Home / For international owners / Cruising
Chartering in the Tuscan Archipelago: national park and no-go zones around Elba and Giglio
Short answer
Elba, Giglio, Capraia and the other islands of the Tuscan Archipelago lie in a national park.
Strict no-go zones surround Montecristo, Pianosa and Gorgona,
and around the rest zones govern anchoring and fishing.
Chartering in the Tuscan Archipelago usually starts on the coast at Piombino or Punta Ala, or on Elba itself. The seven main islands, Elba, Giglio, Capraia, Giannutri, Pianosa, Montecristo and Gorgona, belong to the Tuscan Archipelago National Park, which also takes in parts of the sea. It is a varied and accessible cruising ground, but not every island is open to a charter yacht. Montecristo, Pianosa and Gorgona are surrounded by no-go zones that you may only enter with a permit, or not at all.
Around the other islands the park is divided into zones. In the strictest ones anchoring, fishing and in places even navigation are banned; in the rest they are allowed but regulated. Giglio and Capraia have paid buoy fields in summer. Many bays have Posidonia seagrass meadows, and in protected areas you are expected not to anchor on them. The wind needs watching too: in the Piombino channel between Elba and the mainland it can pick up hard, and in a libeccio from the south west some anchorages become rolly.
At handover ask the base to show you the park zones and buoy fields, and which islands are off limits for your yacht. Before each leg check the orders of the harbour authority, the Capitaneria di porto, and the forecast. Drop the hook on sand rather than seagrass, and book buoys or berths in high summer where you can. Damage the yacht does to buoys, pontoons or other boats falls on you as skipper, so make sure your own skipper liability insurance applies in Italy.
Worth remembering
Zones and buoys planned
bay allowed, seagrass spared, quiet night
Montecristo on a whim
no-go zone, patrol boat, fine
In the Tuscan Archipelago the zones come first, the route second.
Questions
What owners ask us about this
Can I sail a charter yacht to Montecristo?
Not without more ado. Montecristo is strictly protected, and navigating near it or landing needs a permit. For charter yachts the island is generally off limits.
Where can I anchor in the Tuscan Archipelago?
In many bays on Elba, Giglio and Capraia, outside the strict park zones and ideally on sand rather than seagrass. Some bays have paid buoy fields in summer.
Is my RYA or ICC certificate enough in Tuscany?
That is for the charter base to decide. Many accept the ICC and common sea qualifications; an inland only certificate is not enough at sea. Get the answer in writing before you book.
Related
Not sure whether you qualify?
Whether it is “Chartering in the Tuscan Archipelago: national park and no-go zones around Elba and Giglio” or another question: send us your residence and the flag your boat flies. You will get a straight answer in one email; including a no, if that is the answer.
Was this useful?
