Among the lighthouses of the Island of Elba you can take a new route on foot, un tecting from natura e storia.
An unprecedented itinerary to discover the lighthouses and light towers that light up the coasts of the Elba Island, guardian of some of the most evocative lighthouses of the Tuscan Islands Biosphere Reserve.
The lighthouses of the Island of Elba, a beautiful walking route
Since ancient times, they have played a crucial role in the management of maritime traffic making the island an important reference point for navigation in the Tyrrhenian Sea. Thanks to their extraordinary architectural characteristics and their natural integration into the coastal landscape, they can be considered a real cultural heritage to be safeguarded and valued.
The lighthouse of Forte Stella in Portoferraio
Portoferraio lighthouse, one of the most famous in Italy, it rises in the complex of Forte Stella. Located on the Grecale bastion of the Portoferraia fortress, it dominates the ancient Medici city, the port and the entire gulf. The construction of this building is due to Peter Leopold, Grand Duke of Tuscany in 1765, and soon became a symbol of Elba. Even today, in fact, landing on the island, it is among the first points that can be seen from the ship.
The granite tower is 25 meters high and overlooks the Villa dei Mulini, Napoleon’s first residence during his exile. Instead of the 30 oil wicks used in the past, today the lighting is powered by a halogen lamp which emits three white flashes every 14 seconds with a range of 16 nautical miles.
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Cape Focardo
Built inside the seventeenth-century Spanish fort, the lighthouse of Capo Focardo overlooks the well-known town of Porto Azzurro despite being located in the Capoliveri area. It was built in 1848 for lighting the coastal section of the bay and its tower stands over 6 meters above the walls and 32 meters above sea level.
Today electrified, it boasts a steady white light with a range of 16 nautical miles. The area around the defensive structure is reminiscent of a small natural oasis where you can breathe the aromas of the Mediterranean maquis made up of mastic, rosemary, thorny broom, heather, honeysuckle and cistus. Here, in fact, nature dictates the rhythms, sounds, colors and silences.
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The lighthouse of Punta Polveraia
In the municipal area of Marciana, on top of the town of Patresi, stands the lighthouse of Punta Polveraia built to shed light on the Corsica channel. A magical place characterized by the waves crashing on the cliffs and the bay that extends to the horizon offering breathtaking sunsets. At 52 meters above sea level the lantern has a fixed optic with a period of 15 seconds and a range of 16 nautical miles.
Mount Poro
The lighthouse was built in 1979 with the intention of working automatically immediately. It boasts a solid white light with a 16 mile range. The traffic light structure of Monte Poro stands along the southern coast of the island in the municipality of Campo nell’Elba. The metal lantern is equipped with a Fresnel lens, like many other lighthouses on the island, this is capable of multiplying the light by widening the light beam and making it visible at great distances.
The precious photos were kindly granted by Antonello Marchese, who shoots for Elba Foto Natura (https://www.elbafotonatura.com/it/) for the CETS (European Charter for Sustainable Tourism) of the Tuscan Archipelago National Park (https://www.islepark.it/visitare-il-parco/carta-europea-turismo-sostenibile).
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