Elba’s charm lives in balance – between sophistication and stillness. Hotel Hermitage in Biodola Bay is the island’s classic refuge. Tucked into granite cliffs and pines, it has its own beach and a sense of ease that feels earned. Along the same coast, Baia Bianca Suites takes a more contemporary turn: whitewashed rooms, terraces that float above turquoise water, and long, unhurried mornings. Further south, Tenuta delle Ripalte blends vineyards and wilderness on a private peninsula. It’s the kind of place you reach by dirt road and leave only when your mind has matched the island’s pace. Near Portoferraio, Villa Ottone keeps it timeless – discreet, shaded, and still family-run.
Lunch in Elba has its own tempo. Ristorante Il Chiasso in Capoliveri serves the kind of food that lets ingredients carry the story – grilled fish, local olive oil, garden herbs. In Portoferraio, Molo G hides inside the gated harbour, a restaurant known mostly to those who ask. Tables almost touch the water; dinner stretches until the masts fade into dark. For aperitivo, Bar La Tonnina sits perfectly in the middle of Portoferraio’s harbourfront. From its terrace, you can watch the yachts slide in, the crews unwinding, the city shifting into its golden hour. Down south, Paglicce Beach in Marina di Campo is the definition of island rhythm – the best beach on Elba, where days move from sunbeds to lunch to DJs at sundown. It’s not a scene; it’s a mood.
Mornings begin with the sea – either at Paglicce or the clear waters of Spiaggia di Sansone, where white stones turn the water to glass. A drive into the island’s interior reveals olive groves, chestnut trees, and the soft climb toward Monte Capanne, where the cable car rises through clouds to a view that feels otherworldly. Later, stop by Azienda Agricola Montefabbrello near Portoferraio – tastings under fig trees, wines with volcanic minerality, no pretense. As the day folds into evening, return to Portoferraio. Sit again at La Tonnina, order another Negroni, and watch the light settle over the harbour.
Hotel Baia Bianca Suites
Hotel Hermitage
Residence Hotel Iselba
Tenuta delle Ripalte
Molo G
Osteria Libertaria
Ristorante da Pilade
Il Chiasso
Always a step ahead of the algorithm, Leon is the one who knows where the chef is still handwriting the menu and the DJ is spinning vinyl in the back room. His travel notes aren’t guides; they’re quiet invitations. To mezcal bars with no signs, surf mornings that lead to long, slow lunches, and design-forward stays where the paint might still be drying.There are no sponsored stays here, no PR gloss. Just the places Leon returns to—or wishes he could.Travel light. Think heavy.
