Palmaiola

Περιγραφή

Palmaiola is an islet placed in the middle of Piombino Channel, at 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) from Elba and 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) from Piombino; it is part of the comune of Rio Marina and is wholly owned by the State. In the 14th century it was named Insulam Palmarole because of the abundance of the Mediterranean dwarf palm at that time. Palmaiola has rocky and craggy cliffs and has a triangular shape; it is 461 metres long, 396 metres wide, 85 metres high and has 1.7 km of coast. It is integrated in the European Union Special Protection Area as Site of Community Importance and it is part of the Arcipelago Toscano National Park. Palmaiola has the advantage of having inaccessible cliffs and a bushy and low vegetation as the garrigue, formed by evergreen plants. Consequently, it is a safe place to nest by the European shag, the Scopoli`s shearwater, the Falco peregrinus and the Audouin`s gull; another endemic specie on the islet is the European leaf-toed gecko.