Description
Enfola Beaches – Portoferraio
The Enfola peninsula consists of a narrow isthmus of land the joins the mountain bearing the same name to the coast of Portoferraio; it is on the northern side of the Island of Elba, and has two beaches.
Since there is a cement pier on the one facing north, it isn’t as nice, and is mostly used by locals to beach or moor their boats.
The other beach is the only northern one that faces southwards, and is in the gulf of Viticcio. It is much nicer and more sheltered, with a breathtaking view of the coast of Elba as far as Marciana Marina and Monte Capanne.
The beach is 180 metres long, and consists of small-medium grey pebbles; half way along the beach there is a wharf that teenagers love to dive from. The water is emerald green but tends to get bluer nearer the beach. Both the cliffs at either side and the area around the peninsula are perfect if you want to do some snorkelling, and the rocks and sand beds are rich in flora and fauna, so it is also a scuba divers’ paradise. At a distance of 800 metres, there is a rock sticking out of the water, with a grotto called Lo Sbruffo that you can get to only by sea.
From a historical and environmental point of view there are several interesting aspects to this beach. Up till the late 1950s, the “tonnara” (where tuna fish was caught) and the “marfaraggio” (where it was cut, cleaned, and stored ) that you can see on the beach, were still in use, though since then they have been renovated and are now home to the offices of the Tuscan Archipelago National Park. If you follow the path that takes you up to the top, the peninsula will seem more an open air museum: there are many German remains of World War II, like communication trenches, ammunition depots, bunkers, battery sands, that are now home to herring gulls.
Take the road from Portoferraio to Enfola, and about 4 km farther along turn right at the roundabout and keep going for about 1.200 metres.
