Best Family Beaches on Elba Island

The six Elba beaches best suited to families: shallow, gently-sloping water at Fetovaia, Lacona, Marina di Campo, Procchio, Sant'Andrea and the sheltered bays of Nisporto and Nisportino.

Fetovaia: Shallow Water in a Small, Scenic Cove

Fetovaia's shallow, gently sloping water close to shore is a big part of why it's so often recommended for families, alongside its reputation as one of Elba's most photogenic beaches. The trade-off is size: it's a small cove, so it fills up fast, especially by late morning in July and August. - Best for: young children and a scenic setting, if you don't mind sharing the sand. - Good to know: arrive early, since the paid car park behind the beach is often full before 10am in summer.

Lacona: Space to Spread Out

Lacona's water is shallow and calm across its sheltered gulf, and at almost 1.2 km long, it's Elba's second-longest beach, meaning it absorbs crowds far better than the island's smaller coves. Low dunes behind parts of the beach also make for an easy, flat walk from parking to sand. - Best for: families wanting more room than a small cove offers. - Good to know: multiple access points serve different stretches of the beach, so a quieter patch is usually findable even in peak season.

Marina di Campo: A Beach With a Town Behind It

Marina di Campo's beach runs for about 1.5 km directly behind the town, with a seabed that stays shallow for a long way out. It's one of Elba's most fully equipped beaches, with a children's play area, snack bars, hot showers and water sports rental all close at hand. - Best for: families who want restaurants, shops and facilities within easy walking distance. - Good to know: the sections nearest the main promenade and hotels fill first; walking further along the bay usually finds more space.

Procchio: Shallow Water on the North Coast

Procchio's roughly 1 km stretch of fine sand has a gently sloping seabed that stays calm and shallow close to shore, consistently making it one of the island's most recommended family beaches. Two separate access points mean you're not limited to a single entrance. - Best for: families based on Elba's north coast, or wanting a well-serviced beach with sailing and windsurfing schools nearby. - Good to know: try the Campo all'Aia entrance toward Portoferraio if the main village access looks crowded.

Sant'Andrea: Facilities and a Children's Play Area

Sant'Andrea, near Marciana on the north-western coast, pairs pale granite sand and clear water with a genuinely well-equipped beach: a children's play area, sunbeds, a grocery shop and restaurants all operate alongside a free section of sand. - Best for: families wanting full facilities in one of Elba's most scenic settings. - Good to know: both car parks near the beach are small for how popular it is, so arrive well before mid-morning in summer.

Nisporto e Nisportino: Calm, Sheltered Bays

These two adjoining bays near Rio nell'Elba are sheltered enough to keep the water calm and shallow, which is most of their appeal for families with younger children. A nearby campsite runs a bar/restaurant and some seasonal sunbed rental for both bays. - Best for: younger children and an easy, low-key day away from Elba's busier resorts. - Good to know: the access road from Rio nell'Elba or Bagnaia is narrow in places, so drive carefully.

Which Family Beach Should You Choose?

If your priority is a scenic, photogenic setting and you're happy to arrive early, Fetovaia and Sant'Andrea are both hard to beat, though small size means both fill up fast. For more space and an easier time finding a quiet stretch, Lacona and Marina di Campo are the better choices, with Marina di Campo edging ahead if you want a town's worth of restaurants and shops within walking distance. Procchio is the natural pick if you're staying on Elba's north coast rather than the south. Nisporto and Nisportino are the calmest, most sheltered choice if you have very young children.