What is Capraia Isola known for?

Third largest in the Tuscan Archipelago, the only one of volcanic origin, with the eruption cone still visible at Cala Rossa. Italian state-run agricultural prison from 1873 to 1986, occupying two thirds of the island and emptying the original population. Whole island and surrounding waters protected since 1996 inside the largest marine park in the European Mediterranean.

Tuscany · Livorno

Capraia Isola

A volcanic island of 370 residents and one village, the third largest of the Tuscan Archipelago, a penal colony from 1873 to 1986 and a national park since.

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Nearest hub

370

Population

May–Sep

Best time to visit

Recognised as

Parco Nazionale

Why come

Capraia is a volcanic island in the Tuscan Archipelago, the third largest after Elba and Giglio, the northernmost of the seven. The eruption cone is still visible at Cala Rossa, where the cliffs hold the red of oxidized basalt. The Genoese built the Forte San Giorgio on the harbor in 1540 on an earlier fortification destroyed by the corsair Turgut Reis; the fort served as the island's defense against pirates for two centuries. From 1873 to 1986, the Italian state ran the Colonia Penale Agricola di Capraia, an agricultural penal colony that occupied two thirds of the island and drove out most of the population. The fences and cells came down after the prison closed in 1986. The Arcipelago Toscano National Park, established in 1996, now covers the whole island and the waters around it. The comune has 370 residents, the least-populated Italian municipality with an outlet to the sea. There is one village, one harbor, and no cars beyond a few service vehicles.

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Gallery

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Known for

Forte San Giorgio
Sixteenth-century Genoese fort above the harbor, built in 1540 on the foundation of an earlier tower destroyed by Turgut Reis.
Cala Rossa
Red volcanic cove on the western side of the island, the visible half of the original eruption cone.
Stagnone
Small natural lake at 320 meters, the only freshwater basin in the Tuscan Archipelago, on the volcanic plateau above the village.
Sentiero del Semaforo
Coastal trail to the abandoned naval signal station at the southern tip, with views to Corsica on clear days.
Colonia Penale ruins
Abandoned buildings of the agricultural penal colony at the north end of the island, dismantled after 1986 and slowly returning to scrub.

When to visit

Best months · May–Sep

Best
Hot or crowded
Quiet
Mostly closed

May through September is the only practical season on Capraia. The ferry from Livorno runs three to four times a week in summer, less in winter, and the crossing takes two and a half hours through open sea. The Mediterranean warms enough to swim from mid-May; July and August fill the few rooms on the island and book out the small restaurants in the village. October is still warm and largely empty, the best month for hikers walking the volcanic plateau. November through April is the long quiet. Many establishments close from late October until Easter, the ferry schedule thins to two crossings a week, and high winds in winter can cancel them entirely. The 370 residents become the only people on the island for stretches at a time.