Where to stay in Elba: the 5 areas to know in 2026
On Elba, distance settles nothing: from Portoferraio, every coast is less than forty minutes away. So you choose an area for the setting of your mornings and evenings: the sand of Marina di Campo, the granite of the west, the lanes of Capoliveri or the harbour of Porto Azzurro.
In summer, many seafront hotels sell half board only: allow $230* for two in a 3-star hotel in June, up to $360* in the heart of August. A campsite bungalow starts at around $79*. Five areas, one base for a week.
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Do not hesitate to get off the beaten path and avoid the touristy beaches.
One base or several?
One base is almost always enough: no area is more than forty minutes from Portoferraio. You only change hotels to change pace.
- A long weekend: One base, in Portoferraio, without a car: the ferry, Napoleon and the Ghiaie beaches are all on foot.
- A week: One base, chosen for the beach you want: Marina di Campo for sand, Capoliveri for evenings, Procchio for walking. The rest of the island makes day trips.
- Ten days: Two bases: four nights in the east or at Capoliveri, five nights in the west, so you are not driving the Capanne road every day.
How much driving between two bases?
By car, outside July and August: allow longer in high summer, when the island's narrow roads fill up.
| Route | Driving time | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Portoferraio → Procchio | 15 min | 10 km, the easiest road on the island |
| Portoferraio → Marina di Campo | 20 min | 16 km through the interior |
| Portoferraio → Capoliveri | 25 min | 16 km, the last climb on hairpins |
| Portoferraio → Porto Azzurro | 30 min | 16 km |
| Portoferraio → Rio Marina | 35 min | 21 km, via Porto Azzurro or along the coast |
| Marina di Campo → Fetovaia | 15 min | 10 km on the coast road |
| Capoliveri → Porto Azzurro | 20 min | 7 km, two neighbouring areas |
At a glance: our picks by traveller type
Pick the profile that fits you and go straight to the recommended area.
Map of the areas in Elba
See how the areas sit relative to one another before choosing your base. Click a name to jump to its description.
Portoferraio and its beaches The port town, the Ghiaie, Biodola
to arrive without a car and sleep near the ferry
The ferry drops you at the foot of the ramparts, and this is the only area of the island where you can do everything on foot: Napoleon's two houses, the old harbour, dinner, the white-pebble beach of the Ghiaie. The sand is at Biodola, seven kilometres away. The town itself splits into five areas, which our Portoferraio guide compares one by one.
What to see and do in this area
Where to stay in this area
Hotel Hermitage Luxury
The 5-star hotel on Biodola bay, open since 1955, with three seawater pools and direct access to the sand.
Hotel Villa Ombrosa Mid-range
A 3-star hotel facing the Ghiaie beach, ten minutes' walk from the centre, and one of the few on the island open all year.
Albergo Ape Elbana Budget
The only hotel inside the old town, 250 metres from the port, with its own restaurant. You step off the ferry and you're there.
Pros
- The only area where the ferry, the museums and dinner are all on foot
- Places open out of season, which is rare on the island
Cons
- The town beach is pebbles, the sand is seven kilometres away
- The town's beach hotels put you back in the car
Procchio, Marciana Marina and Monte Capanne The north coast and the villages below the mountain
for walking, the cable car and quiet evenings
Here the mountain runs down to the water. Procchio has a long sandy beach in its bay, Marciana Marina a small fishing harbour, and above them the village of Marciana, where the Monte Capanne cabinovia starts. Further west, around Sant'Andrea, the coast turns to granite. Evenings are calm, and the hotels smaller than in the south.
Where to stay in this area
Hotel Del Golfo Luxury
On the bay of Procchio, with its own beach and loungers reserved for the length of your stay.
Hotel Cernia Isola Botanica Mid-range
Twenty-five rooms in a botanical garden at Sant'Andrea, with pool and tennis, 200 metres from the cape.
Albergo Le Briciole Budget
Seven rooms at Redinoce, 200 metres from the coast, between Marciana Marina and Procchio. A simple address for people who spend their days outdoors.
Pros
- Trailheads and the cable car at the end of the street
- A sandy beach at Procchio, granite coves in the west
Cons
- Little going on at night outside the small port of Marciana Marina
- The south and east of the island are half an hour's drive or more
Marina di Campo and the Fetovaia coast The big southern beach, Cavoli, Seccheto, Fetovaia
for sand, children and the beach on foot
Marina di Campo has the longest sandy beach on the island, and it is the liveliest resort in summer, with its harbour and terraces. Following the coast west, the coves of Cavoli, Seccheto and Fetovaia narrow between the rocks and the water turns very clear. The downside: these small beaches fill up early in July and August.
Where to stay in this area
Hotel Montecristo Luxury
A 4-star seafront hotel in Marina di Campo, with pool, gym and a small wellness area.
Hotel Da Italo Mid-range
A 3-star hotel in Seccheto, a few steps from the beach, on the coast that leads to Fetovaia.
Camping Ville degli Ulivi Budget
Thirty metres from the big beach, with pools and 285 pitches, open from 18 April to 18 October.
Pros
- Sand in front of the hotel, and a big beach for children
- The island's small airport is next door, from June to September
Cons
- The busiest resort on the island in high summer
- The western coves are full by mid-morning in August
Capoliveri, Lacona and the Calamita The hilltop village and the south-east beaches
for a village that comes alive at night and beaches below
Capoliveri sits on its hill, with lanes and terraces that stay full late. Below are the beaches of Lacona, Morcone and Naregno, and to the south the Calamita peninsula with its old iron mines. Our member found "An extremely charming little village", and a useful detail for anyone staying down by the sea.
As for the food, you will be well taken care of too! A nice bonus: in the summer, free shuttles are at your disposal.
Where to stay in this area
JR Resort Elba International Luxury
A hundred and thirty-one rooms above Naregno bay, linked to the private beach by a panoramic lift. Formerly the Grand Hotel Elba International.
Hotel Capo Sud Mid-range
A 3-star hotel with forty rooms spread through a pine wood by the water at Lacona, with a pool.
Camping Bungalow Lido Budget
A hundred pitches under the pines, right on the sandy beach of Lido di Capoliveri.
Pros
- The liveliest village at night outside Portoferraio
- Free shuttles in summer, according to our member
Cons
- The village is up high: the beach means a drive or walk down
- Beach hotels scattered far apart from one another
Porto Azzurro, Rio Marina and Cavo The mining coast, facing the mainland
for a lively harbour, diving and minerals
Porto Azzurro has kept its fishing-village feel and a harbour that stays up late. Further north, Rio Marina lives to the rhythm of its old mine, now a park where you search for your own minerals, and Cavo is only fifteen minutes from the mainland by fast boat. Few big sandy beaches here: coves, clear water, good diving.
If you are looking for a place that is livelier at night, you will definitely find what you are looking for in terms of entertainment!
The towns in this area
Where to stay in this area
Hotel Plaza Porto Azzurro Luxury
A 4-star hotel on the cliff above the sea, with a spa, 400 metres from the centre of Porto Azzurro.
Hotel Rio Sul Mare Mid-range
Thirty-two rooms facing the harbour at Rio Marina, the beach fifty metres away.
Casa Valdese Rio Marina Budget
A guesthouse with fifteen rooms on Piazza Mazzini, a two-minute walk from La Torre beach.
Pros
- The liveliest harbour at night, according to our member
- Diving and the mining park right there
Cons
- Little sand: mostly coves and pebbles
- The west of the island is nearly an hour's drive away
Our tips for booking the right place
- Book the ferry with the hotel, not after: The whole island comes through the port of Piombino. In August, crossings with a car sell out well before the rooms do: book both on the same day. If you are staying in Portoferraio, board on foot, which costs much less, and rent a scooter on the island for beach days.
- Half board changes how prices compare: From June to September, many seafront hotels sell half board only. A July rate therefore does not compare with a May rate, and your dinner is decided in advance. If you want to eat in the village, choose a base where evenings are spent outdoors: Capoliveri, Porto Azzurro or the centre of Portoferraio.
- Between November and Easter, the island closes: Most hotels and all campsites close in winter, and ferries become less frequent. Out of season, aim for Portoferraio, where a few places stay open all year, and check the dates before buying your ticket.
- A south-west beach in August if you can't stand crowds: the coves of Fetovaia and Cavoli are small and fill up in the morning.
- An isolated hotel without a car: outside Portoferraio, buses run infrequently and nothing serves the coves.
- The east coast for a week of sand: you will mostly find coves and pebbles there.
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