads, draining marshes, boosting agriculture, and developing mines, as well as overhauling the island's schools and its entire legal system (apparently, he needed something to do to keep busy).

Our ferry awaits

Around the ferry

Leaving the mainland behind

As we approach Elba, we start to spot pleasure craft around the island and, soon, we round the corner of the island, the city and castle of Portoferraio grow larger, and we spot the several ferry lines coming in and out of the harbor.

Pleasure craft

Approaching the harbor

Ferries in the port

Our hotel is a short taxi ride from the harbor and we check in and absord the fabulous views of the land and sea, before wandering down a short path from our hotel to the beach.

Our hotel and its view

Path to the beach

Walking down the street from the hotel to a small park, we watch the sun set over the Mediterranean as it lights up the water and the sky.

Sunset views from the park

In the park, we find maps of the area, showing we are located between Italy and Corsica, in a protected marine biology area.

Maps for orientation and edification

A new place to explore over the next few days!

Dinners in Monterosso al Mare

We continue to dine on fabulous meals in Monterosso al Mare (we look forward to it every year and many of the restaurants remember us and welcome us back).  One of our first meals is at an old favorite, L'Osteria, where we share a trio brochette, the sea bass special, and shrimp and branzino ravioli.

Brochette to start

Sea bass, ravioli

The next night, we try a new restaurant that we spot while walking around Monterosso and stick our head in during the afternoon and ask for a reservation that evening.  At Galin, we share octopus salad, a cheese plate, and anchovies in lemon to start, followed by spaghetti frutti di mare (baked in aluminum foil), sea bream, and risotto with shrimp and zucchini.

Galin starters

Sea bream and risotto

Spaghetti frutti di mare

Another evening, we stop in at Enoteca International (where we often buy wine to go) for a carafe of house wine and two platters:  brochetta and charcuterie/cheese.  It's a lot of food, but really good and it all disappears.

Platters

An evening at Ely, near L'Osteria, offers us mussels, white pizza (with cheese, pesto, and pine nuts), and black tagliatelle with blue crab fresh out of the sea.

Mussels, pizza

Our crab to start, then cooked and served

We truly enjoy all these meals and look forward to returning next year to visit old favorites and see what is new.