ESCURSIONI ISOLA DI GORGONA

The last active penitentiary island in Europe is also the smallest, greenest and wildest of the islands of the Parco Nazionale dell'Arcipelago Toscano. Visiting Gorgona is particularly regulated. Excursions, to be booked at least thirty days in advance, are organized by the Cooperative of the Gorgona Natural Park. The daily presence on the island is limited to about a hundred visitors.

From April to October, departing from the Porto Mediceo of Livorno, a calendar with different "discovery days" is proposed on the website of the National Park of the Tuscan Archipelago. You can also find all the necessary information at the Livorno tourist office. These exclusive visits in small groups allow you to discover all the historical, natural and secret aspects of the island of Gorgona. On foot, accompanied by an official guide, you will discover the many special features of this island, a jewel of the Tuscan archipelago. Starting with the very small port and the only village on Gorgona. Then, walking along the coast, between silence and the scent of the vegetation, you will discover beautiful little bays and coves, such as the Costa dei Gabbiani and Cala Scirocco, where the famous Grotta del Bue Marino is located. You will be surprised by the fortresses that stand on the island, including the Torre Nuova, of Medicean origin, the Pisana and, on the heights, the Villa Margherita, built on ancient Etruscan and Roman remains.

The itinerary is about nine kilometres long, with an effective walking time of about three hours (with a picnic break). Although it is better to be in good shape, this excursion is still relatively easy and partly shady, so it is accessible to all. The departure time from Gorgona varies according to the month: at 5 p.m. from April to May, at 6.15 p.m. from June to October. Allow about 1h30 of crossing to Livorno.

Finally, you should know that the Gorgona penitentiary centre is often considered as a model prison. Indeed, the sixty or so inmates here are free to live in the open air, without barbed wire, not locked in cells. The inmates take care of farm work, farm animals and vines, among other things. The small roads and paths used during your excursion were, for example, created by the inmates present on the island. It is only at the time of the evening curfew that they must return to their rooms.