What to see in Porto Azzurro
What to see in Porto Azzurro, panoramic viewpoints, walks, and attractions in Porto Azzurro.
Here is the list of attractions to visit in Porto Azzurro. Discover what to do and see in the charming town at the center of the eastern side of the Island of Elba.
The Square of Porto Azzurro
Piazza Matteotti, the most beautiful square on the Island of Elba and among the most beautiful in Italy, renowned as a meeting point for romantic strolls and shopping. In the square, during the summer and beyond, numerous events take place, including historical, gastronomic, cultural, and entertainment activities.
In recent years, the square and the promenade have been completely modernized. The two large fountains with water features and the luxurious canopies adorned with climbing plants frame the many shops and restaurants that embellish the entire town.
In the evening, the lights of the square reflecting on the sea make it a unique place for your family walks.
During the summer period, the entire waterfront area, the square, and the historic center are closed to traffic from 8:00 PM onwards to allow guests to stroll in complete safety and tranquility, enjoying delicious ice cream or shopping.
The Carmignani Promenade
The Carmignani promenade is a scenic path directly along the coast of Porto Azzurro, connecting the promenade of Porto Azzurro to the Barbarossa beach, skirting the walls of Fort St. Giacomo, the ancient Spanish fortress from which the whole town originates, now used as a prison and therefore not visitable.
The Carmignani promenade is about 1 km long and is equipped with benches and panoramic rest areas, illuminated all night long. Thanks to its predominantly flat stretch, it is also suitable for children or the elderly, and can be completed in about 20 minutes, enveloped in the scent of the Mediterranean scrub with a panoramic view of the seafront of Porto Azzurro.
To reach the Carmignani Promenade, you can park your car at the Barbarossa parking lot and then take the path directly after a few meters, or park before the entrance of the Fort and find yourself directly in the middle of the promenade where you can decide whether to continue towards the Barbarossa beach or deviate towards the promenade of Porto Azzurro. However, to start the walk from the end of the promenade, there are no nearby parking lots, and it is necessary to leave the car in the main parking areas of the town.
Sanctuary of Madonna di Monserrato
Located within a narrow valley about three kilometers from the center of Porto Azzurro, it was built in 1606 by José Pons, who served as governor of the fortress for a decade.
The French writer M. Valerj, speaking of his visit to the sanctuary, states that "if roads and large constructions announce the domination of the Romans or the French empire, hermitages and places of devotion, visited by pilgrims, are the most characteristic and enduring traces of Spanish domination."
José Pons, who was devout and deeply captivated by the suggestive charm offered by that valley, did not deviate from this national tradition. He decided to erect a sanctuary dedicated to Madonna di Monserrato, in memory of the famous homonymous sanctuary in Catalonia, near Barcelona. He built it on a rocky spur flanked on three sides by a cloister of mountains, in a scenario of wild and grandiose beauty.
Inside, on the marble altar, there is an image of a black Madonna, a copy of the one existing in the aforementioned Spanish sanctuary.
In his will, drawn up in Madrid in 1616, José Pons assigned a substantial endowment to the sanctuary, consisting of lands, rents, levies, and a mill in loc. Reale. However, this endowment was linked to the friars and the convent of S. Agostino in Piombino, with the obligation to perpetually maintain a priest there to celebrate daily Mass.
The friars accepted the bequest and established a small convent of 4 or 5 religious near the sanctuary, subordinate to that of Piombino, and apparently, they themselves provided for the service.
The sanctuary is open to the public in the summer period, and every year on September 8th, the "Feast of Madonna di Monserrato" is celebrated in Porto Azzurro, with a religious procession through the streets of the town.
The Pine of Monserrato
The Pine of Monserrato, also known as the "pinone," is a centuries-old maritime pine, over 400 years old, classified among the historic Italian trees. With its height of 18 meters, a trunk circumference of 5 meters, and a canopy circumference of 30 meters, it is one of the largest trees in Tuscany.
The Pine of Monserrato is located on the road that leads from the Barbarossa junction to the Sanctuary of Monserrato. Every year, on September 8th, it is the meeting point for the procession of the Madonna of Monserrato.
Right after the Pine of Monserrato, you can take a well-maintained and signposted dirt path that will lead you to Monte della Croce in about 40 minutes. With caution, it's possible to reach the summit where you'll find the old metal cross, almost 10 meters high, a symbol of Porto Azzurro. This trekking is not suitable for everyone and is not recommended for small children and people with mobility issues.
Fort San Giacomo - Porto Azzurro Prison
Fort San Giacomo is a fortress built by the Spaniards in the 1600s to reinforce, along with Fort Focardo, the defenses of the Bay.
The imposing structure was used for coastal defense until the 19th century, and then gradually converted into a House of Detention (Porto Azzurro prison).
The fortification has a star-shaped plan conventionally attributable to an irregular pentagonal polygon; the outer curtain walls, covered in some sections with bricks and in others with stone, are characterized by the presence of mighty escarpments, which along the sides facing the land were originally delimited by moats to enhance the security guarantees to the coastal defensive structure. (information taken from wikipedia.it)
Unfortunately, the interior of the structure is not visitable for safety reasons, but it is possible to admire its imposing walls through the Carmignani promenade which connects the town to Barbarossa beach.
The Terranera Lake
The Terranera Lake in Porto Azzurro is an artificial lake formed from old mining operations. Its waters are rich in sulfur due to the waste from the extraction of pyrite, hematite, and other iron minerals. Swimming has been prohibited in recent years for safety reasons, as the characteristic green water does not allow visibility, and the bottom is composed of a very dangerous muddy layer.
From the area around the Terranera Lake, it is possible to take various walks to discover the nearby territories.
Association MareLibero, boat excursions for children.
Daily excursions to Porto Azzurro and the Island of Elba.
The amateur sports association Marelibero, with the endorsement and collaboration of the Municipality of Porto Azzurro, carries out year-round maritime activities in the waters of the Tuscan Archipelago and Corsica within the Cetacean Sanctuary aboard the sailing vessel Oceanis 50 PF1703D. These activities include seamanship, practical and theoretical sailing lessons, events, exhibitions, recreational activities, summer camps, educational and environmental projects, as well as cetacean, dolphin, and turtle spotting.
The outings can be tailored to the specific needs of each group and can range in duration from daily, weekend, to week-long trips.
The aim is to instill in young people a confident and mindful attitude towards the marine ecosystem that surrounds us an environment that is delicate, vibrant, and constantly in motion, which must be safeguarded through emotionally engaging activities and practical and theoretical lessons in the field.
MARELIBERO represents an educational ethos founded on values that are disappearing in today's society. Its programs are primarily aimed at fostering social cohesion rather than competitive endeavors.
The multidisciplinary offer aims at promoting knowledge and awareness of the marine ecosystem, safety at sea, enjoyment, and socialization. Key elements of this project include an educational approach.
Each outing includes theoretical and practical sessions covering basic knowledge and techniques for coastal and offshore sailing, practical exercises related to the acquisition of individual roles and tasks aboard the boat, observation of the marine environment, cetacean, dolphin, and turtle spotting, reflections on environmental impact, conservation of freshwater and energy, safety at sea, seamanship activities, snorkeling, and social life sharing on board.
The specific objectives can thus be classified within the realm of social knowledge.
Each outing can accommodate 8 to 10 participants, each of whom will be provided with a logbook to be updated daily by themselves. At the end of the journey, they will carry in their life experiences luggage.
Over the years, the Association MARELIBERO has participated in the following projects:
- "Summer in the Parks" by the Ministry of Environment and Protection of Land and Sea, Tuscan Archipelago National Park.
- "Young People Together" by the Ministry of Environment and Protection of Land and Sea, Tuscan Archipelago National Park.
- Environmental education project on sailing boats in collaboration with the Municipality of Porto Azzurro.
- The Association MARELIBERO is a partner of the Tuscan Cetacean Observatory.
The Elba Aquarium in Marina di Campo
The Mediterranean Aquarium of Elba is located in Marina di Campo on the South-Western slope of the Island of Elba, in the Segagnana area.
The Elba Aquarium is a completely private structure, built and managed on a small island, without ever requesting or using public funds. It is considered one of the most comprehensive Mediterranean aquariums in existence.
Spread over a fully covered exhibition area of about 1000 square meters, which can be visited in all weather conditions, there are over 80 tanks, fed by 250,000 liters of seawater: handmade in an original alternation of shapes and sizes, they have been set up with natural and artificial materials, trying to faithfully reproduce the characteristic habitats of the different organisms.
The variety of hosted species offers a unique overview of the incredible biodiversity of the waters of the Island of Elba and the Tuscan Archipelago, providing the excitement of venturing into the discovery of a biological richness that has little to envy to that of tropical seas.
There are indeed more than 150 different species of Mediterranean marine organisms usually present in the Aquarium, all collected in an absolutely ethical manner, simply recovering, among the "waste" of professional fishing, fish and invertebrates destined for the pot or otherwise certain death.
We will meet and get to know up close almost all the main coastal fish species, as well as various pelagic species and some of depth; and then Crustaceans, from lobsters to the most disparate and curious varieties of shrimp, crabs, and cicadas; Mollusks, from the Octopus - it is in our Aquarium that the now legendary "Octopus Paul" had its first "home", the fortune teller who became famous during the 2010 football World Cup - to the Triton, the largest "snail" existing in our seas. And then again a large number of varieties of sea urchins and starfish, gorgonians, bryozoans, sea cucumbers, ascidians.
All nature and sea lovers thus have the opportunity to learn to recognize, appreciate, and protect the countless forms of life that they encounter while swimming with a simple mask in the island's waters, and even the most experienced divers are often amazed at observing rare or usually little visible animals that populate the Mare Nostrum.