by Riccardo Burchianti

Villa di San Martino - Strada di Colle Reciso - Villa San Martino
(Medium difficulty)
Lengh of course: 8.6 kms.
Road surface: Dirt track
Length in time: 1.3 hrs.

One hundred metres away from the ample parking ground under the Villa of Napoleon at San Martino, passing in between the various souvenir stands, we’ll find a wide road that ascends into an area rich with vegetation.

After a short distance, the road becomes narrow and steep until, after 3kms., leads us onto the old military cart track of Colle Reciso, passing near an old windmill.
From the ridge on which lies this construction, one can admire a fantastic panorama of both the northern and southern coasts of the island with respective views of the gulfs of Portoferraio and Lacona.

The road, despite it’s poor condition, proceeds at a constant altitude almost without the slightest slope whilst along the roadside, pine trees, oak trees and other plants typical of Mediterranean vegetation, arbutus, cytisus and rosemary, can be found.

At 5.6 kms. at Buca di bomba, passing near the ruins of an old house, turning right into an ample clearing one can enjoy distant views of the gulf of Procchio. Turning in a southwesterly direction one can witness spectacular veiws of Marina di Campo. Continue for a few hundred metres and apon arrival at the intersection of a number of tracks, take the second track on the right that in slight ascent, leads us through a pine wood.
For the next two kilometres remain on the same track keeping the north-eastern coast of the island on our left hand side.

When we reach the large fire-break, an artificially created clearing used to prevent the spreading of bush fires, we must take a rather steep and somewhat difficult descent that will take us back to the point of departure.

LO SCOGLIO … MTB School - This school organises mountain bike courses and excursions, immersed in the green Mediterranean bushland that offers suggestive marine paroramas. The school offers S.I.M.B. instructors that give lessons on the basic fuctions and mechanics of the bike. For further infomation and bookings:
CLICLI BRANDI, via Carducci, 33 Portoferraio Tel. 0565-914128