During breakfast on deck, crew members bring the 30 or so bikes ashore in an inflatable boat. Then it's the turn of the passengers. This is because the three-master "Atlantis" is too big for the ports on this trip. Some nautical logistics are therefore necessary before the bikers can start their day trip. What seems complicated has a practical advantage: instead of packing your bags before the day trip and moving into a new room at the next stopover in the evening, the hotel sails with Toskana Bike & Sail.

During the day, tour leader and Swiss Cycling Guide Tom Harbeke and his guide colleagues lead the bikers along the fine trails of Elba, Giglio and the southern Maremma. Bike tourism pioneer Ernesto Hutmacher has helped to put together the program, so you can expect a lot. And the participants are not just left ashore to race along the trails. There is always time to enjoy the beauty and delicacies of the region before heading back on board.

Over a hundred-year-old three-master as a vacation residence

The history of the ship, which is used as a vacation residence, is also interesting: built in 1905, it was a "Bürgermeister Bartels" (Mayor Bartels) on the North Sea from 1919 to 1974. In other words, it was a "floating lighthouse", always moored in the same position off Cuxhaven - the last ship to do so. In the 1980s, the 57-metre-long three-master was converted into a passenger ship and became the Atlantis. Since then, the tall ship has been used for tourism.

The only longer crossings for Toskaa Bike & Sail participants are those from the mainland to the island of Elba, around halfway through the trip, and two days later to Isola Giglio around 10 kilometers off the coast. Sailing on the Atlantis is manual work. If you feel like it, you can help with setting the sails or other nautical activities. If the wind is not favorable, the engine is used. There is no standing still. Seasickness is rare, assures Tom Harbeke. The Atlantis is always moored in a calm bay overnight. And if things do get a little more restless at sea, the crew have various tricks and remedies at the ready to alleviate any discomfort.

The two years of corona have taken their toll on the company that charters the three-master and brings it to the Mediterranean for around two months for the sailing and bike tours. Co-organizer and Tom Harbeke is keen to ensure that the Atlantis continues to ride bikes at sea with a successful 2022 season. The same applies to the entire bike travel industry, which is hoping to finally escape the crisis next summer.