A Tuscan jewel in the Tyrrhenian Sea (Elba)

Member Name: aoife74

Product:	Elba
Date:	23/05/06 (1287 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Sea, sun, mountains. There's something for everyone.

Disadvantages: A bit more expensive then the mainland. In August it's a disaster zone - too many people.

From Piombino, below Pisa and near Livorno, we took the car ferry 10km across to Portoferraio, the deepest port in the Mediterranean, on the Island of Elba. It was June, the perfect season to visit the island which can fill with Italians in July and August. August is a definite no to go there – endless queues in supermarkets and road accidents are frequent due to the narrow winding roads.

It was hot, but not too hot – ranging from 20°C to 30°C. Being an island there’s always a breeze and the evening temperatures are cooler and this means you can sleep. It’s not uncommon to see 1 or 2 fierce storms called ‘temporali’ but as the name implies they last for a short time and blow over soon enough.

My husband’s cousin has a holiday apartment near Portoferraio, the principal town on the island, and fortunately she invited us to stay. Accommodation can be expensive on Elba but if you choose to go in the spring, in June, September or October, prices are lower. There are plenty of apartments for rent and they’re definitely cheaper then hotels. Holiday villages, which are often called ‘camping’, usually have little chalets to rent. These villages vary in size and of course, the smaller ones offer more peace. It’s possible to find them with great facilities such as a swimming pool, a mini-market, afternoon entertainment for children, a restaurant/pizzeria etc. Most of the ‘campings’ are found right beside a beach. If we hadn’t had the apartment, we’d have chosen one of these villages.

If you want a beach holiday, you’ll find plenty to do if you chose your holiday village carefully. There is a bus service which allows you to visit the bigger towns on the island. Most of the holiday villages are around Marina di Campo, about 10km southwest of Portoferraio on the southern coast of the island.

If you want to truly discover the island, you need a car. By bicycle it would be possible, depending on how fit you are! There are lots of steep hills!

Elba island is quite small, it has 147km of coastline – 10km of which are beaches. It’s about 25km long. It’s hard to give the width a measurement as the island is in the shape of a fish, but in some parts it’s about 3km wide and in other parts about 15km. It’s possible to drive around the coastline in 2-3 hours. Beware roads can be narrow and windy.

A must is a stroll along the port of Portoferraio which is lined with massive yachts and cruisers of the rich and famous – not that I got to see anyone famous… Let’s say rich and possibly famous, definitely rich though.

From the terrace of our apartment we were able to look across the bay to Portoferraio, the busiest town on Elba. In the evenings, sitting there sipping chilled white wine, the view at sunset was spectacular.

Behind our little village, about 3km east of Portoferraio, on high sit the very suggestive ruins of an ancient castle. Nobody seems to know its history. It sits up there, unreachable, mysterious, seemingly hiding one or two secrets. We tried to reach it one day but without success. Apparently, you can’t unless you’re some sort of expert rock-climber. You can get reasonably close as the crow flies to take some photos. The Castello del Volterraio is surrounded by legend. One says that it was built for an Etruscan princess called Ilva.

Following the road past Volterraio, going east, you arrive in Rio Marina.
There are many references to the Island of Elba’s importance as a mine. It has a heart of iron and copper, mined by the Etruscans (Italy’s inhabitants before the Romans). We went east to Rio Marina where there is an open air mine. Here if you visit the museum you also have the option of an excursion to the mine where, after the tour, you can dig and bring home whatever you find. Advice: there are little shops nearby which sell little picks for digging – buy one before you go to the mine – actually buy one each because even if you think you won’t want to dig, you’ll find yourself fighting with your companion because you want their pickaxe. We had bought one for my 7 year old son who had seen them beforehand and fallen in love immediately (one of those male things). By the end of it my son patiently stood and watched as my husband and I took turns with the pick! We found several pieces of pyrite (false gold) and some wonderful purple granite – big pieces! We said to each other that there was no way that they were going to let us out of here with our arms laden. When we got to the exit they glanced at what we had found, smiled and said well done! Definitely worth a visit!

From Rio Marina, the road will bring you to the southern coast of the island and Porto Azzurro.
This is a town not to miss. Porto Azzurro is a beautiful port situated on the south coast, great in the evening for a stroll – it’s lovely little shops remain open ‘til late. Worth a visit is the Sanctuary of the Madonna of Monserrato which overlooks Porto Azzurro.

After Porto Azzurro, about 2km slightly south, is my favourite town, Capoliveri, which, situated on a peninsula, sits on a hill overlooking the sea. It’s pretty, quaint and full of character. We found it difficult to park – don’t even try inside the town. On the road up to the town, you’ll see the cars parked along the way. Even having to walk a little bit to get to the town was worth it. We went there late afternoon and were able to look out across the bay at the mysterious island of Montecristo and the super-protected island of Pianosa (more about Pianosa later). In the evening Capoliveri filled with people strolling along its streets which were lined with market stalls. The atmosphere was splendid – merry excitement but at the same time, relaxed.

From Capoliveri you can follow the southern coastline going the whole length of the island, which takes only about an hour. Along the way, you pass through Marina di Campo, a real seaside town – beaches and holiday villages galore.

Following this road, it will bring you right around to the north coast and you’ll pass 2 places that were recommended to us for their beautiful beaches – S. Andrea and Procchio. After S. Andrea the road brings you slightly inland – be aware, the road is lethal – to Marciana and then back down to the coast to Marina Marciana - where all the rich people hang out. If you keep going, after a few kilometres, you’re back in Portoferraio.

One of Elba’s treasures is her beaches, each one different from the next, so whatever one you stop at along the way, you’ll be awarded. Another treasure is her mountains. Elba has something to offer to sea lovers and mountain lovers alike. Passing through a seaside town, after 10 minutes it’s possible to look down on the same town from a mountain village. From Marina di Campo it’s possible to drive north up into the mountains and arrive in Marciana on the other side of the island – a beautiful drive.

If you like snorkelling, here you will be in heaven – apparently (as it’s something I can’t convince myself to do) it’s paradise below the surface and the variety and abundance of marine life incredible. It’s also possible to go deep sea diving, you’ll find advertisements for courses all over the place.

I can’t not mention Napoleon Bonaparte – even though I didn’t visit his house (my husband was just not interested) which is about 7km southwest of Portoferrario. Napoleon was in Elba from 1815 to about 1816. He, along with his sister Paolina, had quite an influence at the time on the island’s inhabitants. The island for a short while became Napoleon’s little empire – not a bad place at all to be exiled to!

There is a legend that says that Venus, the goddess of love, had a precious necklace. The necklace broke and the precious stones fell into the Tirreno sea and became islands. Today these islands are known as the Tuscan Archipelago: Gorgona, Elba, Capraia, Pianosa, Montecristo, Giglio, Giannutri.

There are boat trips to some of the islands and even around Elba itself which leave from any of the main towns – Portoferraio, Porto Azzurro, Marina Marciana and Marina di Campo. We took a boat trip to Pianosa, an extraordinary island that was once a high security prison. The prison is still there and in working order – the authorities boast that in a few hours it can be up and running if need be. The island is a natural park and under the protection of the state. It’s illegal to swim anywhere but the beach next to the port. It’s possible to go on a tour of the island but the whole island bar the port is a prison and so you must be accompanied at all times. There are still prisoners there – about 4 or 5 and the same number of prison guards. I went to the bar for a bottle of water and handed my money over to the prisoner who works behind the counter. Apparently, the prisoners are there as a prize for good conduct. Holiday prison, wow! Ending up in a prison like this could be something to be considered!

Food, as anywhere in Italy, is extremely good. The fish of course is out of this world. Prices here are a bit more expensive then on the main land but affordable nonetheless – €25-40 per person.

There’s no airport on Elba – the nearest is Pisa. Ferries leave frequently from Piombino and it’s possible to arrive and get a ticket without booking – as we did.

A holiday on the Island of Elba won’t be a disappointment. Two weeks should be sufficient to see and do everything.

Summary: There's something for everyone - the perfect holiday!