Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
DON'T MISS
HAGGLING FOR FISH
Hanging out with locals, waiting for the fishing boats to come in, is a quintessential Portoferraio pas-
time. The crowd starts to form on the quay around 9.30am and by the time the first boats dock at 10am
there is quite a line-up of punters waiting to exchange hand-crumpled bank notes for the catch of the
day.
The larger industrial fishing boats with crews of 10 or so dock midway between the ferry terminal
and the old-town harbour on Banchina d'Alto Fondale (the quayside across the busy road from
Piazza del Popolo). Occasionally they'll catch a huge tuna - which draws a real crowd, not to mention
the fishing port authorities and all sorts - but in the main its wooden crates of sardines, mackerel and
anchovies the crew sell from the side of their boat (€5 for a plastic-bag full).
Smaller boats with just one or two fishermen at most moor alongside Calata Giacomo Matteotti at
the old harbour each morning any time from 8am onwards. And these are the guys who get the real
catch - octopus, lobster, eel and swordfish on good days.
If haggling for fish is simply not your cup of tea, there's always harbourside fishmonger Pescheria
del Porto (Calata Matteotti 10;
8am-12.30pm Mon-Sat).
Information
Tourist office ( 05 6591 4671; www.isoleditoscana.it ; Viale Elba 4; 9am-7pm Mon-Sat, 10am-1pm
& 3-6pm Sun summer, 9am-5pm Mon-Thu, to 1pm Fri winter) Helpful staff here have a particularly
abundant supply of information on walking and biking paths on the island. Find the office
near the ferry port, around the corner from waterfront Calata Italia 33.
Getting There & Away
Year-round regular car and foot passenger ferries sail at least hourly from the Stazione
Marittima (ferry port) in Piombino to Portoferraio. Unless it is a summer weekend or
August, there is no need to buy a ticket in advance online. Simply buy a ticket from one of
the ticket booths at the port. Fares (one-way around €10/50 per person/car and driver)
vary according to the season. Sailing time is one hour. Companies include Blunavy
( www.blunavytraghetti.com ) , Moby ( www.mobylines.com ) and Toremar ( www.toremar.it ) .
Procchio
This small bustling beach town, 10km west of Portoferraio, has one of Elba's longest
stretches of golden sand and the island's best gelato and Sicilian granita at cafe-gelateria
Scalo 70 (Via del Mare 10; cones €2.20-4.50) . Try the rice gelato or nut, fig and caramel. It's also
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