Imagine a 100% protected island where the passage of man has been limited over the centuries and where nature cannot be touched in any way, what do you see?
We see Pianosa!
Pianosa: an unmissable attraction
We have two alternatives to reach this paradise: in the summer months one is the daily departure from Marina di Campo with the service offered by the Acquavision ship, the other is Toremar which leaves every Wednesday from Rio Marina. Pianosa, the former prison island that has been open for some years also to supervised tourist visits, offers 26 km of paradisiacal coastline, and we are not exaggerating.
Activities to do on Pianosa, a small island with many surprises
Pianosa is part of the municipality of Marina di Campo on the Island of Elba. Despite being small in size, the island offers many attractions and you can discover them all on the website of the Tuscan Archipelago National Park, but we would like to recommend two in particular, namely:
- Snorkeling in Cala dei Turchi, a part of the island that can only be visited with expert guides, and is one of those things that, if possibile, you must do. The marine flora and fauna along this protected stretch of sea are truly exceptional. An hour in the midst of daisies, snappers and groupers looking at you curiously, sometimes approaching you to study you better. When do you get something like that again?
- The mountain bike tour (lasting about two hours) which focuses on the roads and paths of the far north of the island, reaching the enchanting bay of Porto Romano, is a track that allows you to observe a part of Pianosa otherwise unexplored. In addition, you pass near the penal colony, and this very suggestive thing puts the chills a bit…
Pianosa, which boasts the primacy of the lowest island in the Tuscan Archipelago (just 29 meters above sea level), is fortunate to be the place of choice for many species of birds, some even very rare (such as the Corsican gull and the shearwater), for this reason birdwatchers love to visit this island in spring, meaning when many guests with colored wings use Pianosa as a place to rest and refresh themselves during their travels.
There is also the opportunity to visit the island of Pianosa independently but in this case the places you can see are limited to the splendid beach of Cala Giovanna (where swimming is allowed) and the small village.
Until its definitive closure in 2011, the Pianosa prison hosted illustrious names such as that of Sandro Pertini, who was imprisoned there as an opponent of fascism, and in more recent times, the dangerous mafia bosses who were transferred there after the attacks on Falcone and Borsellino.
The sea is stunningly clear and swimming in those waters so clean as to reflect the sky is regenerating. The sun beats down hard in any season you visit, so we recommend that you bring a good sunscreen with you, the risk of getting burned is high. In short, before visiting the distant and very expensive Caribbean, take a trip to Pianosa, trust us!
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