7-Night Tuscan Archipelago — Livorno to Monte Argentario

Day 1 — Livorno: Embarkation

Board at the Darsena Nuova in Livorno — Tuscany's main port, famous for its canals, its cacciucco fish stew and the extraordinary Fortezza Nuova in the city centre. Welcome dinner at one of the seafood restaurants in the Venezia Nuova district.

Day 2 — Elba: Portoferraio

Sail south to Elba — Napoleon's island of exile. Portoferraio is a beautiful harbour town beneath the Medici fortifications. Visit Napoleon's Villa dei Mulini (his Elban residence, beautifully preserved) and explore the local wine estates — Elba's Aleatico dessert wine is exceptional. Overnight in the harbour.

Day 3 — Elba: Porto Azzurro & Marina di Campo

Explore Elba's eastern and southern coasts — Porto Azzurro with its Spanish fort reflected in the calm bay, Capoliveri village above the Innamorata beach, and the long sandy beach at Marina di Campo with its excellent restaurants. The water on Elba's southern coast is remarkably clear.

Day 4 — Capraia

Sail northwest to the wild island of Capraia — part of the Tuscan Archipelago National Park, mostly uninhabited and volcanic in origin. The single village has one restaurant and one bar; the hiking on the island's volcanic terrain is extraordinary and the snorkelling in the protected marine area is superb.

Day 5 — Giglio

One of the most beautiful anchorages in Tuscany — Giglio Porto's colourful harbour, the medieval Giglio Castello above and some of the finest diving in the Tyrrhenian Sea. The controversial wreck of the Costa Concordia was here (since removed); the marine ecosystem has recovered remarkably and offers extraordinary biodiversity.

Day 6 — Giannutri

The southernmost of the Tuscan islands — entirely uninhabited, entirely pristine. The ruins of a 1st-century Roman villa overlook some of the clearest water in Italy. A day of complete seclusion: no facilities, no visitors, just the island and the sea.

Day 7 — Monte Argentario

Arrive at the spectacular headland of Monte Argentario — shared between Porto Santo Stefano (the main town, working fishing harbour) and Porto Ercole (smaller, more chic, where Caravaggio died in 1610). The Laguna di Orbetello, a lagoon visible from the sea, and the Etruscan city of Cosa above Ansedonia are worth a visit.

Day 8 — Disembarkation

Disembarkation at Monte Argentario. Rome Fiumicino Airport is 2 hours north; Grosseto Airport (small, limited connections) is 45 minutes.