I'm pretty sure you know that Tuscany has a western coastline on the Ligurian and Tyrrhenian Sea and a Tuscan Archipelago, composed by the largest Island of Elba and other six islands called Capraia, Gorgona, Montecristo, Giglio, Pianosa and Giannutri.
Do you know what the legend says about the Tuscan archipelago? That these islands were created when Venus emerged from the Tyrrhenian Sea to embrace the sunset and, while doing this, seven pearls fell from her necklace into the sea creating the Tuscan islands. Isn't it magical?! Ok, let's go back to our main topic!
Since the islands of the Tuscan Archipelago are not very close one to each other, a good way to visit them is sailing! The Tuscan archipelago offers open sea sailing always with land in sight. The marinas of Tuscany are well-equipped, with most of the big harbors providing a full range of services, including refueling facilities and parking.
[Photo Credits: Who killed Gregory??]When is the best time for sailing? Anytime is ok for sailing here, although in July and August the weather is quite hot, the sea a bit crowded and sailing more expensive. The marinas are open all year round and temperatures in Tuscany are usually quite warm, so anytime of the year could be considered. Best months are April, May, June, September and October: it’s warm but not too hot and it is not crowded so it is possible to find isolated anchorages.
The climate in the Tuscan sea is typically Mediterranean: summers are warm, dry and breezy and the prevailing wind is W – NW and it rarely reaches gale force. Around Capraia, Elba, and down the mainland coast to Giannutri there will often be SE winds with frequent periods of calm. At night there is often a light W or SW wind.
Let's see where you can go sailing in Tuscany:
Elba is the largest island and faces the gulf of Follonica just 6 miles off Piombino on the Tuscan Coast;
Giglio is a diving paradise lying in front of the Argentario area;
Giannutri has enchanting coves and suggestive remains of old Roman villas;
Capraia is an island of volcanic origin which is the closest island to Corsica;
Pianosa is a small, flat island not far from the isle of Elba;
The Islands of Gorgona and Montecristo have no public access: there is a special prison on Gorgona while Montecristo is a natural reserve that can only be visited with a special permit.
[Photo Credits: PrinceVlad]Sailing schools in Tuscany:
![[Photo Credits: Who killed Gregory??]](/shared/visittuscany/immagini/blogs/idea/sailing_wp7_10790.jpg)
![[Photo Credits: PrinceVlad]](/shared/visittuscany/immagini/blogs/idea/sailing2_wp7_10791.jpg)