The Island of Elba

Day 1: UK/Pisa
Depart on your scheduled flight to Pisa today. From the airport you’ll transfer to Piombino where you will take the ferry to Elba. Then it’s just a short journey to your hotel on the edge of the beautiful village of Marciana Marina, where you will stay for seven nights. Settle in and explore your new surroundings – the hotel is only a short stroll from the pretty harbour.

Day 2: Marina Di Campo & Villa San Martino
After breakfast, join your Tour Manager on a half-day included tour of the island. First stop will be the tiny village of Chiessi, before you journey along the picturesque south coast to the colourful harbour and white-sand bay of Marina di Campo. This is the longest stretch of sand on the island so why not take a stroll and dip your toes in the water.

Take in the scenery as you travel inland and on to Villa San Martino – Napoleon’s summer house. Take the opportunity to wander around this historic property before returning to Marciana Marina for a free afternoon.

Day 3: Marciana Marina
Today is free for you to spend as you wish. Your Tour Manager will be able to point you in the right direction if you want to explore the area. They may recommend a visit to Portoferraio, which is easily reached by bus. The town’s Civic Museum displays many archaeological discoveries from as far back as the 8th century BC. You can also explore Napoleon’s Winter Palace, where the exiled French emperor made plans to once again conquer Europe. There’s a fabulous open-air market here too, as well as Elba’s oldest Roman villa, the Villa Grotte, from where you’ll see spectacular views across the bay.

Day 4: Marciana Marina
Enjoy breakfast before joining your Tour Manager and a Local Guide for an optional half-day walk through Elba’s stunning scenery. You’ll begin in the ancient mountain hamlet of Poggio then walk a tree-lined road towards the Napoleonic spa before taking the woodland path up to the historic San Cerbone Chapel. Passing the Pisan fortress, you’ll climb to the 11th century Sanctuary of the Madonna del Monte. This lovely walk ends with a gentle descent to the village of Marciana Alta. Why not settle around the hotel’s swimming pool with a good book for the rest of the day.

Day 5: Marciana Marina
There’s more of Elba to discover today during our included half-day tour of the east of the island. You’ll explore the remote Roman mining town of Capoliveri then continue on to the modern, cosmopolitan resort of Porto Azzuro. You should see plenty of sleek yachts in the harbour which contrast beautifully against the backdrop of the 17th century Spanish fortress.

Days 6 – 7: Marciana Marina
Spend your final two days exploring Elba at your own pace. As you will have no doubt already discovered, the freshly caught seafood served in the local restaurants is abundant and delicious. To work up an appetite, why not take a stroll around the Cotone Quarter, the real old town, to admire the beautiful architecture, or explore the medieval village of Marciana. Here you can ride the cableway to the summit of Monte Capanne – Elba’s highest point – the views across to the French island of Corsica are well worth the short journey.

Elba has the greatest variety of wild flowers of all the Mediterranean islands. Take the scenic route to the south and discover not only the beautiful flora, but Roman granite quarries, sleepy fishing villages and unspoilt sandy beaches too.

You can also admire Elba’s beauty from the sea with a two-hour cruise on board ‘The Nautilus’, a glass-bottomed vessel that will take you around the cliffs and coves and introduce you to the underwater wonders of the Mediterranean. Your skipper will point out the amazing sight of a shipwrecked boat from the 1970s so make sure you keep your eyes peeled. With so much to see and do you’ll find the time flies by.

Day 8: Pisa/UK
Your holiday comes to an end today as you transfer to Pisa for your flight home.

Please note
To maximise your enjoyment of this holiday a certain amount of walking is essential.

Accommodation is of a comfortable standard, typical of the hotel you will stay in is:

3-star Hotel Gabbiano Azzurro
This family-run modern hotel is situated just a short walk from the waterfront of the colourful fishing village of Marciana Marina, with its pretty harbour, shops, cafes, restaurants and pebble beach. The hotel has a breakfast room, bar, lounge, secluded garden, swimming pool and sun terraces. The air-conditioned guest rooms are on two floors and have a telephone, TV, fridge and en suite facilities. The hotel does not have a lift.

Please note: Outdoor swimming pools are typically open between May and September, but this is dependent on weather conditions.

Hotels will be confirmed in your final documentation.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Included excursions and visits
Marina di Campo & San Martino Villa tour (half day)
Eastern Elba tour (half day)

Optional excursions
Legend, Mystery & Intrigue walk (half day)

Your holiday includes
Scheduled flights
Overseas transfers and return ferry crossing to Elba
7 nights’ accommodation with breakfast
The services of a Travelsphere Tour manager and Local Guide
Hotel porterage (one bag per person)
All airport taxes and security charges
UK Airline Passenger Duty
All state and local taxes

With 50 years’ experience in arranging escorted tours to exciting destinations across the globe, Travelsphere have built an excellent reputation founded on quality and value.

By choosing a Travelsphere escorted holiday you can travel with confidence, knowing that every aspect of your holiday has been carefully planned and arranged from start to finish. Further to this they are ATOL bonded and members of ABTA.

Travelsphere’s thorough planning of travel arrangements, itineraries and accommodation combined with the unique insight of their knowledgeable Tour Managers and Local Guides will enable you to experience the culture, traditions and hidden away places less accessible to other travellers.

Our Opinion
“Travelsphere are one of the biggest names in the Escorted Tour market. Finely tuned over the last 50 years their tours have been tried, tested and refined by thousands of customers.”