Rio MarinaElba · Tuscan Archipelago

All About Rio Marina

Enacting a huge about-face, mining industries hundreds of years old were brought to an end in the early 1980s in Rio Marina. Very quickly, the port town in Elba became a destination as fine as any other in the Tuscan Archipelago, which includes the islands of Isola del Giglio, Capraia, and Pianosa. Facing mainland Italy from the east coast of Elba, Rio Marina is one of three ports on the island, alongside Cavo and Portoferraio.

Life in the town continues to largely revolve around its harbor, where traditional island life can be experienced in all its glory. This comes to a head August 16th of each year, when the townsfolk celebrate the festival of its patron saint, San Rocco. Parades fill out the town’s main streets, and energetic displays of fireworks light up the night sky. As a result, it’s difficult to argue against Rio Marina as a coastal escape, either as part of a longer vacation or as a weekend retreat.
 

Routes and Ferries to Rio Marina

Its evocative Mediterranean location means that one of the best ways to reach Rio Marina remains by sea. It is connected to the Italian mainland via the port of Piombino, less than 14 kilometers away. The route is operated by one of the region’s most active ferry companies, called Toremar. A direct trip with no intermediate ports of call, the journey between Piombino and Rio Marina lasts around 45 minutes. Those looking to take a vehicle to the island will be pleased to learn that ferry tickets to Rio Marina can be purchased for cars and motorbikes as well as foot passengers.

Potential visitors should note that ferries run right throughout the year. During the months of October to May, there is generally at least one service per day in either direction, while between June and September there can be up to eight services per day. If these sailings are already fully booked, those wanting ferry tickets to Rio Marina can instead take the alternative routes to Elba via Cavo and Portoferraio Both these ports are only a short distance away from Rio Marina by road. Ferryscanner offers an easy way to compare prices, routes and find your ideal ferry.

At least once a week throughout the year, this ferry continues on from Rio Marina to the neighboring island of Pianosa. The ferry takes just under two hours to complete the one-way journey. Tickets are available to both foot passengers and those with vehicles including family cars and motorbikes.
 

Ports of Rio Marina

The ports of Rio Marina are small, with origins that stretch back before written history. For those with ferry tickets to Rio Marina, this means getting on and off the island of Elba is a relatively simple affair. Ferries depart from the terminals located on the concrete arm that stretches out into the Mediterranean Sea. The central portion of the ports, protected from winter storms, is reserved for smaller vessels. Around the ports of Rio Marina visitors will find a good range of places to eat and drink, facilities including taxis and pharmacies, and several of the island’s major tourist attractions too.
 

Best Beaches

Elba is well known for its beaches, and the area around Rio Marina is no exception. It has a number of attractive beaches to choose between, each of which offers visitors something different. Combine this with the excellent weather that is enjoyed by the island, and there’s really no excuse for not checking out these areas of the coast.

Spiaggia della Torre

You really can’t get any closer to the ferry terminal in Rio Marina than at Spiaggia della Torre (Tower Beach), since it can be found at the end of the sea mole where ferries dock. Situated at the base of the town’s clock tower, the beach is formed from a wedge-shaped area of shingle. Relatively sheltered, the beach is used by everyone from sunbathers to kayakers looking for slightly more active coastal adventures.

Spiaggia del Porticciolo

Around 40 meters long by four meters deep, Porticciolo Beach lies within the confines of the commune of Marciana a short distance south of Rio Marina. One of the area’s more secluded beaches, it requires a short walk along footpaths edged with native shrubs to get to its sparkling waters and mix of sand and shingle. You’ll also need everything you want for your day since the beach itself has no facilities.

Topinetti Beach

In the opposite direction, Topinetti Beach is a couple of miles north of Rio Marina. Its sands appear to shift in color from one meter to the next. They stretch for around 200 meters in total and can get crowded on weekends, particularly during the summer months.

Ortano Beach

Although slightly further than the other beaches on our list, Spiaggia di Ortana is one of the best-known ribbons of coast on this side of Elba. Around 150 meters long and about 50 meters deep, it is another beach that combines sand and shingle. Surrounded by hills and vegetation typical of the island, its waters are also excellent for swimming and snorkeling.
 

Places to Visit

While home to just a few hundred permanent residents, Rio Marina is nonetheless home to an intriguing array of attractions.

Mineral Museum

The importance of the mining industry to the development of Rio Marina can be unveiled with a visit to the Mineral Museum. Located within the rather attractive Palazzo del Burò building, the museum brings to life the realities of mining in bygone years through a series of reconstructed scenes. It also displays the variety of the minerals mined on the island.

Rio Marina Clocktower

Although it looks almost contemporary in its construction, the red-brick hexagonal clocktower which overlooks Spiaggia della Torre Beach actually dates back to the 1880s. Acting as a focal point for the community, it stands on much older foundations thought to date to the 1500s.

Tonietti Mausoleum

The Tonietti Mausoleum is closer to Cavo than Rio Marina, but distances are so short on Elba there’s no reason you cannot explore this folly of the late nineteenth century too. Constructed with carved pieces of stone like nothing else on the island, it was built close to its northernmost point. The slowly disintegrating interior is proof that nothing lasts forever.
 

Transportation Around Rio Marina

Having ferry tickets to Rio Marina may mean you’ve brought a vehicle with you to the island. However, if this is not the case, there are still a number of options for getting around its beaches and major attractions.

Taxis are easy to find, particularly around the ports of Rio Marina, while a number of businesses also provide car and scooter rentals. If you’re not in a hurry, you might instead decide to rely on the island’s bus service, which connects Rio Marina with both Cavo and Portoferraio, the other major settlements on the island.

Buses operate on a roughly hourly basis from Monday to Saturday, with reduced services on Sundays and public holidays. A special Elba bus card provides unlimited travel on the island’s bus services. During the high season of June to September, there is an additional public minibus service called the Marebus, which links Rio Marina with many of the nearby beaches.