Isola D'Elba Italy

The car we rented at the airport was a black Alfa Giulietta diesel. Diesel are the most economical and are driven by most Europeans. We left our castle and headed to the coast line.

The Isle of Elba is an island of the coast of Mainland Italy. During the 10 months of Napoleons brief exile, he left behind a significant heritage. He may have been exiled there but he was still the sovereign of Elba.

The island is a tourist mecca during summer with Italians and other nationalities frequenting it's lovely coast line and enjoying the beach life. It has a mild climate year round and is the 3rd largest Tuscan Island.

Elba is accessible by ferry and the drive from Rome took about an hour . The ferry crossing starts at Piombino and can take between 1/2 - 1 hr depending on the sea conditions. There are plenty of places to buy your ticket for the crossing but it can be quite expensive. For us  - 2 passenger and our car it was around €150 return.  Our trip to Elba was quite windy but nonetheless a pleasant trip across.

Ferry ride across to Portoferrario

We chose to stay at Hermitage Hotel localita Biodola S7037 Portoferraio. With its own private beach. We had breakfast included but found out at arrival they did half Pensione. A great option as dinner is 3 course plus buffet salad and dessert. Well worth the extra €42 per night.

We enjoyed the outdoor restaurant with views over the pool and the ocean at lunch. There were choices from wood oven pizza to 3 course meals. I must say we never had a bad meal, it was all delicious typically Italian fare...a joy to the tastebuds.

The wood fired Italian pizza's were delicious!

Our room was very spacious with a balcony overlooking the sea and beach.

The beach at Hotel Hermitage is a stretch of white sand, with clear blue water. Surrounded by lounge chairs and umbrellas. This Hermitage resort included the use of lounge chairs if you stayed there. Further along the beach there were lounge chairs to rent or if you can find a spot somewhere, to put down your towel.

Being there in September, we were at the tail end of the season so although they were quite busy, it's not as crowded as peak season (July/August). Although they have many long weekenders till the end of October.

Portoferraio the Iron Port, began its boom during the exile of Napoleon when he made Elba a territory fit for an Emperor.  Elba became one of the largest iron mills exporting to the mainland.
Portoferrario has a great history and its a melting pot of cultures due to the migration of wealthy people during Napoleons reign. The Port area itself is a step back in time especially in the old city and the museums and its all well worth a see.