• Getting about

    Getting about

    Back
    • Rentals
    • Taxi services
    • Bus services
    • Park areas
  • Stays
  • Eat
  • Sea

    Sea

    Back
    • Beaches
    • Bathing establishments
    • Diving centers
    • Sailing
  • Guided excursions
  • Sports
  • Places to see
  • Special offers
  • Last minute offers
  • Ferries
Infoelba
  • Get to Elba
    • How to get there Getting to the Island of Elba
    • Ferries The shipping companies that connect the island
    • Getting about on the island Public transport and taxis
    • Hire Car, motorbike and boat hire/rental
  • Stay
    • Accommodation that is open all year round Booking a holiday farm centre, hotel or B&B all open in winter too
    • Hotels Hotels to meet all needs
    • Residences For an independent holiday
    • Bed & Breakfasts Always ready to discover the island
    • Apartments Feeling at home in Elba
    • Small villas and detached houses For an autonomous holiday
    • Villas Surrounded by luxury and relaxation
    • Farm holiday centres Nature and flavours everywhere
    • Campsites Socializing and having a good time surrounded by nature
    • Camper and caravan Parking, water tank and facility areas
    • Farm holiday campsites An open air holiday
    • Luxury accommodation For a dream vacation
    • Tourist agencies and realtors Let your holiday be organised for you
  • Eat
    • Restaurants and Pizzerias Typical sea, home or more refined cuisine
    • Food & Wine Experience Experiences of gastronomy and wine tasting
    • Local recipes The best dishes of the Elba cuisine
    • Wines Aleatico, Moscato and Ansonica: Elba wines
    • Herbs and typical products Honey, beer, oil, wild and aromatic plants
    • Typical dishes History and origins of Elba dishes
  • Useful information
    • ElbaOK Insurance The anti Covid-19 policy and much more
    • Useful phone numbers and addresses Public and emergency utilities
    • Weather Temperatures and weather forecast
    • Webcams A window always open on the Elbe
    • Apps for your smartphone Elba on your mobile
  • Visit Elba
    • Beaches and coasts A different beach each day
    • Places to see Museums, ancient monuments, breathtaking views
    • Tuscan Archipelago National Park Seven pearls rising up from the sea
    • Guided excursions Letting others take you round the island
    • Useful advice What to do if...
    • Maps of the Island of Elba The Island in the palm of your hand
    • I am... Elba just as it suits you
    • Recommended itineraries What can we go and see today?
  • Sports and free time
    • Water sports Scuba diving, going snorkelling, fishing, sailing
    • Land sports Cycling, trekking, free climbing!
    • Elba not to be missed The unmissable experiences to do on holiday
    • Outdoor sports Elba: A paradise for lovers of outdoor sports
    • Enjoyment and relaxation Night life, cinemas and much more
    • Courses and study trips Learn while you have fun
    • Shopping Scents, colors and flavors of Elba
    • Special events and exhibitions What shall we do this evening?
  • Discovering Elba
    • How many beaches are there in Elba? 126 beaches of 1000 colours
    • Paths and tracksin Elba 1000 paths to live the island to the full
    • Elba in winter Making the most of Elba all year round
    • Interesting facts A different Elba
    • History of Elba Historical notes concerning Elba and its origins
    • Geology of Elba Geological origins of the Island of Elba
    • Towns of Elba Administration of Elba and its eight Communes
    • Media Gallery Live and feel Elba through photographs
  • Webcams
Infoelba - Dove natura è vacanza
  • 0

The communes and towns on the Island of Elba

  • Looking for accommodation
  • Accommodation price and availability
  • Last minute booking
  • Offers
  • Ferry tickets
  • Real estate ads
  1. Island of Elba
  2. Discovering Elba
  3. Communes and towns
    • Campo nell'Elba
    • Capoliveri
    • Marciana
    • Marciana Marina
    • Portoferraio
    • Rio nell'Elba
    • Rio Marina
    • Porto Azzurro

Administration of Elba and its seven Communes

Population and areaStrange as it may seem, despite its mere 223,50 square kilometres, the Island of Elba is divided into  seven communes (that up till 2017 were actually 8) reminding us once again that up till a few years ago Elba was nothing more than a cluster of single towns,each very different from the next, each with habits, customs and economy all of its own.

Take San Piero and Marciana for example, only a few kilometres one from the other, but each with a completely different life style and economy: the former has an economy based on granite extraction, the latter, a mountainous town surrounded by chestnut trees, has always based its economy on agriculture, woodcutting and sheep farming; and what about the huge difference between Rio, a mining town, Porto Azzurro, a Spanish outpost, and Portoferraio, the main town whose walls gave hospitality to Cosimo de' Medici and Napoleon.

Even today the differences between one town and another can be clearly seen in their customs, their food and in their dialects, making the island even more fascinating and exciting.

Some interesting facts

  • The Island of Elba has a population of about 32.000, 12.000 of whom in the sole commune of Portoferraio.
  • The biggest commune is that of Portoferraio while the smallest is Marciana Marina measuring only 5,86 square kilometres.
  • The Island of Pianosa is part of the commune of Campo nell'Elba, while the Island of Montecristo is part of the commune of Portoferraio.
  • The biggest beach on the Island of Elba is in Marina di Campo, while the beach of Bagnaia is "contended for" by Portoferraio and Rio nell'Elba.
  • Napoleon Bonaparte was the first to unify the communes under one flag on the Island of Elba.
  • In February 2011, the Category Associations of the Island of Elba got together and formed a Committee in favour of the regional law that would make the eight communes into one for all the Island of Elba. After the petition had enough signatures, a referendum was held on April 21st and 22nd, but 60,35% voted against a single commune so things stayed as they are.
  • In 2017 the Mayors of Rio Marina and Rio nell'Elba organized a referendum so the two Communes could be made into one. The result of the referendum was approved by the Region on January 1st 2018, and since then the Commune of Rio became official.

Campo nell'Elba

The varied, high quality holiday accommodation makes this ancient sea town one of the island's most important holiday resorts
Sant'Ilario
Sant'Ilario, tiny Medieval town on the hills, with a beathtaking view of the gulf of Marina di Campo, on the Island of Elba.

San Piero
San Piero is a tiny town set on granite at the foot of Monte Capanne, part of the commune of Campo nell'Elba.

Seccheto
With a beautiful sandy beach and the cliffs nearby, Seccheto over the years has become a well known tourist attraction with a bathing establishment.

Capoliveri

The small commune of Capoliveri, high up on the hills, is today one of Elba's liveliest and most characteristic towns, rich in fascinating history.

Marciana

Marciana is a hillside town 375 metres above sea level, and is one of the oldest towns, rich in history and archeology.
Poggio
Quiet and peaceful ancient hillside town surrounded by chestnut trees and with a breathtaking view of the sea below.

Sant'Andrea
Sant'Andrea is also called "a tiny island within an island" because, thanks to its unique beauty, it is like no other town in Elba.

Patresi
The nature around the town of Patresi is one of the characteristics that help to make it a perfect holiday resort

Chiessi
Nature is one of Chiessi's strongpoints: on one side the valley with its many paths, on the other the sea and the cliffs.

Pomonte
A picturesque town divided by the sea and the mountains, a beautiful frame around the wonderful, homonymous valley rich in vine terracings, ditches and springs

Procchio
The tiny town of Procchio is in the Municipality of Marciana and is one of the busiest seaside resorts on the Island of Elba.

Marciana Marina

With its picturesque places, narrow, granite streets and pastel coloured houses looking out onto the sea, it is one of Italy's smallest communes.

Portoferraio

Portoferraio, main town on the Island of Elba, has very ancient origins and has always maintained its Renaissance beauty.
Bagnaia
Bagnaia, right on the beach at the furthermost point of the gulf of Portoferraio, is half part of the Comune of Portoferraio and half that of Rio.

Rio nell'Elba

Famous for its iron mines that date back to the Etruscan period, Rio nell'Elba was the mineral centre on the island until the ores were closed down.

Rio Marina

With the closure of the iron mines that made it the "Iron Capital", Rio Marina is now a flourishing beach resort.
Cavo
Cavo is a fully equipped beach resort, and the nearest place to the mainland.

Porto Azzurro

A lively, welcoming town with clear Spanish origins, at the foot of a promontory in the wide inlet on the eastern side of the island.

You might also like...

Island of Elba infopoint

Further reading

Population of the Island of Elba

Go now to...

Getting about on the island
Request a free quote
ElbaOk

Ensure your holidays with ElbaOK: the first insurance policy against any unexpected outcomes caused by the Coronavirus emergency, and much more.

Read more

  • Get to Elba
  • How to get there
  • Ferries
  • Getting about on the island
  • Hire
  • Stay
  • Accommodation that is open all year round
  • Hotels
  • Residences
  • Bed & Breakfasts
  • Apartments
  • Small villas and detached houses
  • Villas
  • Farm holiday centres
  • Campsites
  • Camper and caravan
  • Farm holiday campsites
  • Luxury accommodation
  • Tourist agencies and realtors
  • Eat
  • Restaurants and Pizzerias
  • Food & Wine Experience
  • Local recipes
  • Wines
  • Herbs and typical products
  • Typical dishes
  • Useful information
  • ElbaOK Insurance
  • Useful phone numbers and addresses
  • Weather
  • Webcams
  • Apps for your smartphone
  • Visit Elba
  • Beaches and coasts
  • Places to see
  • Tuscan Archipelago National Park
  • Guided excursions
  • Useful advice
  • Maps of the Island of Elba
  • I am...
  • Recommended itineraries
  • Sports and free time
  • Water sports
  • Land sports
  • Elba not to be missed
  • Outdoor sports
  • Enjoyment and relaxation
  • Courses and study trips
  • Shopping
  • Special events and exhibitions
  • Discovering Elba
  • How many beaches are there in Elba?
  • Paths and tracksin Elba
  • Elba in winter
  • Interesting facts
  • History of Elba
  • Geology of Elba
  • Towns of Elba
  • Media Gallery
  • Webcams

Infoelba non si assume alcuna responsabilità per l'uso di marchi e slogan usati dagli inserzionisti e per eventuali errate indicazioni.

Informa inoltre che i listini prezzi, orari, date o altro materiale informativo pubblicato su questo sito è suscettibile a variazioni.

:: Siete quindi invitati a chiedere conferma alle strutture interessate ::

Infoelba

©1999-2023 Infoelba s.r.l. Unipersonale - Viale Teseo Tesei, 12 - Centro Servizi Il Molino - 57037 Portoferraio (LI)

P. IVA e C.F. 01130150491 - capitale sociale €10.000,00 i.v. - registro imprese numero 01130150491 - REA: LI - 100635

infoelba® it is a registered trademark - all rights reserved - Accesso all'area riservata - Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy