Elba

Elba is an island in Tuscany.

Napoleon was banished to the island and both of his homes (summer & winter) are available to tour. You can hike, bicycle, swim, or walk around the plaza at night with the locals. It is incredibly beautiful, with small towns (for example Portoferraio, Capoliveri, Porto Azzurro, Marciana Alta, Marciana Marina, Marina di Campo, Rio Marina, and Rio nell'Elba) set on hilltops and castles. There are flowers galore and the interior of the island is full of old, little viewed churches.

• Little Mine, Via Provinciale Est, +39 0565 920961.
• Sapere Archeological Museum, Mola, +39 056595033.
• . Fetovaia, a great beach that you can reach by bus.

Little Mine, Via Provinciale Est, +39 0565 920961.

Sapere Archeological Museum, Mola, +39 056595033.

Napoleon's homes, bike, go to any one of 10 -12 beaches, drink some local wine, hike, visit as many old castles and churches as you can. Takes about 3 days to see the island and that still leaves many areas untouched. In summer, Elba becomes a day-tripper's nightmare with people from the mainland.

• Marelinosub, Madonna delle Grazie, +39 333 380 57 51. The small familiar dive school, offers you some of the best dive sites in the Mediterranean Sea. Marelinosub is managed by a Swiss dive instructor, how offers different SCUBA courses. € 350.- for PADI Open Wather Diver course.
• Hiking trip on the island of Elba. Going hiking on Elba means following thousands of years of its inhabitants history, from prehistoric caves to ancient stone villages, finding Etruscan furnaces and forts, visiting antique granite quarries where Romans “worked” columns. You could relive the Saracen raids, visiting battlefields, defensive forts and destroyed villages that have never been rebuilt. Walking on Elba means you’ll discover and get to know all this and more thanks to the enormous concentration of sites that this small and great island offers. What is more, the Island of Elba’s hiking routes offer a variety of itineraries for views, vegetation and level of difficulty, ranging from paths hidden in Mediterranean vegetation, to hiking itineraries through woods and routes in the mountains. All the trips are guided and include transport to the departure points and technical assistance.

Marelinosub, Madonna delle Grazie, +39 333 380 57 51. The small familiar dive school, offers you some of the best dive sites in the Mediterranean Sea. Marelinosub is managed by a Swiss dive instructor, how offers different SCUBA courses. € 350.- for PADI Open Wather Diver course.

Hiking trip on the island of Elba. Going hiking on Elba means following thousands of years of its inhabitants history, from prehistoric caves to ancient stone villages, finding Etruscan furnaces and forts, visiting antique granite quarries where Romans “worked” columns. You could relive the Saracen raids, visiting battlefields, defensive forts and destroyed villages that have never been rebuilt. Walking on Elba means you’ll discover and get to know all this and more thanks to the enormous concentration of sites that this small and great island offers. What is more, the Island of Elba’s hiking routes offer a variety of itineraries for views, vegetation and level of difficulty, ranging from paths hidden in Mediterranean vegetation, to hiking itineraries through woods and routes in the mountains. All the trips are guided and include transport to the departure points and technical assistance.

Sopping isn't what you might expect but the island is for experiencing local ambiance, including some local wines. Local limoncino (lemon liqueur) is also worth tasting.

• . There are some shops in Portoferraio (the island's capital) but a very good place for shopping, relaxing and walking in the evenings is Marciana Marina. There are nice shops there where you can get designer sunglasses, Ralph Lauren clothes etc. It's like a more preppy version of St. Tropez.

Seafood is fresh, and the bread is what you were dreaming about. Get the Italian version of steak and try the bread and tomato salad.

Some local wines, and the local water tastes great.