Sports & Fun » Trekking on Elba

Going trekking on Elba means crossing thousands of years of the history of its inhabitants, from the prehistoric grottos to the ancient, hillside, stone villages; re-discovering Etruscan forts and furnaces, and visiting the ancient granite quarries where the Romans chiselled out the columns for their monuments. It also means going right down to the heart of the earth into the iron mines that are no longer in use, discovering the places where iron was extracted for thousands of years, surrounded by the almost unreal 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 the places they destroyed never to be rebuilt.

But what makes trekking in Elba even more fascinating is the enormous variety of perfumes, colours and landscapes to be found in one single geological formation that in a few kilometers can contain more than 150 geological species of the 200 already classified (some of which were discovered for the first time right on Elba). This helps to make both the bush and the nearby beaches extremely varied and colourful, a landscape that is present everywhere and from where the view is always breathtaking.

Not forgetting the variety of plants that trekking lovers can admire in just a few hours' walk: you can go from coastal vegetation and rocky or sandy beaches, to flowers and the perfume of rosemary, lavander, and other species of the native scrub; you can come across broom, strawberry trees, juniper, myrtle, and other types of typical Mediterranean scrub as well as oak forests , and then go upwards again to find yourself in the middle of a chestnut wood or a pine forest on the peak of Mount Capanne.

But as well as the huge variety of flora (there are more than 40 species of orchids alone, some of which are native), in every trekking itinerary you will be amidst the sounds of the birdlife: from those of the sea to those of the mountains. In the massifs of Mount Capanne you will also come across the mouflons, the undisputed stately masters of the heights.

Walking around Elba will allow you to discover and get to know not just these but also many other aspects, thanks to the numerous interesting things concentrated in this small, large island, perfect for an active holiday dedicated to trekking excursions in the Tuscan Archipelago National Park.

For guided trekking excursions we advise you to contact the excursion centre Il Viottolo whose long term experience and enthusiasm and will enable them to know exactly which is the most suitable excursion for you, as well as being able to satisfy all your needs.