Cycling destination in December: Elba’s enduro trails at a leisurely pace

​They say that Elba is a perfect cycling destination for ten months of the year – except in July and August. At that time, the island is too crowded and too hot for cycling. With a bit of a sense of adventure, you can even cycle across the island in December.

​Yes, it does sometimes snow in winter on Monte Capanne, which stands at 1,019 metres. But the last time Elba’s highest peak was completely blanketed in white was in February 2018. As with the other destinations, December is considered the best month for a winter visit here, with mostly calm, stable high-pressure weather.

What does Elba have that Corsica doesn’t?

But the best bit is this: the tourist season has just come to an end and a palpable sense of relaxation is taking hold across the whole island. The beaches and trails, which are usually so crowded, are now completely deserted. Although many hotels, restaurants and cafés are closed in winter, wherever they are open, you can now mingle with the real islanders.

For the past few years, Elba has been experiencing a real boom in popularity amongst cyclists. But what does the comparatively tiny island of Elba have that its two neighbours, Corsica and Sardinia, do not? Elba is just a 45-minute ferry ride from the mainland and boasts a compact network of trails that stretches across the entire island. There aren’t many trails here that wind their way through impenetrable scrub, end as dead ends in scree-filled gorges or come to nothing due to high-altitude weather conditions. Instead, there’s even an ageing, rather adventurous cable car up to the highest peak.

But what you also need here to have fun on the rocky, stepped scree trails is suspension travel, a good sense of direction and an enduro mindset. Then you can load the community’s trail tips onto your GPS device without a second thought and get going. You might even set your sights on a multi-day crossing of the island, although this does mean you’ll have to put up with longer sections where you’ll be carrying your bike and you’ll need a good track to help you find your way. Beginners, on the other hand, are better off sticking to the slightly easier lines in the Capoliveri trail park.

About Elba

​Getting here

It is 790 kilometres by motorway from Munich to Piombino. That is just 70 kilometres further than to Finale Ligure. However, there is also a 45-minute ferry crossing to take into account.

Accommodation in December

Camping Tallinucci on Locanda Beach near Capoliveri will keep its holiday apartments open until at least 20 December. For further information: campingtallinucci.it, further accommodation addresses via infoelba.net

Capoliveri Bike Park

Not a bike park in the traditional sense, but six specially laid-out trails around an abandoned mine near Capoliveri. A single trail can vary from a smooth, flowing ride at the top to a fairly challenging enduro ride at the bottom. Information and bike shuttle: elbamtb.it

Girona’s trails in December