Made famous to the international public thanks to the famous novel "The Count of Monte Cristo" by the French writer Alexandre Dumas, the island is located south of the Island of Elba, about 45 km away.

Composed mainly of gray-pink granite, when viewed from Elba it has the shape of a wide and low pyramid and is rich in low vegetation. Absolutely inhospitable, it kept men away from the island over the centuries, until from the 5th century, monks and hermits began to make part of the land "habitable".

It is strictly forbidden to land, swim, stop, and anchor within 1 km from the coast. On land, 100% of the area is protected.