The city remains a long invisible, hidden behind the rock overlooking the sea. Then appears the octagonal tower of the Linguella and, surrounded the tower and finally gaze sweeps over the vast natural harbor,over the pastel-colored houses that combine the ancient walls, still leaving a glimpse into a piece of wall or a balcony with arches, the path of the sentries guarding the port.

The birth of the port is linked to the heroic deeds of the Greek myths, history and legend intertwine to tell the coming of the Argonauts, that by the search for the golden fleece,found a safe place to stop on an island called Aethalia, the soot one, because of fires lit constantly for melting iron.Jason gave him the name of Argon,the same name of his shipand from that moment the port over the centuries became the shelter of Etruscan ships, Roman ships, ships of the Maritime Republic of Pisa and of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, French and English ships.

From this place they left three hundred young people of Elba Island to unite with Priam in the Trojan War; this was one of the sites used for the construction of splendid villas of wealthy Roman senators,during the period of peace guaranteed by the "Pax Romana".In thisharbour Napoleon Bonaparte set foot for the first time exiled to Elba, but accepted as a ruler by the people.

This port is a gem, a port of refuge, and every sailor who reaches it, ancient or modern, especially when out the sea is raging and the Mistral blows, inflating the sails up totear them, you feel safe and at home.

Today the harbour of Portoferraio is animated by the passage of modern boats of all sizes, by the many ferries that connect the island to the mainland to the large cruise ships, from recreational boats that choose it as their holiday destination for small sailing school boats, and it's no coincidence that they chose as the basis just that stretch of sea.

It is not uncommon that some of the whale will make its appearance: schools of bottlenose dolphins and even whales, which move from France to Sardinia in the Cetacean Sanctuary.

For those who arrive for the firsttime in Portoferraio may be only for a few hours and without a car in tow, it is difficult to imagine that only a few steps from the commercial port there is a city full of charm and treasures to discover. Even more difficult is to believe that one of the most beautiful beaches on the island is at the end of the cross a busy street as Via Carducci.

Yet, just follow Via Manzoni to the beach gravel and realize that the clear reflection of the water lies a sea that has nothing to envy to the Caribbean.

The white coast sinks into the incredibly clear water, creating a games of light and shadow in shades of green and blue. The dark spots that dot the white pebbles on the beach,smooth and rounded in by the waves, are the traces left by the sweat of the Argonauts, that during the search for the golden fleece, landed on the island. So the legend goes, thus makes its entrance in Greek mythology Portoferraio and its port, Argon, named after the ship of Jason.

Overlooking the beach stands the unmistakable island Scoglietto (little rock), topped by a lighthouse: in the stretch of sea between the Scoglietto, the Ghiaie beach and Capo Bianco since 1971 existes an area of wildlife protection, created to preserve the marine fauna and flora. His presence has allowed fishes, molluscs and other invertebrates reproduce undisturbed and create a unique environment, a real "Mediterranean outdoor aquarium", as is defined in the Blue Guide of Legambiente. The clear water, friendship and curiosity that manifests the fishes to the people, colored walls of corals and sponges have made this area a popular place for divers and snorkelers. Bream, damselfish and looks calmly are swimming among the sea grass, sprouting from worms and rare castanets, the largest bivalve molluscs; in the crevices of the rock hiding moray eels, octopus, lobster and crayfish and on the ground a mix with large groupers snappers and barracuda.

Botany lovers a visit to the walls on either side of the beach offers a glimpse of the flora of the rocky coast, plants which can survive in a crack, the scarcity of ground and the high concentration of salt: the static with it's lilac flowers, in its endemic form of the island, a protected plant; sea fennel, with it's greenish flowers; the birdsfoot of the the cliffs with it's yellow flowers and hairy leaves.

Behind the beach a little well-kept garden full of secular trees offers a shady corner.

(Testo di Ornella Casnati)
Free translation by AriK