Of course, most of Elba's fame (or notoriety) is derived from the French emperor Napoleon's brief exile here in 1814. Over the years, Elba has come to embrace him as a sort of prodigal son, with museums and galleries erected in his honor. Napoleon gave back as well, designing the tiny island's flag and helping to set up Elba's infrastructure.

Elba and its surrounding islands figure prominently in literary history. Victor Hugo spent part of his childhood here before growing up to write The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Les Miserables, among others. Even more importantly, the island of Montecristo is off of Elba. For those not familiar with the Alexander Dumas classic, The Count of Monte Christo, it was this island that was used as inspiration.

Portoferraio is Elba's main port town, and the place where most visitors spend the majority of their time. This is unfortunate, because many of Elba's premier attractions are elsewhere, particularly on the northern side of the island. A visit to Marina di Campo, Porto Azzurro, or Marciana Marina will acquaint you with some of Elba's hidden beauty.