Tuscany stands for beautiful countryside, vineyards, Cypress trees and the perched villages but what about a beach holiday on Elba Island? 10km from the coast you will find : no mass tourism, turquoise waters, and the charm of Italy!
How to get to Elba island?
How to get to Elba Island from Pisa
The nearest airport to Elba Island is Pisa. From Europe it is also one of the cheapest to fly to in Italy with the low cost airlines. From Pisa it is 2 hours until Piombino where you will need to take the Ferry to Elba Island.
Ferry to Elba Island
4 different companies operate the transfer from Piombino to Elba and bring you to the main port : Portoferraio or to Cavo and Rio Marina.
It takes 45 minutes and it is best to book your ticket online in advance especially if you travel in the high season by car.
It will cost you around 50Euros per transfer with a car and around 20Euros without car.
Tip : it is best to rent a car online and take it from the mainland and not on Elba as it will be cheaper. Also the island of Elba is not small so it is best to have a car to go around.
Where to stay during your holiday to Elba island – Tips
During our holiday to Elba island we did glamping in Lacona. But there are many possibilities depending on what you are looking for.
Camping / Glamping on Elba
There are many campsites on Elba. We stayed at Camping dei Prati in Lacona. It is a lovely camping offering glamping options by Villatent. We stayed in a villatent for a week. The concept is that you stay on a camping, in a tent but with all the facilities that you could find in appartment. You sleep in a bed, have a bathroom with shower and toilet and you can cook in the kitchen. Perfect for families or group of friends.
Hotels in Elba – Tips
The most beautiful hotel on the island is most probably Hotel Hermitage*, a 5 stars situated right on the beach not too far from Portoferraio.
Similar to this standard you will also find Hotel Villa Ottone* or Baia Bianca suites* where you can have you own apartment with private pool.
If you are on a budget I also found a few hotels and bed and breakfast that looked very nice :
Casa Campanella resort in Capolivieri*
Ortano Mare Village in Rio Marina*
Residence della Luna in Porto Azzuro*
Airbnb in Elba
What to see on Elba island – Tips
Palazzina dei Mulini in Portoferraio
Elba Island is well known for it’s history because it was the exile of Napoleon. To know more about it visit the Palazzina dei Mulini, Napoleon’s former residence in Portoferraio!
Stroll in the cute villages of the island
Elba Island has some very cute villages. Perched villages and harbour towns.
Capoliveri is probably the most famous village on the Island and one of the biggest. There are any shops, restaurants and bars. Perfect to end up the day.
Not to miss are also Porto Azzuro and Rio Marina, two cute harbour villages.
The best view over Elba at Monte Capanne
Head to Marciana Alta, and take a cable-car to the top of Monte Capanne, the highest point on Elba for the best view over Elba.
Things to do on Elba island – Tips
Beside enjoying the beach, you might want to be a little bit active on the Island. There are many options both on sea and on land. Perfect for outdoor lovers and if you prefer a more chilled activity, you can go on a wine tasting or do some agrotourism.
Kayaking in Elba
Not all the coast of the island is accessible by foot, a good way to explore the coastline is to rent a kayak!
Go diving or snorkelling in Elba
With it’s clear water, Elba is a dream to whoever like snorkelling or diving. A famous site is accessible from Pomonte beach : “Relitto di Pomonte” where is a wrecked cargo ship.
Hiking in Elba
For hiking trails check this website.
Wine tasting on Elba Island
Elba is in Tuscany and Tuscany is well known all over the wine for it’s Chianti wine. Also in Elba there are many vineyards and some offer wine tasting. The speciality on the island is a sweet wine : Elba Aleatico wine. You can read about it and find some producers here.
Agrotourism on Elba Island
Elba only has 3 farm on the island. One of them in Lacona is owned by Sara. Sara moved to the island a few years ago because of her love for the animals and opened her farm with now 38 sheeps, and a few chickens where she does her own cheese but also cute items made out of wool by her and friends. Perfect if you are looking for a souvenir from Elba.
Beside this, Sara is a strong believer in sustainability and you can visit her to learn more about it.
Her shop Regali Rurali is open from 5pm to 7pm : Siamo in Via dei Vigneti, 61
57031 Lacona, Capoliveri – Isola d’Elba
Shopping on Elba Island
The most famous products on the island are the home and body fragrances by Acqua di Elba, a brand that creates perfumes inspired by the island of Elba. Perfect to bring a little bit of Elba at home after the holidays!
Also if you want to find local products you will want to visit a farmer market. There is one every day of the week on several places on the island :
- Mondays: Rio Marina
- Tuesdays: Rio nell’Elba and Marciana Marina
- Wednesdays: Marina di Campo,
- Thursdays: Capoliveri and Procchio
- Fridays: Portoferraio
- Saturdays: Porto Azzurro
- Sundays: Lacona
What are the best beaches on Elba – Tips
To be honest all beaches on Elba are very nice. Our camping was situated 10 minutes away from Lacona beach. Even though we explored many beaches we loved to go back to our beach every time. Indeed, parking is not easy on the island and it takes a while until you get a parking space.
Still, if you would like to explore some beaches here are the nicest :
- Capo Bianco in Portoferraio : probably the most famous beach on Elba with it’s white cliff. Water is clear so you can do some nice snorkeling but there is no sand. It is a pebble beach and parking is 12Euros for the day.
- Sansone in Portoferraio
- La Biodola in Portoferraio
- Prochchio in Marciana
- Sant’Andrea in Marciana
- Chiessi in Marciana
- Pomonte in Marciana
- Cavoli in Campo nell’Elba
- Fetovaia in Campo nell’Elba
- Lacona in Capoliveri
- Lido Capoliveri in Capoliveri
- Marina di Campo for it’s 2km long sand beach
Where to eat in Elba – Tips
Don’t miss the amazing Italian food while on Elba. Spaghetti alla cozze are a must!
Here are a few nice restaurant :
- La Fonte in in Sant’Ilario
- Osteria Al Moro
- Il vechhio Borgo in Capoliveri (seafood and fish)
- Osteria del Noce in Marciana ( pasta and fish)
- La Ferrigna in Portoferraio (pizza, fish and pasta)
- Le Palme teh best restaurant to watch the sun set over Portoferraio
Going out on Elba Island – Tips
Elba is rather a quiet Island but there are a few places to go out :
- Giannino in Marina di Campo for live music
- Club 64 in Portoferraio
- Mandel Club in Capoliveri
- Deco in Capoliveri
For more articles about Italy you can read :
Where to eat and go shopping in Bologna
Best beaches in Ancona and Surroundings in the Marche region
A Tuscany roadtrip itnerary to see the most beautiful towns in Tuscany + Wine tasting
All you need to know for one day in Cinque Terre
Bisou
Amandine
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