Perhaps best known for being the island of Napoleon Bonaparte's first exile after his forced abdication in 1814, the island of Elba lies off the coast of the region of Tuscany. Elba is 20 kilometres from the Tuscan coastal village of Piombino and 50 kilometres east of the larger French island of Corsica. It is part of the Tuscan Archipelago and is the third largest Italian island after Sicily and Sardinia.
However, the island has its own history that traces back before Napoleon was exiled on it; furthermore, it is gifted with a breathtaking natural beauty that makes it a popular tourist destination. The ancient Ligurians settled on the island to exploit its rich iron deposits during the Iron Age and the island has since had a tumultuous history of conquest over and over between the Roman Empire, Barbarian Saracen invasions and various French and Italian Empires before finally being surrendered to the Unified Kingdom of Italy in 1860. The island of Elba was the location to particularly bloody battles in the Mediterranean theatre of World War 2 in 1944 as Allied forces sought to take the island over from the entrenched Germans.
Today Elba is a highly popular resort with its clean sandy and pebble stone beaches, stunning rocky coastlines and picturesque craggy cliffs. Many fine hotels, apartments, villas and camping spots have sprung up to cater to the many visitors to the island. The island has its own airport and is also serviced by ferries from the nearby town of Piombino on the Italian mainland.