Eastern Side
Depart from Portoferraio in the direction of Lacona which is 5 km away. The little town (quite touristed) is scattered over a huge area of countryside between the gulfs of Stella and Lacona. The respective beaches are very pretty, especially that of Laconella.
Continue on the tour by following the main road mostly along the coast, towards Capoliveri. This old town is located on a hill with quaint alleyways that intersect each other on different levels, many of which are full of life in the evening and have numerous craft stands. The town square, now famous for its numerous Summer concerts, offers a beautiful view out onto Gulf Stella and over that part of town. There are many beautiful beaches around the town: Zuccale, Morcone, Innamorata, Cala Nuova (to name but a few). 3 km from Capoliveri, in the locality of the same name, is the Sanctuary of the Madonna delle Grazie. At the same distance but in the opposite direction is Fort Focardo, positioned on the extreme point of Cape Pero and built in 1678 to watch over the entry to Cala Nuova and Mola Bay, where Porto Azzurro is located, the next town that you will visit. Already in the distance you can see Fort S. Giacomo, built in 1603 by the Spanish and located on the hill above the town, and which is now a penitentiary. Porto Azzurro suddenly appears around the last curve of the road, immediately striking you with its gracious tourist port and church bell tower rising above the palms on the street that goes around the square by the sea. There are three characterful restaurants on pilings clearly visible in the photo. Exiting from the town after 1 km in the direction of Rio Marina (our next destination), you can make a little side-trip to visit the Sanctuary of Monserrato (about 2 km from the crossroads). A place in the middle of a rocky, red-hued gorge, it is a place hidden and unique on the island. Rejoin the road for Rio Marina, where the old pyrite mines from which they dug for iron ore are clearly visible above the town, and which are now closed and turned into a mineral park. In town is also a museum of the minerals of Elba. On the town mole stands the tower with a clock built by the Appiani in 1500. Turn back in the direction of Rio Elba, rejoining the street just travelled. Consider that the town was the first inhabited center on the island and that the mineral veins were already being exploited in the Neolithic period, as testified to by several finds in the grotto of S Giuseppe. To return to Portoferraio, follow along a narrow but short road that crosses Mount Volterraio. After having scaled it (alt 350 m), you have a splendid panoramic vista over the bay of Portoferraio which is spectacular at the time of sunset. A little further on there is what remains of the Castle of Volterraio, built circa 1000 A.D. on top of a rocky spur.
