The gulf of Marina di Campo at sunset, seen from the air

Elba Island · Campo nell'Elba

The coves of our gulf

Beyond the long beach there are four coves almost nobody looks for. Two on the western arm, two on the eastern — all reachable in an afternoon, on foot or down a few kilometres of dirt road.

The beach at Marina di Campo is 1.3 kilometres long, and in August you can tell: it is the busiest on Elba, and with good reason. But the gulf that holds it closes between two arms of rock and scrubland, and inside those arms are four coves most guests never see.

They are not secrets — they are just inconvenient in exactly the right measure. None of the four lets you park in front of your umbrella: you walk, or you take a dirt track, or you arrive by sea. That is precisely what keeps them empty in July.

We have split them by arm, west and east, because that is how the days organise themselves: one afternoon on one side, one on the other. Under each cove there is a map link, so you can look at it with your own eyes before putting your shoes on.

The western arm — Capo Poro and Galenzana

The headland that closes the gulf to the west. You reach it on foot from the village, no car needed: it is the walk we suggest most often to guests staying a week.

The seabed at Galenzana: stones veined with ochre mining residue and a shell, underwater — The seabed at Galenzana — the ochre on the stones is mining residue · Albarubescens · CC BY-SA 4.0

Galenzana beach

On foot from Marina di Campo · ~1.5 km · 15–20 min

A wild beach behind the headland, with no road to it: either you walk or you come by sea. It is fifteen or twenty minutes from the village along path no. 139, scrubland on one side and the sea appearing and disappearing on the other.

The National Park describes it as rich in archaeological traces, and the ground says so too: the stones carry ochre and dark veins left by mining residue, the legacy of Elban iron washed all the way down here. With a mask it is a rewarding cove even in half a metre of water.

There is nothing there: no bar, no umbrellas, no water. Bring your own, and carry back out whatever you carried in.

Worth knowing: in places the beach is narrow: at high tide or in rough seas you may get your feet wet for a few metres. With a big southerly swell, leave it for another day.

See it on Google Maps→

Capo Poro and its loop

Path 139 · 4.6 km loop · 2h15 · 190 m ascent · easy

Galenzana is half the story. The other half is the full loop of the headland: you start on via delle Ginestre, climb through a holm-oak wood — myrtle, mastic, arisarum — and come out on top of Monte Poro, 155 metres, with the gulf of Marina di Campo on one side and the whole southern coast of the island on the other.

The Park rates it easy and gives 2 hours 15 for the complete loop, 4.6 kilometres. It is a morning, not an expedition: leave at seven, be on the beach by mid-morning, and you will not have met anybody.

At the top the Second World War structures are still there. It was along this coast, on 17 June 1944, that Operation Brassard came ashore — the Allied landing that liberated Elba. You arrive walking through the scrub and there is no sign explaining it: one of those things that make the island denser than it looks.

See it on Google Maps→

The eastern arm — Cala dell'Ischia and Fonza

The side facing Lacona: rocky coast, few inlets, no services at all. Here you need the car — or a pedalo.

Cala dell'Ischia

On foot from La Foce · a few hundred metres

It sits halfway between Marina di Campo and Fonza, wedged into a stretch of coast that is almost entirely rock. It is tiny: a tongue of pebbles and little else, with boulders for edges.

There are two ways in. On foot, past La Foce and onto via Ischia, a few hundred metres of path. Or — and this is the way we prefer — hire a pedalo on Marina di Campo beach and arrive from the water: half an hour of pedalling and you have a cove to yourselves.

It stays quiet precisely because it is small and awkward. If you want somewhere to read for three hours without hearing a voice, this is it.

Worth knowing: it is exposed to southerly winds. With the sirocco blowing it becomes uncomfortable and the sea pushes in: on those days head for the north coast instead.

See it on Google Maps→

The cove at Fonza: smooth stones, deep blue water and Mediterranean scrub on the headland — Westernelba · CC BY-SA 4.0

Fonza beach

By car · 2.5 km of dirt road from the Elba Aquarium

Ninety-five metres of large, flat, water-smoothed stones, about ten metres deep, in an inlet closed in by scrubland. It is one of the wildest beaches on Elba and has stayed that way for a very practical reason: the road.

You leave Marina di Campo towards Lacona on the main road; at the Elba Aquarium you turn onto the dirt track signposted 'Fonza' and drive two and a half scenic but badly rutted kilometres. That road is the filter that keeps the cove empty.

Free, no services, no shade beyond the scrub. The water is clear and deep straight away: you swim properly here, you do not wade.

Worth knowing: the dirt road is rutted: take it slowly in a low car, and worse after heavy rain. There are no bins and no drinking water.

See it on Google Maps→

Before you go

None of the four has any services

No bar, no umbrella hire, no drinking water. Water bottle, hat, something to eat and a bag to carry your rubbish back out: these are free beaches inside a National Park.

Shoes, not flip-flops

Galenzana and the Capo Poro loop need closed shoes with a decent sole. The path is easy but it is dirt and stones, and on the way down flip-flops become a problem.

Watch the wind, not just the forecast

The gulf of Marina di Campo faces south: with a northerly it is a mirror, with a southerly it chops up. It is the same rule that governs the whole island, and we explain it in full in the Guide.

Go early or go late

At midday in August the Galenzana path is exposed and the scrub gives no shade. The right hours are before ten or after five — and that is when the light is worth it anyway.

Frequently asked questions

How far is the walk to Galenzana?

About a kilometre and a half from the village, fifteen to twenty minutes at a normal pace, along path no. 139. If you want the full loop of the Capo Poro headland, the National Park gives 4.6 km and 2 hours 15, with 190 metres of ascent, rated easy.

Can you drive to Galenzana?

No — there is no road. You get there only on foot from Marina di Campo or by sea. That is exactly why there is still room in August.

Which cove is easiest with teenagers?

Galenzana, because the path is short and presents no difficulty. Fonza is reachable by car but the dirt road is long and rutted; Cala dell'Ischia is tiny and steep to reach. Do note that we welcome guests aged 12 and over in our homes.

Are there bars or sunbed hire?

At none of the four. They are free beaches with no services, inside the Tuscan Archipelago National Park. The nearest bar is on Marina di Campo beach.

How do you get to Fonza?

By car from Marina di Campo towards Lacona on the main road; at the Elba Aquarium take the dirt track signposted 'Fonza' for about 2.5 km. The road is scenic but rutted: go slowly, and ideally not in a low car.

Can you get there by pedalo?

To Cala dell'Ischia yes, and it is the loveliest way: hire one on Marina di Campo beach and follow the coast east. Always judge the sea before setting off, and stay close to shore.

Read alongside

Sleep ten minutes from all four

Our three homes are in Marina di Campo: the path to Galenzana starts in the village, and the track to Fonza is a few minutes away by car.

See the homes