Elba is the biggest island in the Tuscan Archipelago and the third biggest in Italy, after Sicily and Sardinia. The ferry from Piombino to Portoferraio, the main town, takes about an hour.
Napoleon was exiled here in 1814 and stayed about ten months before slipping back to France. You can visit both his homes, the Palazzina dei Mulini in Portoferraio and the Villa San Martino just outside. Elba’s iron ore was mined from Etruscan times until the 1980s, and Rio and Capoliveri grew up as mining villages. In the west, Monte Capanne climbs to just over 1,000 metres, and a little open cabin lift goes up from Marciana.
Elba has seven comuni today, since Rio Marina and Rio nell’Elba joined together as Rio in 2018. Campo nell’Elba also takes in the island of Pianosa, and Portoferraio takes in Montecristo.
There are 7 towns (comuni) here, with 79 villages and hamlets between them. Each town has its own section below, with its villages listed in alphabetical order. The lists come from my own records, so the odd tiny hamlet may be missing.
Elba is part of the province of Livorno. For the mainland towns and Capraia, see the Livorno page.
Jump to a town
Campo nell’Elba · Capoliveri · Marciana · Marciana Marina · Porto Azzurro · Portoferraio · Rio
Campo nell’Elba
Villages (16)
Bonalaccia – Filetto, Cavoli, Colle di Palombaia, Fetovaia, Gli Alzi, La Foce, La Pila, La Serra, Le Formiche, Marina di Campo, Pianosa, Pomonte, San Piero in Campo, Sant’Ilario, Seccheto, Secchetto
Capoliveri
Villages (17)
Badisugarello, Barabarca, Carubo, Castagni, Gualdo, Innamorata, Lacona, Le Lecce, Le Ripalte, Lido, Madonna delle Grazie, Mola, Molino, Morcone, Naregno, Norsi, Pareti
Marciana
Villages (15)
Aia, Campo all’Aia, Chiessi, Colle di Procchio, Colle d’Orano, La Guardia, Maciarello, Madonna del Monte, Marmi, Mortaio, Poggio, Pomonte, Procchio, Sant’Andrea, Zanca
Marciana Marina
Villages (1)
Bagno – Sprizze
Porto Azzurro
Villages (1)
Mola
Portoferraio
Villages (23)
Acquabona, Acquaviva, Bagnaia, Biodola, Brunello, Campitelle, Carpani, Casa del Duca, Le Foci, Magazzini, Monte Fabrello, Montecristo, Picchiaie, San Giovanni, San Martino, Santo Stefano, Scaglieri, Schiopparello, Scotto, Val di Piano, Valcarene, Valle di Lazzaro, Viticcio
Rio (formerly Rio Marina and Rio nell’Elba)
Rio Marina villages (4)
Capo d’Arco, Cavo, Ortano, Villaggio Togliatti
Rio nell’Elba villages (2)
Bagnaia, Nisporto
I’m adding proper pages for the towns and villages bit by bit, so do pop back. For the rest of Tuscany, head back to Villages of Tuscany.
