Snorkelling Elba Island: the best coves and what you see

Sea Activities

The island's most underrated water activity

Snorkelling works on Elba for a precise geological reason: most of the beaches along the western coast are made of granite gravel and sand, a pale bed that does not lift and does not cloud the water. The result is a clarity that elsewhere takes a boat to find, and that here is two strokes from the shore. No certification, no instructor, not even strong swimming skills: what you need is a mask that does not leak.

What you see in the first five metres is more than you would expect: Posidonia meadows sheltering seabream and saddled bream, octopus dens between boulders, clouds of damselfish over the shallows and, with luck, a moray peering out of a crack. Coves facing north keep colder, clearer water; those facing south warm up sooner and suit children better.

One habit changes everything: get in the water early, between 8 and 10. The sea is calmer, the light hits the bottom at a lower angle and fish are still active. By midday the same coves are crowded and the bottom is stirred up by swimmers.

Where and when

The coves where the seabed is worth the swim

Not every beach is equal for snorkelling: the best ones have boulders or rocks within twenty metres of shore, because that is where life concentrates. Stretches of plain sand are comfortable to lie on but poor to look at. The western and north-western coast, between Sant'Andrea and Fetovaia, holds the best of it; on the eastern side the seabed is darker because of the iron, but the coves around Capo Calamita have a character of their own.

Sant'Andrea and Cotoncello

Natural pools in white granite: glassy water, rounded boulders, ideal when the swell comes from the south.

Capo Bianco and Sansone

Brilliant white gravel near Portoferraio, pale cliffs falling straight in and postcard clarity.

Cavoli, Fetovaia, Sant'Anna

South-west coast: granite sand, rocky sides full of fish, water already warm in June.

The Elviscot wreck at Pomonte lies between 8 and 12 metres a short distance from shore: on a flat sea it is one of the few Mediterranean wrecks you can watch from the surface while snorkelling.

Frequently asked questions

The questions we get most often

Do I need a wetsuit to snorkel on Elba?

From June to September no, swimwear is enough. In May and from mid-October a 2 mm shorty greatly extends your time in the water, especially if you float and watch rather than swim. North-facing coves stay colder even at the height of summer.

Which coves are best with children?

The southern beaches such as Cavoli, Fetovaia and Sant'Anna: gentle entry, water that warms early, rocky sides a few metres away where the bottom stays shallow. Sant'Andrea is spectacular but the boulders can be slippery.

Can I see Posidonia? Is it dangerous?

Posidonia meadows are everywhere between 3 and 30 metres and are not dangerous at all: it is a protected marine plant and the nursery of coastal wildlife. The washed-up leaves that sometimes cover the beach are a sign of a healthy sea, not of dirt.

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