Visiting Elba
An hour by boat from Piombino, and the island changes its face three times along a single road. In the west, the granite of Monte Capanne rises to 1,019 metres above the coves. In the east, around Rio Marina, centuries of mining have left red earth and rust-coloured cliffs.
In the north, Portoferraio keeps Napoleon's two houses. In the south, the sand of Marina di Campo and Fetovaia. You can see all of it in a week, without changing hotels.
You'll love it if
- You want the beach in the morning and a summit in the afternoon
- Napoleon, the Etruscans and the mines interest you as much as the sand
- You're aiming for June or September, when the island breathes again
Look elsewhere if
- You're going in August with no ferry or hotel booked
- You plan to do everything without a car or a scooter
- You want the nightlife of a big beach resort
The must-sees
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1 Monte Capanne by cabinovia April to October
The island's summit, 1,019 metres, is reached from the village of Marciana in open yellow baskets where you ride standing up. The climb takes eighteen minutes, over the woods and then bare granite. The lift runs from April to October. On a clear day, Corsica appears on the horizon and the whole island fits in a single view.
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2 The Grande Traversata Elbana Hiking
Some sixty kilometres of ridges from east to west, from Cavo to Pomonte or Patresi. Four classic stages, each ending in a village with beds: Cavo, Porto Azzurro, Procchio, Poggio. The first is sixteen kilometres long with 920 metres of climbing. Aim for April, May or October: in summer the exposed ridge turns every stage into a slog through the heat.
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A cove of pale sand in the south-west, closed off by a granite point that shields it from the open sea. Hence the calm, very clear water, even on windy days. Hence also its small size: in July and August, arrive early, as the road is narrow and parking spaces are few.
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4 The Calamita mines Underground
South of Capoliveri, the Ginevro mine extracted magnetite until 1981. Its tunnels can be visited with a guide, starting from the small museum at Vallone, eleven kilometres from the village. Underground, the extraction chambers are as tall as a church nave. On the east side, the mining park at Rio Marina completes the picture by little train, and you can hunt for minerals yourself.
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5 Napoleon in Portoferraio 5 May +7 recs
Ten months of exile, in 1814 and 1815, left two houses: the Villa dei Mulini, his residence at the top of the ramparts, and the villa of San Martino, his country house in the hills. Visit both on the same day, as each explains the other. On 5 May, the anniversary of his death, a mass is still said for him in the church of the Misericordia, every year since 1852.
The classic mistake
Choosing your hotel before choosing your coast. The sand is in the south, the granite coves in the west, the port and museums in the north. On an island where everything is done by car, a badly placed base costs you an hour of driving every day.
Our itineraries in Elba
| Length | Itinerary | What you see |
|---|---|---|
| Long weekend (3 days) | Portoferraio › Capoliveri › Porto Azzurro | Napoleon, mines, villages |
| 1 week | Portoferraio › Marina di Campo › Marciana › Capoliveri | All four coasts |
| 10 days | Grande Traversata Elbana, then the beach | The ridges, then the sea |
The island is best explored in a star pattern from a single base. From Portoferraio, the south coast and the east are half an hour away; the far west, Fetovaia and Pomonte, a little under an hour. Keep a whole day for the west: the corniche road is slow there, and Monte Capanne needs the morning.
When to visit Elba
| Rating | Season | Temperatures | Sea | Crowds and prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WinterNov. to March | 8 to 16 °C | 14 to 16 °C | Low | |
| SpringApril to June | 14 to 27 °C | 16 to 22 °C | Medium | |
| SummerJuly and Aug. | 22 to 30 °C | 24 to 26 °C | High | |
| AutumnSept. and Oct. | 16 to 27 °C | 21 to 24 °C | Medium |
Our advice
Aim for the second half of June or for September. The sea is warm, the hotels are open, and you'll find space on the ferry without booking weeks ahead. Between November and Easter, most of the island's hotels close.
Getting to Elba
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By ferry from Piombino The way in
Three companies link Piombino to Portoferraio all year round, in forty minutes to an hour, with dozens of sailings a day in summer. Boats also serve Rio Marina and, by fast boat, Cavo, fifteen minutes from the mainland.
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By air to Pisa or Florence The fastest
From the UK you land in Pisa or Florence; from North America, through a European hub to one of the two. Then the road takes you to the port of Piombino. From June to September, the small airport at Marina di Campo receives short flights from Pisa, Florence, Milan and Rome, on planes with a handful of seats.
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By train or hire car to the port From the airport
By train, Piombino Marittima station sits right by the ferries, with a change at Campiglia Marittima. By hire car, the coast road runs south from Pisa along the Tuscan shore to the port.
Taking a car on board costs much more than a foot passenger ticket. For a week that covers all four coasts, take one anyway, ideally hired on the mainland. For a stay in Portoferraio or a single resort, board on foot and rent a scooter on the island. In August, book the ferry at the same time as the hotel.
Getting around Elba
A car or a scooter, for almost everything. Buses link the villages, with timetables that thin out off season; the coves at the end of dirt tracks can only be reached by car, on two wheels or on foot. The roads are narrow and endlessly winding, especially the corniche in the west. In Capoliveri, one of our members mentions free shuttles in summer.
Good to know
In August, the sandy beaches fill up early and cars park along the access roads. FloraC saw it at Biodola and advises you to "arrive early, have a picnic, and leave". Get there before ten, or stay within walking distance of your beach.
What to eat in Elba
- Schiaccia briaca: a flat cake of flour, raisins, pine nuts, walnuts and almonds, soaked in aleatico, hence its name, the "drunken" cake. You'll find it in bakeries all over the island.
- Aleatico Passito dell'Elba: a sweet red from dried grapes, the first wine of Italy's minor islands to earn DOCG status, in 2011. Black cherry, prune, spice: serve it with dessert, with the schiaccia, and you'll understand why one is soaked in the other.
- Sburrita: boiled salt cod served on stale bread with garlic, chilli and nepitella, a wild mint. A humble dish from the Rio Marina area that has stayed on tavern menus.
- Gurguglione: courgettes, aubergines, peppers, tomatoes and onions cooked in oil with garlic and basil. The island's ratatouille, served warm alongside fish.
- Ansonica: the island's dry white, with a salty edge, to drink with fried fish and the catch of the day.
The village taverns, in Marciana or Capoliveri, cook from the land and cost less than the harbour terraces. On the seafront, ask the price of the fish before ordering: you pay for it by weight, and the bill often comes as a surprise.
Where to stay in Elba
| Area | What it's for | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Portoferraio | Port, Napoleon, evenings on foot | The only base that works without a car |
| Marina di Campo | The longest sandy beach | Lively in summer, airport next door |
| Procchio and Marciana Marina | North coast, Monte Capanne | Quieter, fishing villages |
| Capoliveri and Lacona | South-east beaches, mines | Hilltop village, lively at night |
| Porto Azzurro and Rio Marina | East coast, minerals, diving | Little sand, busy harbour at night |
How much does a trip in Elba cost?
| Trip | Length | Budget per person |
|---|---|---|
| Budget (campsite, foot passenger, scooter) | 7 days | 400 to 600 € |
| Comfort (3-star hotel, car, restaurants) | 7 days | 1,000 to 1,500 € |
| Luxury (4-5 star hotel, boat trip, renowned tables) | 7 days | 2,200 to 3,500 € |
- The month: from June to September, many seafront hotels sell half board only. May or late September bring the bill down and let you choose where to dine.
- The car on the ferry: it multiplies the price of the crossing. On a short stay, a scooter rented on the island works out cheaper.
- Campsites: plentiful and often by the water, they generally open from April to October.
- Village taverns: in Marciana or Capoliveri, a meal costs less than on a harbour terrace.
- The free beach: beach clubs rent umbrellas and loungers by the day; a towel on the free section costs nothing.
Traditions and way of life in Elba
The island lived off iron for nearly three thousand years. The Etruscans were already smelting it, Pisa and then the Medici held its harbours, and the last mines only closed at the end of the 20th century. Portoferraio, the "iron port", carries it in its name.
On 14 July, Capoliveri re-enacts the legend of the Innamorata: a costumed procession walks down from the village to the beach of the same name, and the evening ends with a torchlit procession on the sea.
Local etiquette
In the national park, which covers much of the island, don't pick up stones or minerals. If you want to take home a piece of haematite or pyrite, the mining park at Rio Marina opens areas precisely for searching and keeping what you find.
