Coast

Beaches of exotic beauty

Sant’Andrea Beach (Bay of Sant’Andrea)

Sant’Andrea beach is wide and about 150 meters long; a small but fully equipped paradise with restaurants, beach facilities, bars, umbrellas and boat rentals. Great for relaxing and perfect for lovers of diving and snorkelling. The beach also has a quay for landing boats.

TIPS: Rent a kayak directly on the beach and paddle along the coast to the east or west. You’ll discover wonderful secret coves and caves!

Crystal-clear paradises and caskets of granite

Walk along paths suspended over the water

You can’t come to Sant’Andrea without treating yourself to a walk among the wonderful rocks of the Coti Piane, a summer destination for sun lovers and which in spring turns into a beautiful garden full of mesembryanthemum blooms. An enchanting place in which to go in search of your most beautiful photo.

Small secluded bays

Cotoncello Beach, a moment of romance.

Cotoncello beach is a small, secluded cove of golden sand from which tamarisk foliage peeks and which is embraced by cliffs of unparalleled beauty, sometimes white, sometimes amber.

TIPS: visit this delightful little bay in spring, when you can admire the spectacle of the purple mantle of mesembryanthemum blooms covering the rocky promontories.

Amazing natural sculptures

Granite masterpieces sculpted by the elements

Unique cliffs, shaped by the wind and waves, make Sant’Andrea one of the most evocative and best loved natural settings on Elba. Sometimes large and welcoming, sometimes intimate and secluded, the “Coti”, as the locals like to call them, have often been the natural backdrop to haute couture shoots, documentaries and films. Approaching this splendid rocky scenography, the vision is enriched by the large white crystals of orthoclase, which, like precious gems, shine from the granite layer of the Coti.

INTERESTING FACT: Thanks to the extraordinary beauty of these rock formations, the seaside resort of Sant’Andrea has become known as “Elba’s lounge”.

An explosion of colour

Waters teeming with marine life embraced by the stunning chromatic beauty of expanses of mesembryanthemum in bloom

The crystalline clarity of the waters, together with the beaches of fine, pale sand, make Sant’Andrea a truly exotic part of the Island. Beauty all year round and especially during the spring flowering, when the cliffs and headlands are painted with wonderful fuchsia brushstrokes and when this little corner of Elba is transformed into a breathtakingly beautiful paradise.

Underwater paradise close to the shore

From Capo Sant’Andrea there are at least 10 different dives, something for every level

The structure of the coast and the seabed, together with exposure to marine currents, give Capo Sant’Andrea a wealth of sea life, even within a short distance from the beach, and at least ten different diving itineraries.

TIPS: Dive into the “House Reef Coti Piane”; directly from the diving centre on the beach, there is convenient access to the soft sandy mantle and, within just a few meters, you’ll discover a magnificent ecosystem, where elegant sea eagles, schools of barracudas and hunting dentex can often be seen; carefully observe the patches of sand near the seagrass and you might well encounter one of the splendid seahorses.

Coastal paths just above the water

Trails, suitable for everyone, over the granite slabs

A beautiful, 15 minute walk along the granite cliffs towards Cotoncello begins right in Sant’Andrea and is the perfect way to see at close hand the beauty of the large granite masses, which the locals call “Coti”.
The Calello trail is part of the longer footpath no. 150, between Sant’Andrea and Marciana Marina and Sant’Andrea and Patresi.

The Coti Trail

A pleasant, easy route, not to be missed

This delightful route starts from the beach at Sant’Andrea and continues west towards the pier of the bay; from the jetty, follow the path that runs along the cliffs of Sant’Andrea and experience this “gangway” suspended over mirrors of crystal-clear water. Along the walk you’ll come across two lovely caves and, as the expanses of solidified magma inlaid with bright orthoclases open before your eyes, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’re entering some kind of lunar landscape. Once you reach the northernmost point of the promontory, with a little luck, you may spot schools of tuna or large cetaceans swimming by.