Fishing on Island of Elba with lunch on board

Haul nets like the crew, cook what you catch, and eat it in the water

A six-hour fishing activity on the Island of Elba where you work alongside Commander Gaetano, a fisherman for over 40 years, to recover nets and pots from the sea, help prepare the day's catch for lunch on board, and swim in a quiet cove. The boat is handmade wood, the fish is cooked fresh while you're anchored, and you choose which coves to fish based on where the nets went down the night before. Children from age 3 are welcome. No fishing experience is required.

The experience

You leave Marina di Campo in the morning on a wooden fishing boat and head straight to the nets Gaetano set the evening before. The work is real: you haul the nets together, see what came up overnight, and learn how sustainable fishing with pots and nets actually works from someone who has done it for over 40 years. There's no script here: the coves change based on where the fish are and where the nets landed, so no two trips follow the same route.

Once the nets are up, the boat anchors in a quiet cove and Gaetano moves from fisherman to cook. He prepares the catch of the day on board while you can take a swim, snorkel with the provided equipment, or help clean and prep the fish if you want to stay involved. Lunch is first and second courses of fresh fish, cooked simply from what came out of the water that morning, plus wine, beer, soft drinks and coffee. You eat on the boat or in the water. The choice is yours.

After lunch you have time to relax and swim before the nets go back in the sea for the next day's catch and you return to port in the afternoon. If you prefer a different rhythm, evening departures run with aperitif and dinner at sunset instead. Life jackets and snorkelling gear are provided. Bring sunscreen, a towel and a swimsuit. The group stays small by design, so book ahead.

What’s included

• Full lunch or dinner with aperitif including first and second courses of fish.
• snorkelling equipment and life jackets.
• water, wine, beer and soft drinks.
• coffee.
• use of a SUP board.

Before you book

Days and timesNext departure: 4 Mar 2027

Book up to7h before

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (3 to 11 years) · Under 3: can't be included in the booking

GroupUp to 12

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Easy physical levelPets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by PESCATURISMO LA BARCA DEI MATTI

Is this one for you?The six-hour morning departure leaves your afternoon free for the rest of Elba, while the sunset option trades daytime swimming for dinner on the water. Choose based on what else you want to fit in that day.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 11 years). Under 3: they can't be included in the booking.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What does a typical morning on the boat look like?

You leave Marina di Campo at the start of the day and head to the nets Gaetano dropped the evening before. You haul them together, see what the pots and nets brought up overnight, and learn the work of sustainable fishing firsthand from a skipper with over 40 years on the water.

Can I help prepare the food, or do I just watch?

You can help clean and prep the fish if you want to, or you can relax and swim while Gaetano cooks. The choice is yours: some people stay involved in the work, others prefer to step back and enjoy the cove.

What's included in the lunch?

Lunch includes first and second courses of fish cooked fresh on board from the morning's catch, plus wine, beer, soft drinks, water and coffee. The food is prepared simply, using only what came out of the nets that day.

Can I swim and snorkel during the trip?

Yes. After the nets are hauled and lunch is cooked, the boat anchors in a quiet cove where you can swim and snorkel. Snorkelling equipment is provided, and you can stay in the water as long as you like before the nets go back in and you return to port.