Just off the coast of Tuscany lies Elba, an Italian island best known as the place where Napoleon spent part of his exile. But Napoleon is not really the reason I became so fond of the island. Elba is all about variety. One moment you are standing on a white pebble beach or wandering through a lively harbour town, then not much later you are following narrow, steep roads and hairpin bends high into the densely wooded mountains. Along the way you pass small mountain villages as well as remote places where you start to wonder whether anyone still lives there at all. It is exactly this variety that makes Elba so enjoyable to explore. These are the things I think are most worth doing and seeing on the island.
Read this article in DutchHead to the top of Monte Capanne
At 1,019 metres, Monte Capanne is the highest mountain on Elba and one of those places you really should not miss. You can hike to the top, but the climb takes around three hours and involves roughly 600 metres of elevation gain. It is quite a climb. An easier option, and perhaps just as much fun, is the cable car from Marciana. And by cable car, I do not mean a comfortable enclosed cabin that gently carries you up the mountain. Here, two people step into a small yellow open cage and travel up standing inside it. Once you reach the top, you can see across almost the whole of Elba and, on a clear day, the surrounding islands as well.
Explore Elba’s mountain villages
For me, much of Elba’s charm is not found by the sea, but higher up in the mountains. Small villages are scattered across the island, with narrow streets, old stone houses, little squares and steps. Lots and lots of steps. Every now and then, the streets open up to beautiful views across the mountains and out towards the sea. Marciana is a good example, as are Poggio, Rio nell’Elba, Sant’Ilario in Campo and San Piero in Campo. Park on the edge of the village and simply take some time to wander around. You can often explore one of these villages in about an hour, which makes it easy to combine several during a day of driving around the island. We travelled to Elba with our own car and found having a car on the island ideal for reaching the smaller villages and more remote places too.
Take a boat trip and go snorkelling
Elba looks completely different from the water. The coastline is dotted with rocky stretches, small coves and beaches that are difficult or sometimes impossible to reach from the road. A boat trip is therefore one of the nicest ways to see more of the island. We took a trip along the southern coast, stopping regularly to swim, paddleboard and snorkel. The water around Elba is incredibly clear in many places and once you put on a mask and snorkel, there are fish everywhere. If you are lucky, you may even spot dolphins during the trip. You can join an organised boat tour, but small boats are also available to hire in several places around the island if you prefer to explore the coast independently.
Find Elba’s most beautiful beaches
It is almost impossible to spend time on Elba without ending up on the beach for a few hours every now and then. What makes the island particularly interesting is how different its beaches can be. There are sandy beaches, dark pebble beaches and stretches of almost white stones beside intensely blue water. On the northern side of the island, for example, you will find Spiaggia di Capo Bianco and Spiaggia della Padulella. Here, the pale pebbles and rocks give the water an almost Caribbean shade of blue. There is a reason these beaches are popular and they can become quite busy during the peak summer season. Do not limit yourself to the best known names though. The lesser known beaches are often considerably quieter.
Eat in the lively harbour towns
After a day of driving, swimming or hiking, there are few things better than sitting down at a terrace beside the water. Elba has several attractive coastal towns where restaurants and terraces cluster around the harbour. Capoliveri is not directly on a harbour, but it has a lovely atmosphere in the evening. Marciana Marina, Porto Azzurro, Portoferraio and Cavo are good choices if you want to eat close to the water. Fish and seafood naturally feature heavily on menus, but you will also have no trouble finding pizza, pasta and other Tuscan dishes. After dinner, take some time to walk along the harbour or through the streets. As the temperature begins to drop in the evening, many of these towns really come to life.
Watch the sunset at Sant’Andrea
On Elba’s northwestern coast, Sant’Andrea is one of my favourite places to watch the sunset. Beside the small beach are large, smooth granite rocks, some of them almost completely flat. They are perfect for spreading out a towel at the end of the afternoon and watching the sun slowly sink into the sea. It is worth arriving earlier because this is also a lovely place for swimming and snorkelling. The rocks are especially fun for children, with several spots where they can jump straight into the clear water below.
Go kayaking along the coast
If you want to see the coastline up close and find hidden little beaches, hire a kayak. It allows you to reach places that are much harder to access by car or on foot. You can paddle alongside rocky cliffs and into small coves, stopping along the way for a swim or some snorkelling. Kayaks are available to hire at various places along the coast, whether you want one for an hour or for the entire day. If you would rather go with someone who knows the area, guided kayak tours are available too.
Look for the best viewpoints
You do not have to make much effort to find a good view on Elba. Because the island is so mountainous, you constantly come across places where you can look out across the landscape, coastline and sea. Around Marciana and Poggio in particular, and throughout the western part of Elba, the roads regularly climb high above the coast and the views can be spectacular. Monte Capanne is of course one of the best known places for a panoramic view, but it is also worth stopping at the smaller viewpoints you pass along the road. Many have no official name or sign. Sometimes those unexpected roadside stops turn out to have the best views of all.
Drive the coastal road in western Elba
If you are exploring Elba by car, make sure you include the western coast. For me, the coastal road here is one of the most beautiful drives on the island and the landscape feels quite different from other parts of Elba. In many places the road winds high above the coast, with mountains on one side and steep cliffs dropping towards the sea on the other. Far below, you can see small beaches and coves tucked between the rocks, sometimes reached only by a steep road or walking trail. The views alone make it worth driving the entire coastal road, with plenty of stops along the way.
Hire a scooter and explore Elba on two wheels
A scooter suits Elba surprisingly well. It gives you plenty of flexibility, parking is easier in villages and near beaches and you experience much more of your surroundings than you do from inside a car. Distances around the island are relatively short too. Keep in mind, however, that Elba’s roads can be very winding and often steep. Before hiring a scooter, check carefully which licence is required for the type you want to ride. If you have little experience riding a scooter or driving in mountainous areas, do not underestimate the roads. Narrow lanes, steep sections and hairpin bends can make riding here quite challenging, even if you have the correct licence.
Put on your hiking shoes
Elba is much more than a beach destination. The island has an extensive network of walking trails through the mountains, along the coast and through wooded areas. You can take a short walk to a viewpoint or beach, but there are also trails that will keep you out for much of the day. One of the best known long distance routes is the Grande Traversata Elbana, which crosses the island from east to west. You certainly do not need to walk the entire trail. Individual sections work well for shorter hikes too. During the hot summer months, it is best to set off early and carry plenty of water. We walked the circular trail near Monte Serra, for example, a relatively short route that worked perfectly at the end of an extremely hot day.
Take the smaller roads through the mountains
One of the most enjoyable things to do on Elba is actually very simple. Get in the car and drive. As soon as you leave the main roads, you find yourself on narrow mountain roads where the traffic becomes lighter and the views increasingly impressive. At times the road twists high above the sea, while elsewhere you drive through forests and tiny hamlets. There is no need to plan every part of your route in advance. By occasionally turning onto a smaller road, you discover a very different side of Elba from the one you see when travelling only between the popular coastal towns.
Discover remote ruins and abandoned places
One of the advantages of taking those remote mountain roads is that you come across places you would probably never see otherwise. Old walls, abandoned buildings, tiny chapels and ruins sometimes appear between the trees or against a mountainside. Some have a clearly documented history and are marked on maps, while others seem to appear almost by chance. That is part of what makes driving around Elba so much fun. We followed the SP37 towards Monte Perone and passed the medieval Torre di San Giovanni and the remains of the 12th century Romanesque Pieve di San Giovanni in Campo. In places, the road feels more like a cycle path than a road intended for cars. Two vehicles would have no chance of passing each other along many sections and there are very few places to pull over. Fortunately, we did not meet any oncoming traffic.
Experience a local festival
If you happen to be on Elba when a village festival, market or other local event is taking place, go and have a look. During the summer months, villages around the island host festivals, concerts, markets and religious celebrations. These are the moments when you get to see a very different side of Elba from the beaches and summer visitors. Ask at your accommodation what is happening during your stay, look out for posters and notices in the villages or simply see what you come across. The last option might actually be the most fun.
Late one afternoon, we visited Rio nell’Elba and noticed what looked like some kind of course being built through the steep streets. After asking around, we discovered that the Gara dei Barroccini was taking place that evening, a traditional race in which locals speed downhill through the village in homemade, non motorised carts known as barroccini. We changed our plans to have dinner on the coast and stayed in Rio nell’Elba instead. It turned out to be a great decision. Standing among local residents and watching a tradition we had never even heard of before was one of those unexpected experiences that made the evening particularly memorable.
Follow in Napoleon’s footsteps
It is almost impossible to visit Elba without encountering something connected to Napoleon. Napoleon Bonaparte was exiled to the island in 1814 and spent around ten months here before returning to France. In and around Portoferraio, you can visit several places associated with his time on Elba. The best known are Palazzina dei Mulini, his residence in Portoferraio and Villa San Martino, his country residence a little further inland. Even if you are not particularly interested in history, it is worth learning a little about this unusual chapter in Elba’s past.
Admire the yachts in Portoferraio harbour
Portoferraio is not only worth visiting during the day. In the evening, the harbour is a lovely place for a walk. Large sailing yachts and luxury motor yachts line the waterfront and there is absolutely nothing wrong with having a good look at them as you wander past. Some are so enormous that they look more like floating hotels. Of course, half the fun is wondering who on earth might be on board. Combine a walk around the harbour with a wander through Portoferraio’s old centre and make sure you stop for a gelato. It is a lovely way to end a day on Elba.
Stay somewhere that suits your trip
Although Elba is not a particularly large island, where you stay can make quite a difference to your trip. If you like being able to walk to restaurants and enjoy some atmosphere in the evening, Portoferraio, Porto Azzurro, Capoliveri and Marciana Marina are all worth considering. If you prefer somewhere quieter, there are plenty of small scale accommodations, apartments and houses outside the larger towns, often closer to nature. We spent nine nights at Vistamare La Fonte, part of Elba Island Resort in Nisporto on the northern side of the island. Every trip from here begins with a steep, winding road, but in return you get plenty of peace and a completely different atmosphere. My advice is not to focus only on how close you are to the island’s sights. Think instead about what matters most during your stay. Perhaps you want restaurants and evening life nearby, a beach within walking distance, beautiful views or simply somewhere quiet. The three accommodations below are well reviewed and offer good value for money.
Hotel Plaza
Hotel Punto Verde
Hotel Dino
Take your time on Elba
Elba looks small on a map, which makes it tempting to fit as much as possible into each day. But distances do not tell the whole story here. Narrow roads twist through the mountains and some are surprisingly steep. You will find yourself stopping at viewpoints all the time and every now and then you come across a beach, village or little spot where you decide to stay longer than planned. That is why I would not plan a trip to Elba too tightly. Choose one part of the island each day, combine a few places you really want to see and leave enough time for whatever you discover along the way. For me, those unexpected stops are exactly what makes exploring Elba so enjoyable.
