With two full riding days available on Elba Island, we had two routes mapped. One covering the western section, the other the eastern section.

Today we tackled the western section totalling 77 km, 1291 m climbing.

This ride is possibly our favourite ride ever…possibly….there is a fair bit of competition, but it is certainly right up there.

What made this ride rate so highly? Was it easy? No way, it is a tough sporting ride, with punchy ups and downs and a couple of tough climbs.

The temperature was hot, for us, around 30c and quite humid. We melted.

This ride is amazingly beautiful and challenging gaining heights that provided extraordinary vistas, the most incredible blue azure seas, views over the distant Corsica (France) and old villages.

The vegetation was typical Tuscan scrub, with patches of green in gullies, otherwise quite dry. Very rocky outcrops.

We rode in an anti clockwise direction, meaning the sea views were closest to us (remembering Italians drive on the right hand side of the road).

We started by heading back towards Portoferraio on a road we are not particularly fond of as it is busy, but there was this nice vista looking towards the eastern section we will head to tomorrow.

Elba has over 80 beaches and it is not possible to check them all out. Many are down very steep roads, people parking up higher and walking down. I think a small boat would be wonderful for such a reconnaissance.

We did ride into Procchio though. It was only about 9 am there were few beach goers with the temperature already being in the high 20’s.

On we continued, up and down and around the coast.

There were 13 registered climbs per our Hammerhead bike computer. We were now at the point of one of the longer ones. The tallest climb below. It was 5.7 km in length with some steep pinches over 10%, but doable despite the over bearing heat.

There is another shorter climb after Poggio to take you to a higher village, Marciana.

Some of the views.

We then rounded the cape to ride along the north west section of the island, heading south along the western section.

The land was increasingly barren and windy, with distant views to the island of Corsica (France).

An area we liked was Fetovaia, regarded as one of Elba’s most exotic beaches, sheltered from most winds.

On the home run now along the southern coast, numerous more beaches, and one nasty 3.5 km climb that we found tougher than the longer, earlier one.

This climb had multiple sections well known excess of 10% for extended periods. I was regretting not having found an early lunch.

With our home beach of Lido in the far distance the remaining challenges were two small hill climbs, one of which was on gravel.

We were very satisfied with this ride as tough as it was. Truly a sporting loop for self powered road cyclists.

A chill for e-bikes many who were dressed for a picnic, no helmets, and the rent a mopeds, wearing no shoes, hair flowing.

An interesting note on helmet use with bikes. I think 100% of road cyclists ( Lycra clad wearers) used helmets. E-bikes, some did, some had strapped to,the front of their bike ( super useful if they crash…not) or had no helmet.

In Australia they are compulsory and I am all for them as my fractured stapes and subsequent conductive hearing loss and epilepsy both believed to be from a head knock I had with a fall on a busy road when I was 20 from a bike, pre helmet days (per my neurologist and ENT).

We demolished the food in our fridge on our return, had a shower and a nanna nap! Later we made it to the beach for an earlier dinner.

I highly recommend Elba Island to anyone wanting to visit Italy!