Elba: Calamita gravel, mines and wine

A scenic bike ride on the roads that once led to mines and vineyards and are now part of the Capoliveri Bike Park's bike trails.

The departure is from the town of Capoliveri, one of the most characteristic hill towns on the island of Elba which, with its characteristic alleys “i chiassi,” offers photographic glimpses suspended between sea and hill.

From Piazza del Cavatore, take the flat Via Luperini that gradually leads out of the town. The road winds scenically halfway up mount Calamita, with panoramic views of the seaside hamlets of Morcone, Pareti and Innamorata, with the beaches of the same name and with the sea of the Stella gulf and the view of the islands of Pianosa and Montecristo in the background. After about 5 kilometers, having crossed the Salcio ditch, you enter the area rich in iron ore that until 1981 saw the mining activity of the Calamita Mines.

Here you can find the “Museo della vecchia officina” (Museum of the old workshop), the visitor center of the museum system that allows visitors to discover the mining sites on the Capoliverese side.

During the period when the museum is open, from June to September, refreshments and services can be found here, and there is also an e-bike charging station on the museum forecourt, with equipment for mechanical maintenance and tire inflation.

Continuing on the Calamita dirt road after the museum, a series of climbs and descents of little gradient begins, crossing the old mining sites present above and below the road. In sequence, the panoramic views of the route open up to the beaches of Cannello, Vetrangoli and Remaiolo, with the last slightly uphill stretch that takes you to the Ripalte vineyards and the winery of the same name. From here it is possible to retrace the route backwards so as not to increase the elevation gain, or to continue with the loop-shaped itinerary by tackling the drop that leads to the intersection of “Poggio di Fino”.

The forest road on the east side flanks the high valleys of Mount Calamita, with a succession of glimpses of the Tuscan coast, the east coast of Elba and views of the town of Porto Azzurro, until it meets the descent that from “Poggio del Pozzo” quickly leads back to the starting point, finishing the 360-degree tour of the Capoliverese promontory.