Ghiaie — Italian for "gravels" — is the long white-pebble beach immediately west of Portoferraio's old town walls, a five-minute walk from the harbour. The pebbles are mostly white quartz, smoothed to almost spherical by the sea, and they give the water its characteristic clarity: even at a depth of several metres you can see the bottom clearly. The beach is wide, the swimming is gentle, and it is the easiest place to combine a morning's sightseeing in town with an afternoon swim.
There are a couple of beach bars selling drinks, gelato, and simple food, but no formal stabilimento — you spread your own towel. Snorkelling is good along the rocks at either end; the offshore islet of Scoglietto has a small marine reserve with abundant fish and the lighthouse on top. Rental kayaks are available in summer.