The Italian island you may have never heard of - Elba Island - is a slice of tucked away paradise off the coast of Tuscany. Elba is a small island located in the Tuscan archipelago. Save this FREE guide to learn more about Elba Island for your next vacation to Italy.

Elba, Province of Livorno, Italy

Complete Guide to Elba Island

Beaches to Reach with a Car 🏖🏊‍♀️

Elba Island (Isola d'Elba) is a slice of paradise, in the Tyrrhenian Sea’s Tuscan Archipelago National Park. This island is known for its gorgeous beaches, and as Napoleon’s place of exile in 1814–15. 🕶👙

Views of the private beach from our hotel room balcony.

From the Tuscan town of Piombino it is very easy to reach this island by a 45 min ferry.⛴

From the town of Piombino, you can easily take the ferry (about 45 min) to a few different places on the island. I recommend taking it into Portoferrario, especially if you don't have a car. 

I don't recommend rushing your time on the island. Stay for at least 2 nights, 3 days but I highly recommend at least 3 nights are needed for full relaxation and time to explore. 🍴🏖⚓

This modest hotel was all about its views. With standard, clean rooms it made for a great landing point to quickly escape to the beaches. We had a private balcony overlooking the beautiful private beach, and free breakfast included.

Our free breakfast was simple, a coffee and an Italian cornetto (croissant) but what more do you need when this is the breakfast bar view. We came to the hotel's bar for lunches as well, with fresh seafood and killer views🤩

 Napoleon has been an extremely important character for the island, which still celebrates him and preserves his major works, such as villas, theatres, museums and houses.

A beautiful view overlooking the port awaits you from the fortress.

 One of the best examples of this is Villa dei Mulini. 

Elba is a stunning spot off the beaten path. It is not a typical tourist destination, so you’ll not find hordes of people or lines and crowds like in other Mediterranean islands. Usually Elba is mostly frequented by Tuscan residents and, if you want to avoid even those travelers, book a trip in Spring or early Autumn to have the island all to yourself.

At every restaurant you can enjoy fresh fish and seafood, from polpo (octopus) to cozze alla marinara, linguine allo scoglio, and calamari alla griglia.

Elba is home to many historical hamlets that have remained untouched and unchanged. You can easily discover its history seeping from the streets and walls of the old town.

There are so many wonderful spots to capture a breathtaking sunset overlooking the Tyrrenean Sea.

Lined with restaurants, cute boutiques, artisans selling crafts/artwork, and boats, the port area is very cute for an evening stroll on the way to/after dinner. 

For example, from Florence you can easily take the train (a few hours) to Piombino, walk to the port, and hop on the ferry. 

Buy your train/ferry tickets in advanced! 

Traghetti Elba - Offerte traghetti isola d'Elba - Orario e tariffe traghetto Elba

Portoferraio, Province of Livorno, Italy

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