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Other guided Hiking excursions |
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Other guided Hiking excursions |
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Examples of half day hiking excursion |
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Elba from prehistoric granite to our days (western zone)
Route: San Piero – modern granite quarry – mill and water of Moncione – antique Roman quarry – Pietra murata (archaeological site) – Piane al canale (Medieval iron works) – Romanesque church of San Giovanni – San Piero.
Distance: km 9,8
Time: about 5 hours
Difficulty: easy
Interesse: historical, naturalistic, photographic.
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On leaving the village of San Piero we visit the modern granite quarry then we reach, along an easy path, the Mill and water of Moncione (366 m). Continuing we get to the ancient granite quarry “worked during the Roman era”, a very important archaeological site where there are numerous cuts of granite and many columns up to 12 metres long. These areas are frequent haunts of mouflons (a type of wild sheep) and wild bores.
We ascend to 544 metres to Pietra Murata, crossing a territory that was inhabited from prehistory, many Villanovan, Etruscan and Medieval traces are preserved here. We can enjoy a marvellous view of the southern Elba coast and of the southern islands of the Tuscan Archipelago. As we descend towards San Piero we find the beautiful Romanesque San Giovanni church, built in the 12th century as a fortress-church, not only was it a place of worship but it was also used as a refuge by the populace in case of pirate attack. An easy path between chestnut trees takes us back to San Piero. |
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Chiessi - Colle di San Bartolommeo - Pomonte - Chiessi
Distance: km 7,5
Time: circa 4 ore
Difficulty: medium
Interest: Historical, Naturalistic, Landscape.
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We leave from the village of Chiessi along a steep path surrounded by terracing which is now covered by rock roses. After about 2.5 km we arrive at a signpost for the way to reach the ruin of the Romanesque church of Saint Bartolomeo (3.3 km 410 m), a small Romanesque style church, built around 1100 during Pisan rule to the memory of Saint Bartolomeo who lived here as a hermit at the dawn of Christianity. After this brief deviation we return to the main path and after about 20 minutes we get to the crossways of path number 4. Here our descent to Pomonte begins. We go down a well constructed path, mainly paved and with hairpin bends at the steepest points, surrounded by the perfumes of straw flower plants, lavender, myrtle and broom which together with rock roses and tree heath have suffocated and substituted the vineyards.
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Poggio - Monte Capanne - Poggio
Distance: km 8,4 circa
Time: about 4 hours
Difficulty: challenging
Interest: Naturalistic, Landscape.
Departure: Poggio Piazza xx Settembre - time 09,00
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From the quaint medieval borough of Poggio (330 m asl) we start our ascent towards Monte Capanne, top of the powerful Elban granodiorite massive. The path is always very steep initially it goes through a wood, as we go up the vegetation becomes low and sparse while, on the other hand, the view becomes ever more majestic, until we get to the summit of the island, Monte Capanne (1019 m asl). From here we can enjoy a fantastic view of Elba, of the other islands of the Tuscan Archipelago, Corsica and a good part of Tuscany. During our return trip we find traces of ancient human settlement. |
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Examples of full day hiking excursions
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Marciana - Monte di Cote - Il Semaforo - Marciana
Distance: about 14,2 Km
Time: about 8 hours.
Difficulty: easy.
Interesse: archeaological, historical, naturalistic, panoramic.
Departure: Marciana
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Leaving from Marciana (408 m asl) on a fine partially paved path, flanked by broom and strawberry trees we get to the Stetta (806 m asl), continuing we find many refuges below the rocks along our route to Monte di Cote (95 m asl), the second highest peak on Elba. Here the vegetation is barren with salzmann’s broom dominating, as we descend the view is superb, and we can meet wild mouflon. After arriving at the Terra (576 m asl) we continue in a clockwise direction along a path with a fine view, the height difference is minimal and we pass through typical vegetation of the Mediterranean maquis until we get to the Semaforo (599 m asl): an important military lookout station, it controlled the Cosican channel and was active up till the end of the second world war. Our path continues through the Mediterranean vegetation and hundred-year-old chestnuts to Serraventosa (620 m asl); where the vegetation is more sparse, as we continue we find the Madonna del Monte sanctuary (630 m asl); then we descend to Marciana arriving near the Pisan fortress of 1200 and finish the trip in Piazza Umberto I. |
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Marciana-Monte Capanne-Le Mure-Pomonte
Distance: 15,85 Km
Time: about 7 hours
Difficulty: medium
Interest: archaeological, historical, naturalistic, photographic.
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We set out from Marciana (408 m asl), the highest town on Elba on the north slope of the granite massive of Monte Capanne. Following the narrow and steep lanes of this austere medieval borough we get to a fortress built around 1200 and then we walk up the easy footpath that crosses the green Pedalta valley till we reach the Saint Cerbone hermitage. The sanctuary was built in 1421 by Benedictine monks near the Saint’s grotto where Saint Cerbone retreated during the last years of his life, before dying in 534. Leaving the sanctuary we begin our ascent of Monte Capanne (1019 m asl) first we follow a path under chestnut trees, where it is possible to meet deer, then we cross steep “macei” (rubble) among holm oaks. Forty minutes walk from the Hermitage we find a “caprile” (old Elban shepherds’ stone refuge) and an enclosure for the animals. From this point the path is very panoramic, and mastering the luxuriant Nivera valley, which leads to the summit of Monte Capanne (1019 m and the highest point on the island). Here we can enjoy an amazing view of Elba and of the other islands of the Tuscan Archipelago, Corsica and a good part of the Tuscan coast. From Capanne we quickly descend to Filicaie (870 m asl), a small plateau half way between Monte Capanne and Monte Calanche, then continue the descent towards the refuges under the rocks of “Grottaccia” crossing over the bare dorsal of “Cenno” where mouflons live undisturbed under the vigilant eye of buzzards and peregrine falcons. Continuing we get to the ancient stone village of “Mura”, the biggest hill fortifications on Elba.
The village, inhabited by Villanovan people was destroyed in 453 BC by people from Siracuse and was never rebuilt. Much of the perimeter wall of the original structure remains (in some parts it is higher than two metres) and there are many worked stones, which were used in later times by shepherds in the building of “caprile” (round stone refuges) and animal enclosures. Crossing the “Valle del Poio” we descend towards Pomonte following a stream full of water even in summer, there are numerous waterfalls and small ponds, it is a difficult place to forget. The large valley above Pomonte was, once upon a time, completely terraced from the sea to 640 m high and cultivated with vines; the majority of the vineyards are abandoned today, but there remains an enormous amphitheatre of granite as witness to the great work of Elban peasants.
The trip finishes among the white sea facing houses of Pomonte. |
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San Piero - Monte Calanche - Macinelle - San Piero
Distance: about 14 km
Time: about 8 hours.
Difficoltà: challenging.
Interest: archaeological, historical, naturalistic, panoramic. |
Having left San Piero (150 m asl) a track running under chestnut trees takes us to the stupendous Romanesque church of San Giovanni (420 m), masterly built around 1200 under Pisan rule. Continuing we get to Castagnone spring (577 m asl), set at the foot of a hundred-year-old chestnut tree, then following a beautiful path framed with pine trees and holm oaks we arrive at Masso alla Quata (744 m asl), one of the best viewpoints on the Island. Passing along the north side of the island we get to the Filicaie (870 m asl) overlooking the Poio and the Nivera valley. Going on we arrive at the Grottaccia (630 m asl) and the Macinelle (540 m asl), both places were inhabited in prehistoric times, they are of great naturalistic interest and awake the senses and with them our fantasy which has been drowsed by frenetic modern living. After passing the Piane del Canale the excursion finishes at San Piero.
The animals we usually meet during this hike are: mouflon, grouse, red legged partridge, peregrine falcon and buzzard. It’s more difficult to find wild bore but we can observe their tracks.
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Info: +39 0565 978005 -
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Hiking excursions 
