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When to Go to Elba
— warm sea in June, trails in October, low prices in May
The right time depends on what you come for: swimming from June to September, hiking in spring and autumn, low prices off season.
Whatever you’re after, there’s a perfect time
There is no single right month. The sea stays above 21°C from June to September and peaks in August at 25°C, but those are exactly the weeks with the highest prices and the busiest beaches. If you are coming to hike Monte Capanne or to cycle, the best conditions are the opposite ones, in April and May, when highs sit between 16°C and 20°C.
September and October
September is the compromise we recommend most often: the sea is still 23°C, the air around 24°C, and the crowds collapse from the second week. October holds a 20.5°C sea but is the wettest month of the year, with 100 mm over 8 days.
November to March
From November to March the island changes character: highs stay between 10°C and 14°C, so it never gets truly cold, but the sea drops to 13.5°C and a large share of accommodations close. It is the season of empty trails, villages returned to their residents and the lowest prices of the year, and it needs planning around what is actually open.
This page gives you the full table of monthly averages (air temperature, sea temperature, rainfall and sunshine hours), a portrait of the four seasons, the recommended month for six different kinds of trip, and an up-to-date count of the businesses open all year.
The honest answer is that it depends on the kind of holiday you have in mind. Long swims and days on a boat have one window; hiking Monte Capanne or cycling has another, almost the opposite one. This page gives you the numbers first, then advice built on top of those numbers.
Elba's climate, month by month
Air temperature (low and high), sea temperature, rainfall and sunshine hours. Highlighted rows are the months when the sea goes above 21°C, the threshold below which a long swim starts to feel cold for most people.
| Month | Air, average low / high | Sea | Rain | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| january | 6.2° / 9.9° | 14° | 60 mm · 7 days | 4.5 h |
| february | 5.7° / 10.2° | 13.5° | 75 mm · 6 days | 4 h |
| march | 7.4° / 12.8° | 13.5° | 55 mm · 7 days | 5 h |
| april | 10.2° / 16.2° | 15° | 60 mm · 7 days | 6 h |
| may | 13.5° / 19.7° | 18° | 30 mm · 5 days | 6.5 h |
| june | 17.4° / 24.4° | 21.5° | 25 mm · 4 days | 8 h |
| july | 20.2° / 27.8° | 24° | 15 mm · 2 days | 9 h |
| august | 20.5° / 27.9° | 25° | 40 mm · 2 days | 8.5 h |
| september | 17.4° / 23.8° | 23° | 75 mm · 5 days | 6.5 h |
| october | 14.3° / 19° | 20.5° | 100 mm · 8 days | 5 h |
| november | 10.7° / 14.5° | 18° | 90 mm · 7 days | 4 h |
| december | 7.6° / 11.4° | 15.5° | 50 mm · 6 days | 3.5 h |
Careful: averages are not peaks
The figures in the table are averages of the daily maximum: the mean of about thirty values per month. They do not tell you how hot the hottest days get, which is a different question entirely. An August averaging 27.9°C highs comfortably contains far hotter days: the all-time record for Portoferraio is 38.5°C.
A practical warning: car thermometers and sun-exposed sensors read 5 to 10 degrees higher than the standard measurement, which is taken in the shade with free airflow. If your car says 40°C, the shade reading is usually 32-34°C.
Data source: 2000-2020 averages from the Monte Calamita station (400 m above sea level). Sea temperatures cross-checked against a second independent source for Campo nell'Elba: maximum difference 1.3°C. Worth knowing: the station sits at 400 m, so seaside towns such as Portoferraio (25 m) are typically 1-2 degrees warmer. The official 1961-1990 normals from the Italian Met Service for Portoferraio give 9.3°C in January and 24.6°C in July.
The island you find in each season
Elba is not the same island all year round. The sea changes, prices change, and so does how easy it is to get a table in the evening.
Spring
The island is green, the Mediterranean scrub is in bloom and the trails are in the best condition of the year. In April the sea is still 15°C, by June it reaches 21.5°C and the first real swimming window opens. Days get longer and prices stay low until mid-June.
High summer
The best time for the sea and the worst for your wallet. The sea reaches 24-25°C, sunshine lasts 8-9 hours a day and it rains on average 2 days a month. In exchange: ferries to book well ahead, the main beaches full by 10am, peak prices. Mid-August is the absolute high point.
The best-kept secret
September is the month we would recommend to anyone without school-age children: sea still at 23°C, air around 24°C, crowds halved from the second week and falling prices. October is more of a gamble: the sea holds at 20.5°C but it is the wettest month of the year, with 100 mm over 8 rainy days.
Winter
Highs stay between 10°C and 14°C, so it never gets truly cold, but the sea drops to 13.5°C and most tourist businesses close. This is the season of empty trails, villages that go back to their residents, and the lowest prices of the year. It needs planning around what is actually open.
Every kind of trip has its month
Six typical situations, with the period we recommend and the reason, taken from the figures in the table above.
These are the four months with the sea above 21°C. August is the warmest (25°C), September the best compromise between warm water and breathable beaches. In May the water is 18°C: swimmable, but a short dip.
The exact opposite of the beach window. In July and August, climbing in 28°C with 9 hours of sun is hard work and unsafe in the middle of the day. April and May stay between 16°C and 20°C: those are the right conditions.
The sea is already 21-24°C, days are very long and the island is not yet at peak crowding. The second half of August is the hardest window: everything full, everything at top price.
The two shoulder windows either side of high season: businesses open, services running, but noticeably lower rates. In May the sea is cool (18°C), in late September it is still 23°C: if you can choose, choose September.
In high summer the breezes are lighter and more regular, great for learning but tame if you have experience. In the shoulder seasons the wind is steadier and the water less crowded.
The beaches empty out, restaurants are still open and you can eat without booking three days ahead. It is also grape harvest time in the island's wineries.
What is actually open off season
This is the question almost no tourism portal tackles, because the answer does not help sell. Off-season Elba is beautiful, but a large share of businesses close from November to March. These are the figures for the businesses listed on ElbaMyLove:
In practice: if you come between November and March, Portoferraio stays the liveliest place on the island, all the trails are walkable and the ferry from Piombino still runs daily, with fewer crossings. If you want evening life and full services, stay between April and October.
The twelve months, one line each
The quick summary, with that month's average high and sea temperature.
january
9.9° · sea 14°The coldest month of the year along with February, though highs stay close to 10°C. The island is almost entirely local, trails are empty, very few businesses open.
february
10.2° · sea 13.5°The sea hits its absolute low: 13.5°C. A wet month (75 mm) with little sunshine. Good only if you want to walk and be left alone.
march
12.8° · sea 13.5°The Mediterranean scrub starts to bloom and days lengthen. Air up to 12.8°C, sea still cold. Excellent for hiking, out of the question for swimming.
april
16.2° · sea 15°The finest month for walking: 16.2°C highs, green island, dry trails. The first businesses reopen, the sea is 15°C and stays for the brave.
may
19.7° · sea 18°The driest spring month (30 mm) and the first with the sea at 18°C. Prices still low, island open but quiet. The best value for money of the year.
june
24.4° · sea 21.5°The sea passes 21°C and the real beach season opens. 8 hours of sunshine, 25 mm of rain, crowds still manageable until mid-month.
july
27.8° · sea 24°The sunniest month (9 hours a day) and the driest (15 mm over 2 days). Sea at 24°C. Booking ferry and accommodation well ahead is not advice, it is necessary.
august
27.9° · sea 25°Sea at its yearly peak: 25°C. Also the peak of visitors and prices. The week around 15 August is the single busiest moment of the year.
september
23.8° · sea 23°The month we recommend most often: sea at 23°C, air at 23.8°C, and from the second week the island empties out. Note: rainfall climbs back to 75 mm.
october
19° · sea 20.5°The wettest month of the year: 100 mm over 8 days. The sea holds at 20.5°C and the colours are superb, but it is a weather gamble.
november
14.5° · sea 18°The tourist season closes. Still 90 mm of rain and highs around 14.5°C. The sea stays oddly mild (18°C) but almost nobody swims.
december
11.4° · sea 15.5°Few hours of sunshine (3.5 a day) but also less rain than November. The holidays bring some events to the villages, the rest is winter island.