The Portoferraio lighthouse — officially the Faro del Forte Stella — stands on the northern rampart of Forte Stella, an unmistakable square white tower that has guided ships into the harbour since 1788. It is one of the oldest still-working lighthouses in the Mediterranean. The tower is not normally open to visitors, but the rampart it sits on can be walked from inside Forte Stella and is itself the best viewpoint over the channel.
From the rampart you look directly out across the Piombino channel to the mainland and down at the ferries arriving and leaving below. On a clear evening with the sun setting behind the mainland hills, this is one of the most atmospheric spots in Portoferraio.