Crocetta Beach

Crocetta is a small, wild cove on the north coast of Elba, about 600 metres east of Marciana Marina along the road to Procchio. The beach is made of medium and large white pebbles, framed by cliffs of two different colours: dark, ancient rock to the east and pale granite to the west. The water shades from green to deep blue.

Getting there

Leave the car along the provincial road between Marciana Marina and Procchio, near the bend where the guardrail ends; the start of the path is signposted next to a green gate. The trail crosses thick scrub of holm oak and mastic and ends with a long flight of steps cut into the rock: access is not the easiest, so wear proper shoes. The area can also be reached by regular bus.

Which wind to go with

Facing north, the cove is sheltered from the sirocco and the libeccio (south-west wind), when the sea is calm; with northerly winds, on the other hand, the waves roll straight in.

Facilities and tips

There are no facilities at all: bring water, food and a sunshade. The large pebbles make reef shoes useful. The clear water along the rocks is good for snorkelling. Locally the cove is also called 'delle Anime' or 'del Purgatorio', after the small chapel to the Souls in Purgatory on the road above; according to the local Pro Loco, the name Crocetta recalls a little church on the old path that linked the village to Portoferraio.