Lingua
The island of Palmaiola is a small island that is part of the Tuscan Archipelago. It is about 7 km from Piombino and about 3 km from the Island of Elba. Its name derives from the abundance in the past of palms (insulam Palmarole). The island has a conical shape and on the top there is a lighthouse of the Navy, in a position of exceptional visibility and a small heliport. The lighthouse, inaugurated in 1844, consists of a square-sectioned tower that rises above a rectangular building on two levels with the houses of the guardians. In 1989 the lighthouse was definitively automated with a solar panel system. To reach the lighthouse it is necessary to take the path of about 250 meters which originates from the inlet present in the northern part of the island, near the Frate rock. From a naturalistic point of view the island of Palmaiola has a particular relevance, as it is a very safe place for the nesting of numerous species of seabirds. Together with the nearby Island of Cerboli, it was included in the Sites of Community Interest of the Tuscany Region for the marine and environmental context in which it is located.
