04. The Sides

To know and appreciate what we see underwater is useful see and know what we see outside the water. So inform and know the particular of the littorals, of the coasts, of the ranges and the local geological characteristics are some good information to enjoy the diving.

CENTRAL SIDE The central region is the less elevated: it’s characterized by a hilly morphology, with wide valleys, that have alluvional depths and form the biggest plains and coasts with the most extended beaches of the island: Marina di Campo, Procchio, Biodola, Lido di Capoliveri. The geological heterogeneous constitution of this region has really influenced the physical coast modelling, which has a very articulated profile contrary to the others two, more homogenous and complex: the Eastern and the Western ones. Three gulfs, similar in size and configuration, because they are dominated westward from the Capanne Mount, characterize the northern side with a geologically unique tract of coast composed by white falaises sometimes of porphyry quartz, to which follow up the promontory and the wide gulf of Portoferraio. The southern side is marked by wide gulfs, delimited from high and outstretched promontories. If from one side the morphological characteristics have favoured in the last ten years the tourist development of this wonderful marine places, the building expansion that has followed has been so intense in the case of Marina di Campo, Procchio and of the Portoferraio roadstead, to modify the original landscape and environmental characteristics. In the Portoferraio roadstead, for example, there was a lagoon environment very rich in ichthyic and birds fauna typical of this ecosystems. Of this we can found evidences in the small sheet of marine water in the thermal basin of the ex salt pan of S. Giovanni, that are one of the most important Elba place for the sighting of wild peregrine and periodic birdlife. In the opposite side, the southern one, the Lacona beach is the last one of the island which preserves, in its most western tract, its original dunes morphology; a wonderful document of the “wreck” natural landscape of the dunes that permit to preserve the rare and very particular dunes flora.

EASTERN SIDE The eastern side is the island part that is closer to the “continent” (so as the Elba people call it) and from which it is only 10 Km far (Piombino promontory). It includes the communes of Rio Marina, Rio nell’Elba, Porto Azzurro and Capoliveri. From the geological point of view this is the richest in minerals side, you can find: Hematite, Limonite, Iron lands, Pyrites mix, Oligist, Mormenite, Inviate, Pyroxene, Epidope, Manganese, Dolomitic limestone Cristal, Colitic and Pisolitic limestone, Calcite and Quartz. Since remote ages the richness of the soil of this side has made the island a place fit for mining and for becoming a very important mineral centre. In this area the mining of iron material continued for centuries till 1980. This activity has contributed to draw the landscape that testifies the evolution and the man work during the time, and at the same time it hasn’t permit that the cement tourism, in spite of the proper morphology and the beautiful coasts, occupied the coast in an indiscriminate way; the settlements have been limited in circumscribed places, leaving it as natural property that years and the nature have built. In the commune of Rio nell’Elba every year in the months of May and June there is a show market of minerals entitled: “The Land Flowers”, it’s considered one of the most important event of the Elba Island, which bowels are a very generous case from a very long time.

WESTERN SIDE The western region, delimited to east from the isthmus formed by two plains almost contiguous of Marina di Campo and Procchio, is well characterized being entirely formed by the granitic massif with circular plant of Capanne Monut that, with its 1080 meters, is the highest height of the Tuscan Archipelago. The coast, following the massif edge, slopes down in the sea with steep and uniform cliffs because the marine erosion hasn’t produced many inlets on the hard granitic rock. In the short indentations to the rivers mouth there are small sandy beaches like in the Cavoli bay, in Fetovaia and Galenzana bay. Climbing up the mountainous inland, along the tracks a very important landscape element is the unusual following one another of mountain environments with marine landscapes. Going along this old muletracks we meet interesting testimonies of the passed history of the island, like towers rests, medieval churches, characteristic pastoral goats house. An historical stratification that perfectly melts with in the well conserved natural environment. Among the natural resources there are many sources even if they are all of modest importance. The most known source is the one of “Napoleon source”, by the Poggio village, its water is glass bottled and sold on the Elba territory, it has the typical characteristics of the waters that flow in granite. In fact it’s a water low in mineral contents, it has the minimum quantity of calcium and it has a soft natural radioactivity. In spite of the modest floods, this small rivers, made of sandy material, have created in the time short coastal plains, so determining the favourable conditions for the development of the agricultural activities and with the settlement of small villages that still conserve their original structure of agricultural-marine village like Pomonte e Chiessi, and at the same time with the hilly villages of S. Pietro, S. Ilario, Poggio and Marciana, represent very beautiful scenes of landscape value.