BEACHES

The Island of Elba is called the Pearl of the Tyrrhenian Sea due to the legend of the goddess Aphrodite who, letting her necklace of pearls slip into the sea, gave birth to the Tuscan Archipelago and Elba is the largest of those pearls.

What is certain and proven is that Elba is of unique beauty and charm. 150 kilometres of coastline where a multitude of beaches, inlets and breakwaters alternate.
The reason for this variety is that Elba is an open-air Mineralogical Museum, a definition given by Bernardino Lotti, an important geologist of the late-nineteenth century. Therefore, if for geologists Elba is a paradise, for those of us who are not experts, it still impresses us as we contemplate the various colours that take on a life of their own in every corner we set our gaze.

We have the east coast (Porto Azzurro and Rio) characterised by the overwhelming presence of iron,beaches with bright reddish or black sand with breakwaters ranging from sulphur yellow to purple. Beaches in the area: Barbarossa – Reale – Laghetto di Terranera – Topinetti – Cala Seregola.

The southern coast (Capoliveri) has the greatest number of beaches and is characterised by an emerald sea. Beaches in the area: Zuccale – Lido – Felciaio – Norsi – Lacona.

The northern coast (Portoferraio) with a prevalence of beaches with white gravel, gives the sea its famous aquamarine colour. Beaches in the area: Sansone – Sottobomba – Capo Bianco – Padulella.

The west coast (Marciana and Marina di Campo) with its famous white sandy beaches and its cliffs of granite, offers lunar and primordial landscapes. Sant’Andrea – Cotoncello – Fetovaia – Le Piscine – Cavoli.