The Island of Elba
The beautiful island of Elba can be found 10km off the coast of Tuscany. Hopping on a ferry from the port of Piombino is easy and pretty cheap if you steer clear of peak summer months. The island appears on the horizon 15-minutes in to the hour-long ferry ride and you’ll be struck by the lush, and green untouched mountains scattered with small colourful villages, and complimented by beaches where the water’s so clear, you’ll want to jump straight in!
Photos via ...
The entire island and the waters surrounding it are a protected National Park where building, fishing and hunting are closely controlled.
The ferry docks in Portoferraio, the largest town on the island with a bustling atmosphere, shops, clubs, restaurants, bars and a large market, every Friday morning. Portoferraio is home to both of Napoleon's villas. The coastal villa is perhaps more worthy of a visit - steeped in history with spectacular views out to sea.
A walk in the old town harbour is a must – just to see the mega yachts anchored here! The rich and famous are known to pull up and grab a pizza here, and sightings in recent years including Rod Stewart, Roberto Cavalli, and Tony Blair! If it’s pizza you're after Il Castagnaccio restaurant - just off the harbour serves fast and delicious pizzas with free chick pea bread for about six Euros a head.
Buses go all over the island from Portoferraio - but be warned. They're not as regular as you might hope and the roads are narrow and windy – so not ideal if you get travelsick!
The island thrives off tourism so you’ll find hotels and B&Bs everywhere or if you’re a happy camper, head south to Lacona’s Pineta - a stone’s throw from the beach. The island boasts a wealth of gold sandy beaches with volleyball and ice cream served from beach side bars. The best beaches include Cavoli, Fetovaia and Marina di Campo.
One of the most picturesque places on the island is the fishing village of Marciana Marina, on the north coast. At the foot of Monte Capanne - Elba’s highest peak, the village has three beautiful town squares, a long harbour, a quaint old town and a stony beach that’s a brilliant base for snorkeling.
La Scaletta Spaghetti and Pizza house is a fun place to have a hearty but cheap meal and if you want to treat yourself, Il Borgo restaurant in the old town looks out over the sea, and serves the freshest fish around. The host Maurizio is particularly charming!
To get the best view of the island take the rickety but safe cable car to the top of Monte Capanne. This takes about 20-minutes and the views are breath taking. On a clear day you’ll be able to see the totally flat prison island of Pianosa, Monte Cristo, Giglio and the French island of Corsica.
If you’re a walker there are plenty of exciting trails coming down from Monte Capanne - most of them weaving all the way down to the coast. If you can find the trail passes Luigi’s Restaurant then stop and have lunch. It’s a quirky, quiet and tranquil spot that a lot of people don’t know about, and with wild boar pasta, and hog roast there’s plenty to satiate the hungry rambler here!
There are so many hidden gems on this island when it comes to restaurants, swimming, hiking, history and more. Better yet with the island being so small, it’s easy to fit it all into one week.
- Jackie Vitiello
