A mere 20 minutes in the hovercraft from Piombino, Elba’s virgin crown of macchia – buckthorn, bramble and rosemary – overlooks gulfs which bite deep into the land, giving a long coastline of sand strips and impregnable cliffs. Best accessible beaches are at Porto Azzurro, Lacona and Marina di Campo; also next door to your landing-place, Portoferraio (for more info, see www.visitelba.co.uk). The way into this chief town, among tiers of houses, is through the Porta a Mare, a massive time-worn gateway. Inland, beyond the high town, are the abandoned furnaces and quarries of old ‘Iron Town’.

All roads on Elba are attractive but savage twists and gradients make them hard going. The Portoferraio dwelling of the isle’s most distinguished visitor, Bonaparte, exiled here 1814-15, is not inspiring. Better value, if only for views and lush greenery, is his former summer residence at San Martino, 10 km into the hills.