Isola d'Elba, Italy

Idea About: place

Country: Italy

Isola d'Elba
Michael Joachim Lucke CC Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 License

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General Information

Description

Who could believe that Italian province of Tuscany has its own archipelago? When I think about archipelagos, I imagine Novaya Zemlya and Florida Keys, Maldives and Islands on the Great Barrier Reef, Micronesia and Polynesia, but Tuscany in Italy? Yet, there is the Tuscan Archipelago, a chain of seven islands between the Ligurian Sea and Tyrrhenian Sea, west of Tuscany. Elba, with population of 30,000 and territory of 224 sq. kilometers or 86.5 sq miles is the largest of all seven.

For the record, another islet belonging to Tuscan Archipelago is Montecristo (visible from Elba) which is really tiny - about 4.3 kilometers or 2.5 miles across at its widest point - and best known as a fictional place in The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, père. Before we get back to Elba, I would like to mention that The Montecristo is an Italian nature preserve and can be visited only with permit.

Elba, on the other hand, is a popular tourist destination known for its white sandy beaches and sparkling waters. Actually, Elba has rather rich history - mentioning of the island goes back to as far as 500 BC. Elba survived Etruscan and Roman periods; in Middle Ages island changed hands not once from Republic of Pisa and Cosimo I de' Medici to Spain and France. French emperor Napoleon I was exiled to Elba in 1814 and stayed on Elba for 300 days.

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What Makes It Special

To find a paradise like Elba, many people undertake long trips to remote locations like Maldives, Bermudas, Caribbean Islands. Yet, if you are in Europe or travel to Europe, you can find a real beaches and sun gem in the heart of Italy, Tuscany. Actually, Isola d'Elba offers much more than a sea.

Elba is part of Tuscan Archipelago (Tuscan Islands) National Park. Amazing landscapes alternate with romantic fishing villages and little hillside hamlets. Cliffs and grottos hide cozy little beaches with white splendid sand. Ancient castles, historic places and churches, green valleys and enchanted forests like in a Disney movie - all of this is available on Isola d'Elba with its classic maritime climate, with mild temperatures even in the winter months and few rainy days, especially in the summer.

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Directions To Destination

Since Elba is an island, there are only two ways to reach it - by sea and by air, and you can use both at any time of the year.
- By sea: use ferries or hydrofoil services all year round between Piombino (Italy mainland) and Portoferraio (capital of Elba). Departures are about every half hour at peak seasons, and it takes between 40 minutes and one hour to reach the island.
- By air: Elba is served by the airport at Marina di Campo. Direct international flights are usually available from/to Zurich, Munich, Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Bonn, Vienna, Bern. If you fly to Italy with the intention to reach Elba, your best bet is arrive to Pisa (from which you can use other means of transportation ).
- If you travel by car, you need eventually to get onto S.S. Aurelia road until Venturina-Isola d’Elba and then follow signs for Piombino Marittima to reach the port.
- If you travel by train, use Genoa-Rome line and get off at Campiglia Marittima and use frequent local train connections to the station at Piombino Marittima.
- On the island there is a bus service between all main towns and villages. You can also use taxi or hire a car.

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Best Time To Go

Summer and early fall.

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Where To Stay

Here are few hotel recommendations in Marciana:
- Hotel Barsalini Loc. S. Andrea, 57030 Marciana ($70 - $140) - cosy and family hotel, one of the best,
- Hotel Sant'Andrea, Loc. S. Andrea, 57030 Marciana (from $130) - one of the best hotels on island, excellent value.

Several good hotels on the other side of Elba in Capoliveri (south-east part of island) include:
- Casa Campanella Resort, Loc. Mola - Mazzacorta, 57031 Capoliveri ($150 - $450) offering large clean rooms in peaceful location among the greatest landscapes,
- Grand Hotel Elba International, Baia della Fontanella 1, 57031 Capoliveri ($150 - $550) - if you stay in this rather expensive for Elba hotel, make sure that you have a seaside view. Research and book hotels in or near Marciana, Italy

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Activities

You can do almost everything you can dream of during vacations: sailing, sea kayaking, mountain biking, excursions by boat or on feet, scuba-diving and snorkelling, trekking - you name it. Yet, unlike some other popular places on Italian Riviera, Elba is quite affordable. And if you do not like to do anything at all, just enjoy as Italians say dolce far niente: sweet doing nothing and enjoy sun, sand and amazing water not found elsewhere.

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Useful Visitor Information and Tips

Apart from sea and beaches, there are many place to visit; to name some of them: Villa dei Mulini, one time residence of Napoleon, the "piccola miniera" Mine and Etruscan Mine Museum. When you plan your trip, check local calendars of events for traditional folk festivals. Some of them are really good like the Inamorata Legend Pageant and Wine Festival. If it is your first time on the island, consider staying in the proximity of Capo Sant'Andrea, a little oasis tucked away on the north-west part of the island near Marciana. This place is one of the best and most charming place on Elba.

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Additional Information

Tags: Capoliveri; Capo Sant Andrea; Casa Campanella Resort; Elba; Grand Hotel Elba International; Hotel Barsalini; Hotel Sant Andrea; Isola Elba; Italy (9); Marciana; Marina di Campo; Montecristo; Piombino; Portoferraio; Tuscan Archipelago; Tuscany (4)

Web Sites: Capo Sant'Andrea Isola d'Elba
Elba Island: Hotels in Elba, Italy. Island of Elba:Diving,Trekking

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