|
Other guided excursions on a mountain bike |
|
|
Other guided excursions on a mountain bike |
| |
Examples of full day and half day mountain bike excursions |
|
Examples of half day programmes of various difficulties:
Half day
|
We leave from Cavatore square in Capoliveri, this is a characteristic small town 166 m asl, and head south following a wide panoramic dirt track road overlooking the sea. Here we can admire the complex morphology of Elba, the outline of Corsica and the southern islands of the Tuscan Archipelago.
After 2.5 km we can see below the Gemini islands, they can be reached by a deviation down to Innamorata beach. Continuing our trip we enter the heartland of the mine area, lifts used by miners to go underground, skeletons of now rusty piers on the sea where the mined mineral was loaded. These are evident traces of mine life, from not so long ago, that was typical of this area of Elba. Continuing along the wide dirt track road we get to the Costa dei Gabbiani (gull coast), here we leave the main road and start to climb towards the interior of Calamita point. Here it is better to leave our bikes and continue on foot to the Ripalti cliff, seat to the Mediterranean’s biggest colony of Corsica gulls, and here we can see the sheer fall down to the sea where apart from gulls there are goats living in a wild state.
The strong colours and the obsessive cheeping of birds and in the background the voice of the sea give us some unforgettable sensations.
Repossessing our bikes we coast round the Costa dei Gabbiani tourist complex and enter a path in a pine grove heading in a northerly direction, after about 2 km we get to a crossroads beside a pool of fresh water, to be used in case of forest fires. Then we turn left and follow a path with fine views for about 1.5 km and then we turn right to return to the pine grove. Next there is a short ascent then a fast descent on a completely shaded smooth path. Thus we comfortably return to above the town of Capoliveri and finally quickly down a steep partially cemented, partially dirt track road to Capoliveri from where we started.
|
Capoliveri-Ripalti-Capoliveri
Distance 19.6 km
Time: about 2 hours
Difficulty: easy
Interest: Panoramic, fauna, mineral
|
| |
|
Examples of half day programmes of various difficulties:
Half day
|
Example of a half day programme of varied difficulty:
Leaving from the beautiful square of Sant Ilario (200 m asl) we take an easy path with fine views up to 200 meters at Colle Reciso where we take a shady dirt track road that passes in front of the small Santa Rita church. This track takes us to the crossroads with the “Buon Consiglio” (“Good Advice”) road, after a short piece of tarmac we head into a stupendous granite paved path surrounded by magnificent ferns, and cross a small stone bridge over the Nivera ditch (which is, even in summer, rich in water), a really spectacular part of our trip. The path finishes at the start of the medieval borough of Poggio 330 m asl. Leaving the town, we stop to quench our thirst at Napoleon’s spring, and then continue for a brief stretch on a tarmac road taking us to Marciana 350 m asl. After passing by the splendid fortress built in 1200, we leave the town and start along an easy path that crosses the Pedalta valley, it is completely covered over by chestnut trees. Then, after a short technical part in descent, we reach the grotto of the Saint, where Saint Cerbone passed the last part of his life. Near the grotto a hermitage was constructed in 1421 and it is, still today, in a good state because of recent restorations. This place is also interesting from a botanical point of view. We leave the hermitage and there is a fast descent, first under chestnut trees and then under pine trees, that brings us nearby Poggio, where we join the tarmac road to Monte Perone. On arriving at the top of the hill (600 m) we enter a beautiful path with a technical descent, which overlooks almost all of the island and on the clearest days the islands of Pianosa, Montecristo and Giglio, this brings us back to the picturesque village of S. Ilario.
|
S.Ilario - Marciana - M Perone - S.Ilario
Distance: 24 km
Time: 3 hours
Difficulty: medium
Interest: historical, naturalistic, panoramic |
| |
|
Examples of half day programmes of various difficulties:
Half day
|
Leave from Marina di Campo on the tarmac road taking us to Valle del Literno, from here a sound shaded dirt track road takes us to the Picchiaie crossroads. After a brief but steep ascent we get to Elban cyclists’ “paradise”: Monte Orello (370 m). In this area there are lots of paths suitable for all types of mountain bike specialities, from single track to downhill. A panoramic descent, opening to the south onto Capo Stella and Lacona gulfs, brings us down to sea level, passing by some bunkers from the last world war. After the short flat stretch of Lacona we begin the final ascent of the excursion which heads up to 320 metres at Monte Fonza. First, however, we advise a stop at the Laconella beach, stupendous sandy cove crowned by green serpentine rocks which are typical of this part of the coast. The ascent finishes beside a “caprile”, a refuge for a shepherd who brought his herd to this area, it is built of limestone rocks. A steep but easy descent giving glimpses of fine views, with the colour of the sea in the background contrasting against the Mediterranean maquis, takes us to above Fonza Gulf and from here after a brief ascent the last descent starts down to Località Segagnana where we rejoin the tarmac road for Marina di Campo.
|
Marina di Campo-Monte di San Martino-Monte Orello-Capo Fonza-Marina di Campo
Distance: 37 km
Time: 3 hours
Difficulty: challenging
Interest: naturalistic, photographic. |
| |
|
Examples of full day excursions of varied difficulty:
Full day
|
We leave from Marina di Campo and take the Foce cycle piste until we get to La Pila. From here we begin to go up a dirt track road with fine views towards Solane, the road has a good surface and runs half way up the slope and is set in Mediterranean maquis. We get to near Sant Ilario (200 m asl) where we turn right into a steep climb which takes us to 630 metres at Monte Perone. On reaching the summit we begin to descend towards Marina di Campo on the tarmac road till we get to Castagnone spring. The path is at first steep and technical, after a few hundred metres it changes into a fast descent, rich in bumps, under a holm oak and pine wood, this will thrill descent lovers. On reaching “Piane al Canale” a very steep hill, it is an airy 500 metre high plateau, we turn right into a spectacular fire break road that descends towards Marina di Campo gulf giving us the fantastic sensation of diving into the sea. At the end of the fire break we enter a beautiful single track path to San Piero.
The path finishes in the town of San Piero. After crossing the borough a steep and technical lane brings us back to Marina di Campo. From here we continue straight ahead along an easy path which takes us to the start of Literno valley, and from where we begin to climb along a shady dirt track road that takes us towards Colle Reciso quarries (km 34 200 m asl). After reaching the provincial road we turn left in Portoferraio direction and straight away right. We continue on dirt track towards Monte Orello with below us on the right a stupendous view of Portoferraio and its Medici fortifications. Once at km 37 of our excursion, we enter the forest track of Monte Orello with a soft reddish surface. Monte Orello is a real labyrinth of roads and paths. We continue along the main track we go over the top of the hill at 350 metres after km 39 of the excursion. The descent towards Lacona is wide and fast, and presents cyclists with a fantastic view of the Stella and Lacona gulfs. At Km 42 on the provincial road towards Lacona, we follow the tarmac road for 3 kilometres then we turn left into the Laconella road, which brings us up to 345 metres on Monte Tambone, the last effort of the day. The road which climbs towards Monte Tambone has both hard parts and flat stretches and ignoring all crossroads we reach the top of the hill at km 52.3 (302 m asl). We go down a steep easy descent which brings us above Fonza gulf, from here, after a short climb, a final stretch of descent brings us to Locality Segagnana. Here we turn right into a path (km 56) after a kilometre we get to the Marina di Campo cycle track –an excursion of 57.7 kilometres.
|
Marina di Campo - M.Perone - S.Piero-Marina di Campo-M.Orello - Lacona - M.Tambone Marina di Campo.
Distance 57.7 km
Time: 6 hours
Difficulty: challenging
|
| |
|
Examples of full day excursions of varied difficulty:
Full day
|
We leave from Marina di Campo in the direction Lacona. After about 1.5 km of tarmac road in the La Foce area we take an easy but steep dirt track road which brings us to the top of Monte Tambone. From here we descend a steep path which will thrill lovers of single track. On arriving on the provincial road that goes to Lacona, we take a military road which takes to Campo ai Peri (17 km). From here we take another dirt track which after about 3 km becomes a beautiful path with parts hidden in the Mediterranean maquis, it takes up to Cima del Monte at 576 metres from where we start a good descent to the Volterraio provincial road. We follow the tarmac road for about 1 km and arrive at the top from where we dive into a “single track” path which will take us as far as Nisporto. From here there is a comfortable dirt track road overlooking Portoferraio gulf that leads us to Nisporto. Leaving the dirt track we follow a stretch of little trafficked tarmac road to the Picchiaie where we take a dirt track road in the direction of Marina di Campo. The road is never challenging and constantly goes up to Buca di Bomba, where a spectacular lane hidden among holm oaks goes down to Literno. From here a flat path brings us back to our starting point, Marina di Campo after about 45 km.
|
Marina di Campo - M.te Tambone - Colle Reciso - Campo ai Peri - M.te Castello - Le Panche del Volterraio - Nisportino - Le Picchiaie - Buca di Bomba - Literno - Marina di Campo
Distance: 45 km
Time: 5 hours
Difficulty: medium
Interest: historical, panoramic, naturalistic. |
| |
|
Examples of full day excursions of varied difficulty:
Full day
|
We leave from the centre of Marina di Campo and coasting the beach after about 1.5 km of tarmac road we enter a good but steep dirt track road, which takes us, after about 8 km, to the start of Monte Tambone hill. From here a short but enjoyable single track brings us, in a short time, to Colle San Martino, from where we take a small road hidden in holm oak woods that leads to the provincial road that connects Marina di Campo with Portoferrraio. After crossing the road we dive into the small road hidden in the woods again. On getting near Procchio beach we have to get off our bikes and walk on sand for a short stretch. We re-take the Provincial road and after 1.5 km enter a dirt track that leads as far as Sant’Ilario. Again tarmac, but only for 2 km, from Sant’Ilario to San Piero where we take a very panoramic lane facing the islands of Pianosa and Montecristo. During this part we cannot miss visiting the old granite quarries used 2000 years ago. Surrounded by the perfume of wild mint we arrive, in only a short time, above Cavoli beach. Another 2 kilometres of tarmac up hill and then down a path that winds its way through the Marina di Campo countryside to our starting point.
|
Marina di Campo - M.te Tambone - M.te Pericoli - La Guardiola - Sant'Ilario - San Piero - Cavoli - Marina di Campo
Distance: 50 km
Time: about 6 hours
Difficulty: easy
Interest: Naturalistic, Panoramic.
Departure point: Piazza della Vittoria, Marina di Campo. |
|
Info: +39 0565 978005 -
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
|
|
|
|
Mountain bike excursions 
