Elba in brief

Visit Elba for 156 beaches, diving, Napoleon’s home in exile, sea caves, a Roman shipwreck, historical churches and old forts.

Beach holidays in Elba

Elba is a beautiful island located off the coast of Tuscany in Italy, between the mainland and Corsica. It’s the third biggest Italian island after Sardinia and Sicily and the largest in the Tuscan Archipelago.

It perhaps best known for being where Napoleon was exiled in 1814, but there’s much more to Elba than this little piece of history. The island has 147 km of coastline and more than 150 beaches, with its terrain characterised by mountains, forests and scenic flat countryside.

There are many potential destinations for beach holidays in Elba; below are the most popular locations.

Cavoli

Cavoli is a renowned for its 300 m stretch of white sand with the occasionally rocky section, backed by cliffs. The area is named for the granite that used to be extracted here, and you can still see signs of this activity above Cavoli.

Part of the beach is home to the Grotta Azzurra (also known as Grotta di Mare) cave, which is accessible by boat or pedalo and well worth a visit. The beach as a whole is especially popular with young sunbathers.

Fetovaia

Located on the west coast of Elba, Fetovaia’s white sand beach is relatively short at 210 m long, but is also particularly wide and is lapped by beautiful clear waters. The beach is backed by a pine forest.

The beach’s popularity means it’s inevitably fairly crowded during the peak summer season, but there are quieter stretches of sand about 1.5 km away in Le Tombe and in Seccheto, nearly 2 km away.

Procchio

Located in Marciana, Procchio is one of the biggest beaches on Elba and is well-equipped with all the facilities you might need for a day on the sand.

One unique feature is the wreck of a Roman ship, which can be found around 11 m from the shore and 3 m underwater on the seabed. The ship was fully loaded with cargo when it sank and a haul of perfectly preserved amphoras was found when the wreck was discovered.

Marina di Campo

Formerly a fishing village, Marina di Campo is now a popular resort with a 2 km sand beach and numerous attractions of historical interest.

Look out for the 12th century tower on a rock at the end of the village and be sure to visit the nearby villages of Sant'Ilario and San Piero. There are also several old churches on the way to Monte Perone, along with Roman columns and a holy ground dating back 3,000 years at Monte Cocchero.

Biodola

Biodola beach is 750 m long and features golden sand set against Mediterranean forest. The area has all the amenities you might need, including restaurants and a diving centre.

The beach is located in Biodola Bay, where you’ll also find the beaches of Forno and Scaglieri.

Porto Azzurro

Porto Azzurro is situated in the Mola Gulf and is flanked by the forts of Focardo (17th century) and San Giacomo (constructed by the Spanish).

The beach is fairly compact and the town has plenty of shops, bars and restaurants for your beach holiday.