Parco Nazionale Arcipelago Toscano

Easy trail

• Trail Conditions: On foot
• Interest: Flora, Panorama, Hystory

• Departure: Loc. San Martino, Portoferraio
• Arrival: Loc. San Martino, Portoferraio
• Duration: 2 hours 40 min
• Difficulty Level: Easy
• Length: 6.3 km
• Difference in height: Uphill 251m

The hike begins and ends in San Martino, by Portoferraio, and leads to the upper valley of the same name, a green amphitheatre dominated by the mountains San Martino, Barbatoia and Pericoli. It starts at the parking lot of the Napoleonic Museum: with the drive on your right, take path No 221. The walk follows the steps of Napoleon Bonaparte who, according to  some historical reconstructions, would walk the first part of this road to reach his summer residence. The paved road bifurcates twice within a few hundred metres: walk straight on both times, past the roads first on your left and then on your right.
Right after the second bifurcation the path leaves the historical road and enters the vegetation, steeply ascending on the left. The evergreen oak wood once covered the entire island, before being largely logged for firewood. In the original wood majestic trees would grow, such as those than can be observed in the central part of the hike, thus creating a dark space where few other trees could grow. After the short uphill stretch at the beginning, path No 221 is mostly flat; a final ascent then leads to the junction with the GTE, to be taken by turning right. There, the path turns wider and historically interesting, as this was a military road built during World War II. Keep on the GTE past a first junction with path No 214. At the next junction with the same path, turn right on path No 248, which runs parallel to a firebreak. At the foot of Mt. Pericoli take path No 245 on the right and walk downhill to the point of departure.