Description
The Viste Beach
This beautiful beach lies behind the old part of Portoferraio, and has the magnificent, sixteenth century Forte Falcone watching over it on the left, as well as the Villa dei Mulini, now a National Museum, where Emperor Napoleon stayed during his exile.
And Le Viste is the very beach where he used to love going to in that hot summer of 1814.
The beach is 100 metres long, and consists of sand and medium sized pebbles of different colours; the water is crystal clear, and, depending on the area, goes from light to dark blue.
The small beach is part of the Scoglietto Marine Reserve, whose name is taken from the tiny island with a lighthouse opposite the beach; the many different species of fish to be found here are protected, so the entire area is a deep sea divers’ paradise.
It is much loved not just by the locals, but also by holidaymakers, and is perfect for small children. It isn’t difficult to go down the cement road although at times it can be quite steep.
You can reach the beach only on foot, but you have to start off at the old part of Portoferraio and follow the signs for the Napoleonic Museum of Villa dei Mulini. Once you get to the ramparts overlooking the sea, follow a tarred lane downwards for about 200 metres.
