We are inviting you for a ride on Elba island once again. In the first part of article from this small Italian island you could read about the riding in Elba Trail Area in the eastern part. Now together with my guide from Elba MTB Experience, I am taking you to the West and Central parts of the island. I will show You possibilites of riding at Bike Land Elba Ovest trails, a trip along the Il Semaforo trail and to the Lacona and Portoferraio regions.
As I mentioned in the first article, when visiting Elba, I fully trusted my local guide from Elba MTB Experience with plans for riding. The first few days he showed me around the routes of the Elba Trail Area, located in the eastern part of the island. However, to show me the full potential of riding at Elba, Alessio said from the beginning that he would also take me to other parts of island. The trails of Bike Land Elba Ovest or the Portoferraio region are not very far away from Cavo where we stayed, but with those twisted mountain roads, getting to them takes some time. Elba MTB Experience has a shuttle bus that comfortably accommodates bikers and their equipment. Due to the fact that we rode just in 2 persons, we mainly commuted by car to some place and then we did loops together on e-bikes. With larger groups, there is of course also the option of shuttle bus asisted trips.
Il Semaforo – Enduro trip
Il Semaforo is one of my guide Alessio, favorite routes on whole Elba island. This is not a one short trail, but a whole trip that even on e-bikes takes quite a few hours. We started the ride in Marciana. From there, mostly by GTE trail, we traversed the area around the top of Monte Giove and ride close to peak of Il Troppolo mountain. From there we had, an almost 5-kilometre downhill ride to the seaside to Chiessi village. During the whole trip we were accompanied by amazing views of the beautiful and wild western part of the island and of course the sea. The whole ride is a real treat for lovers of enduro in more natural style. The descent has both faster and more technical parts. There are a lot of rocks to overcome along and this is definitely a variant intended for experienced MTB riders. However, 99% of the Il Semaforo trail is fully passable and only in one place we had to walk around a fragment that was too washed out. Beautiful views ,the sanctuary of Madonna del Monte and ruins of Semaforo that we passed on the way added a great exploring vibe to this trip. I definitely recommend the Il Semaforo ride and I’m not surprised that Alessio likes it so much. For lovers of trails with a natural feel, it is an absolute “must do” on Elba.
Bike Land Elba Ovest
Bike Land Elba Ovest is a bike region that includes trails located in the southwest part of the Elba island. Several routes are located in the forest above the village of San Piero Di Campo, but some variants also go through open terrain dotted with giant rock slabs and reach the coast. I have visited this trails twice. First, after the Il Semaforo trip, due to fatigue and a fairly low battery level, Alessio offered me an e-bike shuttle variant and directed me which trails would be the most interesting to go down. After first ride I liked the trails and the area here so much that I came back here again another day for another e-bike loops. The Elba Ovest region consists of many short downhill trails that can be freely combined into few long and interesting enduro lines. Those trails are definitely worth a visit when on the island.
Elba Ovest – Masso alla Guata
At first ride, Alessio recommended me to go for the variant marked in the terrain as Masso alla Guata. The descent starts right next to a beautiful viewpoint located on a large rock. From there, using a combination of trails Cielo Alto, Fosso di Malocci, 135, Le Colonne Romane and Colonna Pisana, I went down to Seccheto and I must say that this variant is a masterpiece. A long and interesting descent leads over amazing giant boulders and offers spectacular views of the entire area. At times it is demanding and steep, but the rocks provide good grip and lots of fun. It was the first time I had the opportunity to ride on such terrain and I really liked the rides on huge rocks and slabs. In total, this trail is about 5.5 km of varied descent and over 700 meters of elevation to cover.
Elba Ovest – Zucca, Black Forest, Tozzicarletto and other trails in forest
The Bike Land Elba Ovest zone can be divided into 2 parts. The first one, located closer to the asphalt uphill, is a forest with many built up trails in character of typical trail centers. Pleasant winding paths have a lot of profiled turns, there are also small jumps and drops. It’s not a bikepark, but a nice mix of small built up features with natural flow. Some variants allow you to go really fast and get some air time, others lead on steep slopes, between rocks and are more technical. The trails here are mostly pretty smooth and flowy. Although this time I was riding without a guide in front of me and in on-sight mode, I had a lot of fun on them right away. This forest part is an great option to warm up and catch the right flow.
Elba Ovest – Case Vecchie, Sassi Ritti, Capre and other trails on open ground
The second part is the one located in the open ground, overgrown with lower vegetation and full of huge boulders. Here, the trails heve more natural character. You can see less made up features here, but the strength of this part are very interesting paths and terrain. The large rocks are such interesting obstacles in themselves. They look a little scary at first, but they offer great grip and fun. Sometimes on the way you have to watch out for washed out ditches, but all trails are completely passable and offer good fun.
Bike Land Elba Ovest – Summary
The whole area of Bike Land Elba Ovest made a great impression on me. A lot of well thought-out variants and a good mix of prepared routes with natural ones guarantee a lot of fun on a bike. A good starting point for Elba Ovest trails is San Piero in Campo. The asphalt driveway, even on an e-bike, is quite hard, but being at the top, you can divide the ride down into shorter variants and use traversing technical roads for less demanding climbs. You can also enjoy amazing and long descents such as the Masso Alla Guata variant. There is also an option to organize a shuttle bus for example with Elba MTB Experience. If I ever return to Elba, these will be the trails that I want to spend more time on.
Portoferraio and Lacona bike region
One of the trips on Elba island was a tour of its central part. The Elba MTB Experience bus took us to the vicinity of Lacona city, from where on e-bikes we made a short loop around the nearby peninsula and then a larger one towards Portoferraio.
Cornicione and Laconella DH
For a good start, we rode bikes to the top of Monte Tambone. From there we headed south along the Cornicione route. Supposedly there are phenomenal views from here. Unfortunately, not that day, because the clouds hung quite low and only in the lower part of the trail we did have some views of the surrounding bays. The Cornicione route is an interesting trail that first offers a nice and flowy descent, and in the second part it traverses the slope and also has several technical climbs. The track is perfect for e-bikes and there was a big e-enduro competition here shortly before my visit. Several sections of the trail have been changed for this event. Among others, instead of going straight down the stone path, there was a twisted line in the upper part of the trail. After Cornicione we set off on the Laconella DH trail. Due to the fact that there was still a long trip ahead of us, we only went down its lower part. There are no climbs here, but there is speed, a lot of rocks and technical elements, a lot of fun in general.
Colle Peccorino, 251, Viticcio and Brunello
After such a strong warm-up, we headed north. First, we climbed the asphalt road to the pass, from where we took the Strada di colle Reciso access road to the Colle Peccorino trail. Gently descending, the single trail allowed to ride fast. There is definitely more soil and less rocks in the forest in the central part of the island, so the riding is faster and more flowy than closer to the coast. I was a nice path, which meandered among the trees with few more technical elements. Then we had a short climb to the next route. Trail 251 combined with the Vitoccio descent is another pleasant and smooth singletrail winding through the forest. There are no very difficult elements here, but the closer to the coast the more rocks appear. A bit more technical was the next descent of Brunello, which led us from the Le Cime peak towards Portoferraio. There we went to a great burger place called La Tana del Falco, for a lunch break.
Villa Napoleone and Serra del Pero
After a short lunch break we had to get back to the south side of the island. As an uphill we used the trail marked Villa Napoleone, which starts right next to the museum dedicated to the former French emperor. We climb a gentle single track to the ridge in the central part and from there the last descent of the day “Serra del Pero” awaits us. It is a black downhill trail, although at times there are short flat parts and uphills. Initially, a gentle forest single track turns quite quickly into a very rocky descent. Naturally carved berms plus rocks of various sizes provide a pretty demanding but fun ride. One of the segments goes straight over the one giant rock slab. There, the 140 mm travel suspension of my Rift Zone E1 was a bit too little, but still I managed to have fun with it as well. With this strong accent we got back to the vicinity of Lacona and to our car. At the end, Alessio took me to the very nice Acquarilli Bar for a cold beer.
Portoferraio and Lacona – Summary
To sum up, it was a really nice e-bike trip that showed me this part of the island. There are many more interesting trails here, but still we did over 50 km of distance and over 1,500 meters of elevation gain that day. On e-bikes it was a great ride, on bikes without electric boost it is also easy to do with the help of a shuttle bus transfers. This part of the island showed a different character of the trails than in the Elba Trail Area or Elba Ovest. The paths in the woods along the main ridge, especially those towards Portoferraio, are definitely faster and smoother. Even when you see them for the first time, you can already ride fast and enjoy them. On the other hand, variants such as Laconella DH and Serra del Pero, led over lot of rocks, can also be more demanding and technical. Tours like this are a great way to show the diversity of trails on the island. In addition, tourist sites such as Napoleon’s villa, the nice seaside town of Viticcio, a burger in a great place full of locals and a cold beer in a bar with an amazing view are a recipe for a great day on a bike.
Enduro on Elba – My thoughts
To sum up all the trips that we did together with my guide Alessio from Elba MTB Experience, there is a lot to do here and there is definitely no place for boredom. It is amazing that Elba is not a large island, but it presents such a diversity of terrains and riding. Each of the zones is a totally different ground and character. The forests have the smoothest and fastest paths. The open spaces are dominated by those with a natural character. My favorite 2 zones that I think you should visit while on the island are Elba Trail Area in the east and Elba Ovest in the west. The island is so mountainous that you can collect a good dose of elevation gains and descents here. Just remember that, as in all of Italy, the vast majority of trails are shared with hiking trails. However, keeping the respect and common sense during riding does not interfere with anything. Elba is not a place for lovers of bike park flow trails, but those who love enduro riding with a more natural feel will have a great time here and a ton of options to ride. I personally liked it very much and would love to go back there in future.
Enduro on Elba – Summary
I spent a wonderful time at Elba island. I ride more and harder than I expected. In addition, every day in the afternoon there was still time to relax in beautiful natural surroundings, or to see something interesting. The final form of our stay on Elba is largely due to the suggestions of the local guide Alessio, who always advised us where to go, where to eat and what to do with ourselves. Probably the best recommendation for the whole island is the fact that we were supposed to spend a week here, but we extended our stay twice. Finally, we left the island after 10 days of stay and we did it with some kind of sadness and with the thought that it would be nice to come back here someday.
About Elba MTB Experience
Elba MTB Experience is a small project run by a true biking enthusiast – Alessio, who was born and raised on the island. He knows not only every corner of his hometown region of Cavo, but also all the trails from other regions of Elba. He not only ride the trails, but also actively participates in the building and shaping of new variants or in the maintenance of existing tracks. He offers guided e-bike tours, a shuttle bus service, and if necessary, he will also organize bike rental, good accommodation and can arrange a whole plan for exploring Elba. Alessio specializes in enduro tours and can guide you through the most difficult trails on the island.
Oficial website: elbamtbexperience.it
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