Allium triquetrum
Ophrys bombyliflora
Arisarum vulgare
Reseda alba
Beauty and diversity on Elba
Friday 28 March to Saturday 5 April 2025
Elba has stunningly beautiful beaches and mountains, and a rich natural flora. The tour will focus on the spring wild flowers and the environment.
Guide: The tour will be led by Goffredo Filibeck, who loves botany, bird watching and walking.
The trip is fully booked but do contact the organiser, Heather Martin (contactable at hm@medpag.org) if you’d like to be on the waiting list.
The cost of the trip (excluding travel from your home country to a hotel in central Pisa): £1,056 per person (sharing a room). Single supplement: £342.
Deposit: A deposit of £250 per person must be paid on MPG’s acceptance of a booking. The balance will be due by Friday 14 February.
Fitness: Participants must be reasonably fit walkers as there will be walks of 3 or 4 km each day, sometimes on steep tracks or rough terrain. On some days members will carry their picnic lunches (provided) so that the itinerary can be decided to suit the weather and plants in flower, but the pace will be relaxed and suited to photographers. It is, however, essential that participants are prepared for some steep paths and rocky ground.
What to expect: Most members are likely to arrive at Pisa airport, from which the Pisa-Mover (a little shuttle train) runs frequently, taking about five minutes to the centre of Pisa. Hotel rooms (bed and breakfast) will be arranged close by and members will be free to explore. On the Saturday morning the group will be shepherded to a 9am train to go south to take the Piombino ferry over to Elba. This will feel early for those arriving from UK. Accommodation for the next seven nights is in a simple three-star hotel, Hotel Belmare in Porto Azzurro, which we have chosen for its location in the village and by the sea, but wish to make clear that it is basic. Accommodation, local travel, guiding, and most meals are included in the cost but members will pay for the Pisa-Mover, dinner in Pisa on the first evening, some drinks with dinner and for three cafe lunches. Transport will be provided to Pisa airport at the end of the expedition.
Booking
Please fill in the booking form and, if you do not have insurance details, put “To be confirmed” where details are requested on the form. You must read the terms and conditions for the trip, to which links are given. A maximum of 18 places are available.
Further information was circulated to members on 10 October. These were provided by the botanical guide, Goffredo Filibeck. Members should please review these in the description available again here. If you have questions please email Heather.
Trip fully booked
Bank Transfer
By bank transfer with reference ELBA
Sort Code 40 40 32
Account 5161 4002
Account name: Mediterranean Plants and Gardens
IBAN GB63 HBUK 4040 3251 6140 02
Euros
For those wishing to pay in euros, payment can be made directly into our euro account. If you wish to pay by this means please contact the treasurer, David Mason, for an exchange rate and payment instructions. If paying from a bank in the euro zone into our euro account, this can be done with minimal bank charges provided you use a SEPA (Single European Payments Area) payment method.