Portoferraio 100

Go on a delightful day trip to Elba Island from Livorno some day and visit five incredibly beautiful churches here. Why not hire some bikes or hike to these historical gems so you can fully appreciate the sheer beauty of Elba, the largest island in the Tuscan archipelago.

Stay in a stunning holiday villa on Elba Island where you can easily explore all this picturesque place has to offer!

Begin your tour with the well preserved Chiesa di San Giovanni in Campo, overlooking the towns of Sant‘Ilario and San Piero in Campo.

Sail out to Elba Island of the Tuscan archipelago to explore the fascinating ruins of Medici fortifications built here. In the 16th century King Carlo V gave ownership of the island’s town, Portoferraio to the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo de’ Medici who then named it ‘Cosmopoli’.

Soon afterwards Cosimo sent a team of skilled architects to transform Portoferraio into an impressive walled town of towers, bastions and ramparts.

This fortified town was to act as a military defensive post against Turkish attacks.

Tuscany is an incredibly popular and famous tourist and holiday destination but many do not think of, or know much about, her stunning coastline. Tuscany - in addition to being a perfect place for those interested in her history, culture, art, hearty cuisine, and beautiful and verdant landscap - makes for an ideal seaside getaway. The region is home to a long coastline and a cluster of gorgeous islands, all of which boast pretty little seaside towns, perfect beaches, interesting coastal walks, excellent seafood, and plenty of outdoor pursuits, activities, and watersports to keep you entertained. Whether you just want a quiet and relaxing break in which deciding what to eat and taking in the sea air are all that occupies your days, you want to stay active by trying new things and having adventures, you want to splash in the water and make memories with your children, you want to go for romantic strolls along the beach, or you want to photograph the diverse and beautiful landscape, a seaside vacation in Tuscany can offer all that and more.

One particular stretch of the Tuscan Coast that we would recommend, if you're thinking about a holiday in the area is Portoferraio. Portoferraio is a port town on the Tuscan island of Elba, an island most famous as the place to which Napoleon was exiled. The town was enriched by his presence, which drew visitors and made it more of a cultural hub than one might expect. Today, it remains charming, picturesque, fascinating, a little frozen in time, and quite surrounded by truly beautiful beaches including...

Napoleon was very famously temporarily exiled, after his forced abdication in 1814, to the island of Elba, the idyllic Tuscan island that is the third largest in Italy – hardly what most would call a “punishment”! In fact, he lived very well on the island and even had two different dwellings for the 300 days that he spent there. Villa dei Mulini was one and the other was Villa San Martin. Villa dei Mulini, also known as Palazzina dei Mulini (Palace of the Mills), is located in Portoferraio and was chosen by Napoleon as his state residence.

Whether it is your first trip to Italy for your 100th, there are always new sites and sounds to take in thanks to the rich history and amazing culture. While many first-time visitors understandably spend much of their time visiting some of the more well-known tourist locations, there is a wealth of things to see and do throughout Italy, and in Tuscany in particular, that will surprise and delight you, not to mention keep you coming back time and again.

Here we are going to show you a side of the Isola d’Elba that you might be unfamiliar with. If you want to see it with your eyes, browse our vacation rentals in the area, and come to visit this amazing place.

You are more than likely familiar with Napoleon, at least by name and reputation. What you may not know is that he spent almost a year in exile on the beautiful Italian island of Elba from 1814 to 1815.

Although originally used for little more than the rich iron deposits that were found throughout the island, it is probably best known now as the location of some of the houses that Napoleon lived in during this period of his life.