Inside the blue
Green and nature experiences

Inside the blue

A still pristine sea and food-rich currents favor the amazing variety of life, shapes and colors that inhabit the waves of Elba and the Tuscan Archipelago

It will not be difficult for you to notice the proverbial lushness of Elba's marine flora and fauna. It will surprise you, every time you dive into the turquoise water of our beaches or when you venture into the enchanting seabed of the island. Little is needed in this magical place to feel in full contact with nature.

Staying close to the shore. All you have to do is simply stick your feet in the water: sharply, beyond the transparency of the sea, you can already see the first small fish. Slip on your mask and enjoy the spectacle: you can see prairies of posidonia, yellow and orange sponges, umbrella seaweed, rock mullet and shoals of castanets (small fish) as far as the eye can see. And octopuses, wiggling sinuously from their burrows, seahorses and turbot, hiding in the sand. And that's only at first glance.

Push out to sea, and dive into the blue. Dive into waters a little deeper, even just a few dozen meters from shore, and you will be greeted by large shoals of bream and bream-eye, snapper and croaker, moving sinuously around you. With any luck, you will cross paths with large groupers just as they come out of their crevices (the burrows) and schools of barracuda and amberjack, swimming sped right ahead of you. You will make the acquaintance of eagle rays, intent on riding the tides in formation, and sunfish, striding along with their classic looseness, while below you, the seabed is alive with the colors of gorgonians, lobsters and scorpionfish.

Surround yourself by the silence of a sailboat. Move away from the shores, where the water gets darker, and rapid dorsal fin silhouettes will emerge from the waves: you may spot bottlenose dolphins, stenellas or even the great whales. The lucky ones, will have the opportunity to glimpse the tail of a sperm whale, a priceless thrill. You will be astounded by the leaps of the swordfish in love and the speed of the turtles, and, paying close attention, you will admire the Mediterranean manta ray swimming in all its grace and elegance.

Among the seven islands of the Tuscan Archipelago, 60,000 hectares of marine territory have fallen under the protection of the National Park since 1996. Since '91, the waters between lower Tuscany, Liguria, Corsica and the Principality of Monaco have constituted the Pelagos, known as the "Cetacean Sanctuary," a testament to the priceless natural heritage that lives beneath the rippling surface of this great stretch of sea.

To find out more, contact your nearest Diving Center: guides organize from meetings on marine biology, to workshops for the little ones, to actual courses in recognition and research. Elba's experienced operators will be able to direct you to the most suitable sites for snorkeling and diving.

Travel notes

Seabed

Seahorses

Barracuda

Snorkeling

Diving

Mines of Rio Marina

Strategic location for the large amount of hematite and limonite immediately identified by the emperor as soon as he landed on the island as a strategic-military axis.
Location: Rio Marina

Paolina Beach

The beach is named after the islet a few meters from the shore, itself named after Napoleon Bonaparte’s sister who, according to a legend (probably created by a tourism entrepreneur in the 1960s) loved to sunbathe on these rocks.

Location: Marciana

San Martino Villa

Designated as a summer residence, Napoleon purchased the property from the Manganaro family in 1814, with the intention of transforming it into a comfortable and refined abode that would have nothing to envy from Parisian residences.

Location: Località San Martino (Portoferraio)

Mulini Villa

Built in 1724 by Grand Duke Gaston de’ Medici, it was Napoleon’s city residence during his first stay on Elba Island.

Location: Portoferraio

Sanctuary of Monserrato

It was built as a sign of gratitude in 1606 by José Pons y León of the Dukes of Arcos, Spanish governor of Naples and first governor of the square of Longone (part of the state of principals). In September 1814 Napoleon, accompanied by Pons and Bertrand wanted to visit the sanctuary.

Location: Località Monserrato (Portoazzurro)

MUM Mineralogical Museum

While the Elban economy today is based on tourism, the fact remains that the people of San Piero and the west coast (Pomonte) have also lived and continue to live off their granite and marble

Location: San Piero in Campo

Port and Tower of Marciana Marina

Visit the harbor where Maria Walewska landed and the armed watchtower visited by Napoleon himself in 1814

Location: Marciana Marina