The small village of Procchio is known for its beautiful beach and the famous island of Paolina Bonaparte is just close by; other places of interest include Punta Guardiola and Spartaia Bay (1 km), the long beach promenade (over 600 meters) and the large park with many facilities and where countless events are held in the amphitheatre.
The fish and farm produce market (organised by Slow-food) has excellent zero-mile produce. The village has all the necessary services: pharmacy, doctor’s surgery, local police office, post office, bank, supermarkets, bars, restaurants, ice cream parlours, bazaars, tobacconists, travel agency, consultancy services, bakeries, car and motorcycle rental, etc…
THE BEACH
North-facing Procchio beach is one of the widest on Elba and provides many services and facilities, such as sailing/windsurfing/diving schools, jet ski/boat/rubber dinghy hire, beach establishments, bars and restaurants, MAREBUS shuttle bus stop, wide stretches of free beach, sailing club, 600m long footpath on wooden walkway (illuminated at night), tennis courts and gym. Defibrillator equipment is also readily available, making this one of the most cardio-protected beaches on Elba.
The beach is extremely safe for all bathers thanks to the very gently sloping seabed. At each end of the bay there are rocks, which are easy to walk over and, on the eastern end, lead to Guardiola Point, with watch tower.
Access to the beach from MARINA VIP is along a paved road that leads from the main road to the western end of the bay.
IN THE VICINITY
Just 1 km from Procchio is the beautiful bay of Spartaia (reached on foot from Marina VIP in just 20 minutes); further afield, about 2 km, is the small beach and little island named after Napoleon Bonaparte’s sister, Paolina.
The happy position of Procchio makes it easy to find a beach with calm sea in all circumstances (the prevailing winds are always from SW and NW), such as the nearby (5-minute drive) beach of Marina di Campo, which is also where the island’s airport is located (Marina VIP offers a free shuttle bus service to and from the airport for those arriving by air).
Mountain bikes are available free of charge to Marina VIP guests and Procchio is within easy reach of interesting destinations nearby, such as Marciana Marina, Poggio, Monte Perone, Biodola and many more.
The Napoleonic museum of San Martino, once the summer residence of the Emperor, is just 6 km away and the cable lift up Elba’s 1000 m high Monte Capanne, is 10 km away and offers a panorama over the whole Tuscan Archipelago and Corsica.
The Elba Aquarium, located 4 km away, exhibits many of the native species of Elba and is well worth visiting.