Picking a beach on Isola d'Elba comes down to your preference; brushing fine white sand that resembles talcum powder off your feet or tip-toeing across warm sun-bleached pebbles?
Isola d'Elba has over 100 beaches and beautiful villages on the water's edge. It has a total coastline stretching 147 km around its land mass of 223 sq km, making it the third largest island in Italy after Sardinian and Sicily. Most ferry routes run from Piombino Marittima port to Portoferraio port—a distance of about 22km. Portoferraio is the most populated town, with 12,000 souls, and the island's total population is 32,000. Often referred to as the 'pearl' of Italian islands, Isola d'Elba is a haven of natural habitats for marine life and wild nature in its hills, while turquoise waters incessantly swell at the base of sheer red cliffs where magical rock formations have been carved out over eons.
Legends and myths surround the island, and many are celebrated annually. The myth behind a torchlight procession on Innamorata Beach near Capoliveri involves lovers, barbarians, and throwing oneself into the sea. Meanwhile, Ghiaie Beach near Portoferraio, a narrow stretch of beach smothered in white pebbles spotted with black marks, is believed to have been created by the dark stains of sweat of the heroic Argonaut sailors who discovered the island.
The beaches on Elba may be the main event of your stay, but there is so much more than splashing in aquamarine water; the hills with quaint villages, woodlands of critters, ancient forts, castles, and churches to poke around. Most of the accommodation sits on the northern coastline, but there are gems hidden in the hills that shouldn't be ignored, and holiday villas etched into cliffs overlooking small fishing harbors that literally take your breath away.
Fetovaia Beach
Fine golden sand and sheltered from the wind, Fetovaia has a rugged sun-kissed promontory cloaked in masses of fragrant scrub—one of the favorite beaches on Elba, it's usually quite crowded. If you want to run from the crowds, head to the smooth granite slabs on the left, a sun-worshipping haven.
Biodola Beach
An enchanting bay, Biodola Beach is nature's beauty showcase with unbelievable blue-green crystal water gently sloping down into the depths. It is a stunning bay like a natural amphitheater surrounded by hills smothered in Mediterranean bush with fine sand running into the water. It's perfect for scuba diving and water skiing. Biodola Beach is open to north-westerly winds but not the southerly blusters. Unlike others, there isn't a village on the water's edge.
Laconella Beach
Closeted in a natural wonderland that’s totally unspoiled, Laconella Beach is perfect for the snorkeling junkie. Marked by spectacular V-shaped cliffs of Punta Contessa jutting into the ocean, the clear waters open out to the Gulf of Lacona. A sunny spot away from crowds with delicate white sand.
Calanova Beach
Perched on the island's eastern side with a view of the back of Fort Focardo, it's not easy to reach overland—take a boat ride to this rugged and wild beauty, where you won't find another soul to invade your peace and serenity. There is a small jetty for adventure seekers who don't wish to jump out of a boat into the clear water. Calanova Beach is a small sandy beach where only untamed Mediterranean scrub disturbs its shoreline.
Shipwreck Beach
Shipwreck Beach is located near Pomonte in the south-western area of the island. It's a party place for windsurfers and an incredible beach for divers and snorkelers. The shipwreck of Elviscot, a merchant ship that sank in the 1970s, is home to many marine creatures. You can see the wreck from the water's surface, as the water is like a looking glass, and the wreck rests only ten meters down.
Cavoli Beach
The most famous beach on Isola d'Elba, Cavoli Beach, faces south, protected from northern winds by Monte Capanne. With its perfect location in an idyllic inlet of sun-drenched golden sand, surrounded by hills draped in natural scrub, it's heaven for a swim even during the low season because of its totally unique microclimate. If you want to avoid jumping over everyone's towels and dodging umbrellas, head to the western side of the beach. For the music divas who love to party during July and August, head to the eastern side of the beach.
Innamorata Beach
One of the wildest beaches on the island, Innamorata Beach, sits beside an old iron mine with the Gemini Islands close by that can be reached by canoe or swimming. Protected from the wind, it's the ultimate escape from crowds. At the foot of soaring cliffs, a small sandy beach leads into the azure water over a seabed smothered in marine fauna that begs to be explored by snorkel. On the left side of Innamorata Beach is Punta delle Ciarpe, while on the right are the rocky formations of Punta di Pareti.
Capo Bianco Beach
Make sure you wear your sunglasses when you hit this beach, as it's blinding white from the fine sand right up to the crowning green Mediterranean scrub nestled on top of the cliffs. The exquisite lucid blue water lapping the shoreline presents a beach scene like no other in its perfection. From here, sunsets take on a whole new meaning of beauty.
Ghiaie Beach
If you are into night diving, Ghiaie Beach has a lighting system that allows you to indulge in your passion. Located in the northeast of the island, this beach is famous for its prolific underwater life and its grey-blue pebbles.
There are so many beaches on Isola d'Elba of unrivaled beauty that it's hard to list them all here. Also, one can only describe the beaches as perfect, stunning, or breathtaking in so many ways—the same can be said about the color and the clarity of the water washing the shoreline. Isola d'Elba has a beach perfect for everyone, from the crowded to the remote and rugged.
Gail Palethorpe, a self proclaimed Australian gypsy, is a freelance writer, photographer and eternal traveller. Check out her website Gail Palethorpe Photography and her Shutterstock profile.
