Elba may be only an hour's ferry from mainland Tuscany, but the island has its own character: less polished than the Amalfi Coast, wilder than Sardinia, and laced with beaches the Italians have long kept quiet about. Biodola Bay on the north coast is one of the best, a pale sandy stretch bookended by low cliffs and backed by scented Mediterranean maquis. The Hotel Hermitage has occupied it since the 1960s, when the De Ferrari family built a scattering of cottages through a 50-acre park running down to the sea. Still family-run today, it's built for the long, slow Italian summer with three seawater pools, four restaurants and a private beach.
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The hotel sprawls across 50 acres of Mediterranean parkland, stone paths ambling through pines, mastic and rosemary. Three seawater pools stagger down towards the sand and beachside Ghiotta restaurant for lazy lunches just metres from the waves. Evenings can be spent either at the more formal Ristorante Hermitage, or Fuoco di Bosco for classic Tuscan cooking - and the piano bar is the spot for a nightcap. There's a sauna and steam room at the thalassotherapy-focused wellness centre, and a small marina that rents boats if you fancy a day on the water.
Accommodation is split between the main building and a cluster of low-slung cottages in the park. Some look out over the bay, whilst others are set back among the pines. Interiors are classically Elban with glazed terracotta floors, light wood furniture and Vietri ceramic bathrooms. Most open onto a private balcony or terrace, and the suites have small jacuzzis and proper sitting areas. The sea view categories come at a premium but, if the bay is your thing, it's worth it.
At the hotel itself, there are three seawater pools, nine tennis courts, a nine-hole golf course with sea views, and a private jetty where you can hire a boat, take sailing lessons or sign up for a dive. The bay has safe swimming on a sandy stretch (a rarity for Elba), and neighbouring Scaglieri and Forno are an easy walk away. Further afield, wander Portoferraio's Medicean fortifications, explore the inland vineyards, or catch the ferry to Pianosa, a former prison island and now a protected nature reserve accessible only by guided tour. For a small island, Elba certainly packs plenty in.
The grounds themselves. Umbrella pines, mastic and rosemary in every direction, cottages woven into the hillside – it's a true Mediterranean dream.
Walk the coastal path to Tonnara di Enfola, the dramatic promontory facing the bay. It was the 1966 location for Anthony Quinn's film The Rover and today, it's the Tuscan Archipelago Park's visitor centre.
Rooms are refreshed in rolling batches each winter, so finishes vary from cottage to cottage.
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Tuscany on the beach, with salt in its hair and a truly relaxed nature.
