The tiny island of Palmaiola

The tiny island of Palmaiola is part of the Tuscan Archipelago, about 7 kilometres from the point of Piombino and about 3 from the Island of Elba.

Its name comes from the many dwarf palms (insulam Palmarole) that once grew there.

The island is cone shaped and has a lighthouse belonging to the Navy at the top, from where the view is excellent, as well as a small heliport. The lighthouse, inaugurated in 1844, consists of a square shaped tower that rises above a retangular building on two levels, where the living quarters are, and gardens. In 1989 the lighthouse was made completely automated and solar panels were installed.

In order to visit it, you have to follow a path for about 250 metres that starts off from the inlet on the north of the island, near the rock known as Friar's rock.

From a naturalistic point of view, Palmaiola is particularly important because it is a very safe area for many different species of marine birds that build their nests here , like the Scopoli's shearwater and the Audouin's gull.

Thanks to their marine and environmental context , both Palmaiola and the nearby Island of Cerboli have been classified as Sites of Community Importance by the region of Tuscany.