Capoliveri: the hilltop village that shows you Elba from above

Capoliveri's origins go back to Etruscan-Roman times, but the village you see today is mostly medieval: the earliest written records date to 1260, and the town only became an independent municipality in 1906, splitting off from Porto Azzurro. Perched at 167 metres on Elba's south-eastern side, it looks out over a territory shaped by Monte Calamita, once rich in mineral deposits.

The heart of the village is a maze of stone alleys and archways climbing toward its highest point, opening onto sudden views of the gulf below. Among the churches worth seeing are Santa Maria Assunta, of Romanesque origin, and the Pieve di San Michele, from the 12th century, of which only the apse survives after 16th-century raids. The Sanctuary of the Madonna delle Grazie holds artwork attributed to followers of Michelangelo.

A scenic coastal path also leaves from Capoliveri down to Cala dell'Innamorata, one of the island's most beautiful beaches and one of the hardest to reach by car — a good way to combine the village with a day at the sea without going back to the main roads.

Compared to Portoferraio, which remains the arrival port and therefore the island's busiest spot, Capoliveri has a more intimate feel, especially in the evening when its alleys fill with small bars without losing their village atmosphere.

Getting there

Capoliveri is reached by car via Elba's road network, about 20 km from Portoferraio, where ferries from Piombino dock.