Rio Elba is thought to be the first town to have been inhabited on the island, and to have already been exploiting the mineral veins in the Neolithic period, as testified to by some finds in the grotto of S. Giuseppe. A little above the town, on the road that crosses Mount Volterraio (alt. 350 m), you can admire what remains of the castle of the same name, built in the year 1000 on top of a rocky spur and enjoying a marvelous panoramic vista over the bay of Portoferraio, spectacular at the time of sunset. The closest beaches are Nisporto and Nisportino, 4 km away, or Ortano, 2 km away.