One week cruises starting from Elba

Cap Corse - about 200 nm

Portoferraio - Capraia - Macinaggio - round Cap Corse to St. Florent - Calvi and back to Portoferraio, perhaps via Bastia and Porto Azzurro. This trip is probably the most beautiful as far as landscape is concerned, but it is not recommended when the Mistral is blowing. In such case, we suggest a taxi tour from Macinaggio with lunch in Centuri - because of limited time, St.Florent then becomes the most westerly point reached. Beware of the Mistral in Bastia! Better head to Macinaggio.

Continental Italy and the Island of Giglio - about 180 nm

Portoferraio – Porto Azzurro – then a long leg to the Island of Giglio (why not set out early in the morning, leaving at dawn?) On Giglio, the Castello is well worth a visit. After a quick sail over to Giannutri for a swim (watch out for the forbidden zones in Cala Maestra!), you can spend a very pleasant evening in Porto Santo Stefano or Porto Ercole. Then back to Portoferraio through Punta Ala. This route can be sailed in any wind and is safe as far as the Mistral is concerned.

East coast of Corsica to Bonifacio - about 300 nm

Portoferraio – Marina di Campo – Campoloro – Porto Vecchio – Bonifacio and back to Portoferraio, also via Solenzara and Porto Azzurro. In a single week, this cruise can be rather demanding because the single legs are long and, depending on circumstances, night sailing may be necessary. Moreover, you will not see some of the beautiful views of Corsica along the coast. We thus recommend this course only for those of you who need to make up nautical miles or who have at least two weeks of time.

Around Elba and Capraia - about 100 mn

1st day - about 12 nm
Portoferraio – noon at the quay near Enfola’s fishermen, in the evening to Marciana Marina.
2nd day - about 21 nm
Long leg to the Island of Capraia; in the evening, visit to the village.
3rd day - about 25 nm
Even longer sail to the bay of Fetovaia; night at anchor (check weather forecasts!)
4th day - about 8 nm
Some time to relax, swim, and in the afternoon you set sail for
Marina di Campo.
5th day - about 15 nm
Slow start in the morning, with lunch then in the gulf of Lacona
or Stella. At night, dinner in Porto Azzurro.
6th day - about 25-30 nm
Head for the small islands of Cerboli or Palmarola for a swim;
moored in Portoferraio in the evening.

Tuscan and Ligurian coast - about 250 nm

Portoferraio - Porto Baratti, north of Piombino (walk to Populonia) - Rosignano (Marina Cala de Medici) - Marina di Pisa (the river Arno with its quay in front of the restaurant La Foce or Piccola Darsena - sightseeing tour by bus to Pisa -12 km) - Porto Venere (very nice village - tour by boat to the Costa dei Poeti and the day after a tour with a sightseeing boat to the Cinque Terre). Back to Portoferraio via Viareggio (Porto SPA or in the Canale burmalacca) - Capraia

All the suggested routes can be combined or modified at will, according to individual requirements and weather conditions, so as to fit both a sporting crew's desires or a relaxed family holiday. When planning your cruise, don't forget that outside of high season the Mistral can have its effect. On the other hand in Summer, you should generally plan shorter legs because of the predominantly lighter breezes and the consequent irritation of long engine running hours.