The Tuscan Coast is dotted by lots of incredible surprises and little gems, among them being the vibrant seaside city of Viareggio in the Province of Livorno and its epic Carnival celebrations and the famous Elba Island, to which Napoleon was notoriously exiled. Not far from Elba is another, lesser-known delight, the island of Pianosa. One of the smallest islands in the Tuscan Archipelago, it is an almost entirely uninhabited beauty located in the glimmering Tyrrhenian Sea and is a must-see for those who have found a vacation rental on the Tuscan Coast and are interested in exploring the most interesting and lovely hidden corners of the area.
So incredibly flat that it is barely visible, and often described merely as looking like a darker blue line in the sea, Pianosa was first inhabited in the late Stone Age and then was a Roman settlement before Pisa and Genoa began to fight over the land in the 12th and 13th centuries. Variously inhabited by pirates, fishing colonies, and military officers, the island became a maximum security prison in 1868 and remained home to prisoners, with many particularly dangerous Mafia criminals among them, until 1998. Upon the closure of the prison, almost everyone left with just a few people remaining on the island today.
So incredibly flat that it is barely visible, and often described merely as looking like a darker blue line in the sea, Pianosa was first inhabited in the late Stone Age and then was a Roman settlement before Pisa and Genoa began to fight over the land in the 12th and 13th centuries. Variously inhabited by pirates, fishing colonies, and military officers, the island became a maximum security prison in 1868 and remained home to prisoners, with many particularly dangerous Mafia criminals among them, until 1998. Upon the closure of the prison, almost everyone left with just a few people remaining on the island today.
This lack of human presence has meant that the great natural beauty of the island has gone largely untouched and it is a typical Mediterranean gem with areas of lush greenery, interesting flora, and a small range of fauna. It is the sea bed that truly shines and the area around Pianosa is among the richest and least polluted of the Mediterranean with salemas, snappers, mullets, breams, lobsters, giant crabs, some dolphins, turtles, and seals that can potentially be seen. It is, therefore a great place to go scuba diving but, due to the same protections, this can only be done through diving schools authorised by the Park Authority of the The National Park of the Tuscan Archipelago.
It is also possible to visit and take guided tours of the island but only limited numbers of visitors are allowed (400 per day) and must arrange their visits through approved companies; you cannot simply rent a boat and sail up to the island yourself or arrange a visit some other way. In summer, there is at least one day-trip boat daily from the ports of Portoferraio, Rio Marina, Marina del Campo, and Marciana Marina on Elba Island. Throughout the year, Toremar operates a ferry on Tuesdays between Piombino and Pianosa, stopping at Rio Marina and Elba, along the way.
It is also possible to visit and take guided tours of the island but only limited numbers of visitors are allowed (400 per day) and must arrange their visits through approved companies; you cannot simply rent a boat and sail up to the island yourself or arrange a visit some other way. In summer, there is at least one day-trip boat daily from the ports of Portoferraio, Rio Marina, Marina del Campo, and Marciana Marina on Elba Island. Throughout the year, Toremar operates a ferry on Tuesdays between Piombino and Pianosa, stopping at Rio Marina and Elba, along the way.
Some of these tour operators also offer private full-day boat excursions to Pianosa from around €40, bundled with walking, mountain biking, snorkelling tours, and more. Simply wandering around the island (well, around the areas in which you are allowed wander) is a fascinating experience as it is a ghost island and basically uninhabited. It is also interesting to go on a visit to the nearby Roman ruins or to explore the museum of the prison that used to exist on the island. Furthermore, you can grab food in the restaurant on the island and admire the views over the strange and eerily beautiful place and take in how unique it all is.
So, if you’re looking to experience a hauntingly beautiful ghost island, utterly devoid of large crowds, far from the regular experience of mass tourism, steeped in untouched and striking natural beauty, and well off the beaten tourist path of most people who come to this popular region of Italy, then plan a visit to this incredible gem while you explore this special part of Tuscany.
So, if you’re looking to experience a hauntingly beautiful ghost island, utterly devoid of large crowds, far from the regular experience of mass tourism, steeped in untouched and striking natural beauty, and well off the beaten tourist path of most people who come to this popular region of Italy, then plan a visit to this incredible gem while you explore this special part of Tuscany.
Photo credits:
Picture : Roberto Miliani / CC BY 2.0;
Picture : Roberto Miliani / CC BY 2.0;
