Saint Lawrence night on Elba Island: a day in Portoferraio

The night of the falling stars. Among the most fascinating of the year: the sky dotted with white lights, the breeze of the sea… Is that how you imagine to spend the Saint Lawrence night 2017? In this case, your destination is Portoferraio, on Elba Island.

Here’s why. And how to spend the day.

Waiting for the falling stars

Before the spectacle of falling stars, you have a day to discover the many attractions of the main town of Elba Island. In particular, in Portoferraio in one day you can see:

• The old town centre. Walking along its alleys will be like strolling in an atmosphere where time seems to have stopped, accompanied by the scents of the sea.
• The home of Napoleon. It is the villa dei Mulini, the home of the First French emperor in Portoferraio during his exile.
• Medici fortresses. Built from 1548 AD by Cosimo de’ Medici, they are an imposing system of fortifications that represented the main defence of the city.

To see these places, you’ll walk a lot. After, you’ll surely be hungry. In the old town centre of Portoferraio, there are several cosy restaurants where you can taste the typical dishes of Elba Island, such as stoccafisso alla riese, gurguglione and cacciucco.

And here you might object: why there isn’t a beach among the things to see? For this, you have to wait until the evening.

The Saint Lawrence night

The spiaggia delle Ghiaie is one of the most beautiful beaches on the island. It is about 170 meters long, with white sand and blue sea, located near the centre of Portoferraio and, indeed, it is easy to reach on foot. Among the other things, according to a legend, the Argonauts landed here.

And it is here that, when the sun is set and the falling stars will begin to cross the sky, vacationers will meet for a plunge in the sea.

Image source: Flickr.com/photos/haplm