in Portoferraio:

[poss]

Which is more interesting: Villa San Martino or Villa dei Mulina?

 

Thanks!

[Lucy Jane]

if you mean Portifino then Portifino is it - havent been there for many years but if you get a chance, hike up the mountainside and have capucino at the Hotel Splendido

 

 

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[slidergirl]

I believe the OP is referring to the largest town on the island of Elba, off the Italian coast in between Livorno and Civitavecchia

[euro cruiser]

I can't get inside your head to know what might or might not catch your fancy, but I can offer some links so you can read about them and decide for yourself:

 

Villa San Martino: http://napoleonsites.eu/en/divulgativa/533/villa-san-martino-on-the-island-of-elba.html

 

Villa dei Mulini: http://napoleonsites.eu/en/divulgativa/530/the-palazzina-dei-mulini-in-portoferraio.html

[marazul]

I can't get inside your head to know what might or might not catch your fancy, but I can offer some links so you can read about them and decide for yourself:

 

Villa San Martino: http://napoleonsites.eu/en/divulgativa/533/villa-san-martino-on-the-island-of-elba.html

 

Villa dei Mulini: http://napoleonsites.eu/en/divulgativa/530/the-palazzina-dei-mulini-in-portoferraio.html

 

The Villa San Martino is outside Portoferraio in a beautiful setting. A visit here is usually combined with a visit to another village, such as Porto Azzurro, or a wine tasting. The Villa dei Mulini is in Porto Ferraio itself and it is a nice walk up the hill through the old town or a taxi ride. They re both interesting to see, especially if you are interested in that historical period. Again, how much time do you have in port? You can take the excursion to San Martino in the morning and use the free afternoon to walk around Portoferraio and visit the Villa dei Mulini.

[poss]

Ah, now I understand! Thank you. From the descriptions of the excursions, I couldn't tell that Martino was outside Portoferriao and Mulini inside.

 

And, yes, the Martino is combined with Porto Azzurro. Is Azzurro pleasant even if we're not interested in shopping, etc. How "authentic" a place is it? Or is it geared to tourists?

 

We'll be in port from 8:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. (on a Thursday), so I will book the 8:45 a.m. tour (4 hrs) that includes Martino/Azzuro-- and hope to have enough energy to see Villa dei Mulini and other town things of interest in the afternoon.

 

Really appreciate the help!

Edited October 1, 2016 by poss

[marazul]

Porto Azzurro is quite charming and the ride there is very scenic. There is some great gelato in Porto Azzurro right on the esplanade by the sea.

 

For Portoferraio, your ship will be at dock right between the old and new town. Take a taxi to Mulini and then walk down through the old town to the ship. The main street of the old town is a giant staircase that goes from near Mulini to the old port. Some really nice cafes and restaurants at the port.