A narrow, winding road leads down to the sea. The few houses are totally immersed in a luxuriant, uncontaminated environment. Don't be surprised to see how the chestnut trees grow so close to the sea at Cape St. Andrea, almost as if to accentuate a happy marriage with the mountains. At the end of the road, a small dock lined with the local fishermen's rowboats juts out from a beach covered in fine sand. An enchanting scene appears before your eyes: the water is so clear that you can see the bottom of the sea even in its deepest points. At the sides of this marvellous beach, a narrow path carved into the cliffs leads you to the discovery of strange rock formations, unique to this world. They are not ordinary cliffs, but dunes of orthoclase crystals encased in solidified granite magma, seven million years old. An ideal place to sunbathe in a lunar atmosphere. There are a lot of things to say about Cape St. Andrea. It was not by chance that the Etruscans chose her long ago for her geographic structure and for those granite cliffs which guard the small bay so well from westerly winds. These famous ancestors of ours came to Cape St. Andrea for the fertility of her soil and the abundance of her waters used to work the iron ore they brought here. In fact, the iron was extracted in the eastern region of the island, but it was much more convenient for them to bring it where there was an abundance of wood. Then covered in woods, Cape St. Andrea offered a dependable, rich source of fuel used to fire the furnaces. Evidence of this trade can still be found while wandering through the sandy soil of vineyards and brush off the beaten tourist path. In fact in this area of the Island of Elba, we can make out hundreds of square metres created by mounds of dross deposit; that is, foam of cooled iron left after reaching the melting temperature in the furnaces fuelled by ancient oak trees.
Later on, the Romans crossed our seas busy with the heavy commercial traffic of those times. In fact, two Roman shipwrecks can be found at Cape St. Andrea: the first just off the point at a depth of about 10 metres, the second at about 45 metres. The crystal clear waters still harbour amphorae, some of which can be admired in the small but most interesting archaeological museum at Marciana. Besides enjoying the sea and the two beaches of Cape St. Andrea and Cotoncello, those who love to walk can take on an unusual adventure. Go to the seaside in the most beautiful spot on the island and, instead of remaining on the marvellous cliffs surrounded by crystal-clear waters, discover the singular fascination of the mountains between one dive and another! A world which characterises mainly the west side of Elba, overlooking Cape St. Andrea like a natural balcony onto the sea. Ancient paths are today easily followed thanks to the maintenance and markings of the Italian Alpine Club, the forestry department and the regional Comunità Montana. One can rediscover remains of ancient civilisations and at the same time enjoy the extremely varied natural environment typical of the Mediterranean belt. This environment, which extends its roots deep into the Tyrrhenian Sea, rises 800 metres to the top of Mount Jove. Those who take on the adventure will find a combination of wildlife so varied that they will be pleasantly and unforgettably surprised. In any season, it will be a unique day lived between sea and sky. This truly unique experience will accompany you as a sweet memory during those grey days of routine life; fortunately it is not difficult to be tempted to getting away and repeating your holiday in any season.
The geographic position of Cape St. Andrea, the mountain-like characteristics, and climate are unique, creating a sort of "island within an island" of the entire area. She is like a treasure chest full of precious gems, difficult to describe with words. Hiking also means gradually discovering cyclamen, violets, blooming heather, anemones, broom (even get pricked along the yellow carpet of the dwarf broom), breathe in symbiosis with lavender and Italian helichrysum, with rosemary and mint. Suddenly notice the fluttering flight of a red grouse or admire the hovering of a bird of prey; surprise a flock of mountain goats grazing. Or run across an old abandoned shepherd's hut or the remains of prehistoric settlements. Perhaps the best advice is to try it yourselves, to share a real holiday with the environment, a real holiday where life and harmony with Nature have true meaning.