Mountain bike tours in Tuscany are a unique experience, a huge part of what makes them special is the variety on any given day. From the rocky, tight and twisty singletrack on the coast to the flow found deeper inland as you gain elevation, the terrain you'll encounter certainly keeps you on your toes. If what you'll ride in areas such as Piombino, Punta Ala, Massa Marritimma or Campiglia Marittima on the mainland is not enough, well then it's time to jump on a boat and head to Island of Elba for even more excitement.
The closest point of Elba Island sits 10km off the coast of Tuscany, with Portoferraio, the main port, a 40-minute journey by boat. This is a busy route with many crossings scheduled throughout the day. Take all forms of transport, including your bike. Costing €30 - €50 for a return trip it's ideal for a day trip away to experience some completely different riding.
TRAILS WITH A VIEW ON ELBA ISLAND
The Ferry
Think of your typical ferry that you would use to cross the English Channel, it's a decent sized boat that can take afew hundred passengers and 50 or so cars. There is a cafe (the espresso is still good!) a small play zone for kids on many of them, some arcade games and plenty of indoor seating.
The action is outside, with large seated areas on the deck and plenty of raised view points to take in the action as you sail across the Tyrrhenian Sea (part of the Med), maybe catching the odd dolphin as you see the hillsides and typical Tuscan architecture of Elba rolling past you as you sail into port. On a sunny day this is an awesome view point, coffee in hand, ready for an awesome day.
THE FERRY IN AND OUT
The Riding
Mountain bike trails are found across the whole island of Elba, from the peak of Monte Capanne at just over 1000m to the beach, there are some amazing trails to ride with breathtaking views, never being too far from the sea you'll be sure to pick up those picture postcard moments on nearly every trail.
You'll need an uplift, the island is large and the hills are quite steep. There are some companies providing the service, and Elba Island is part of every tour we run in Tuscany, weather pending.
THE TRAILS ARE DIVERSE AND ACTION PACKED
Bike Land Ovest
The riding here is the most like a bike park, with berms, jumps and wooden features. There is some great flow to be found here. If you are looking for structure to the trails this is place to come. There some natural features, by and large this is a riding zone setup specifically for riding so if you are looking for a bit more of an adventure you would head to the centre and North East of the island.
Central
There are some really cool, tight, natural and raw trails in here, some stunning views and very rocky singletrack. Trails such as Barbatoja DH are full of tight, twisty turns, janky white rock, flowing turns with coastal views. While you do have to climb and hike to the trails here it's worth the effort.
FROM MOUNTAIN TO SEA
Capoliveri Bike Park
Found on the South Eastern point of the island, the largest concentration of trails can be found here around Monte Le Torricella. The trails here are best attacked on an E-Bike, due to them being interconnected and designed to keep elevation. Natural and progressive, there is quite a bit of variation here from easy to highly technical.
North East
Where you will find some of the most famous trails on Elba, such as the incredible Boca di Banditos, an incredible trail that has everything a mountain biker could ask for, hiking, adventure, views, that ridgeline singletrack vibe, rocks loose dirt, fast sections, slow and technical, and big sweeping natural gullies. A must ride if you are taking the trip here.
Stunning Elba Island
Food and Beaches
Elba is an island structured around tourism. Like anywhere in Italy you will not struggle to find something good to eat, a strong espresso, a cold beer and somewhere stunning to enjoy it. Italians do the simple things well. It's better to steer away from the main ports of course, these can be quite industrial and not what you're here to see, you do not have to travel far to find the real Tuscany.
We would definitely advise having a guide here, as the roads and distances can be confusing and with your day restricted to the times of the ferry crossings it's great to have that peace of mind that someone knows what they are doing!
Ride Elba on both our Tuscany Enduro and E-Bike Tours, running throughout Spring and Autumn.
Book Now for 4 or 7 night trips, any questions please drop us a line.
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