Things to do in Corsica
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Corsica
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best months: warm sea, open restaurants, sane prices.
Hot, packed and expensive; book everything, beaches fill by late morning.
Quiet and still warm early on; many hotels close mid-month.
Very quiet; Ajaccio and Bastia work as city breaks.
Wildflowers and the scented maquis; the season waking.
What's on
- Calvi on the Rocks July
The beach music festival.
- Village festivals summer
Saints' days across the Balagne villages.
Best things to do in Corsica
Bonifacio
Cliff citadel and the 187-step stairway to the sea; visit, don't base.
Plage de Palombaggia
Pines and red rocks; the south's famous beach, early arrival.
Plage de Santa Giulia
Calm bay beach south of Porto-Vecchio; book the restaurant.
Calvi
Genoese citadel, marina and beach in one walkable town.
Saint-Florent
Chic northern port; the Agriates boats leave from here.
Scandola Nature Reserve
Volcanic cliffs by boat only; morning seas are calmest.
Corte
The mountain capital; citadel museum and trailheads.
Ajaccio
Napoleon's town and the Sanguinaires sunset; the arrival base.
Where to stay in Corsica
Porto-Vecchio and Palombaggia
beaches and the south
The great southern beaches with Bonifacio in reach; base here with kids.
Bonifacio, just outside the citadel
drama
The cliffs and old town with the Lavezzi boats; stay outside the pedestrian centre.
Calvi
the northern all-rounder
Citadel, beach and marina restaurants in one walkable town.
Saint-Florent
a chic northern port
Small, polished, the Agriates boats on the doorstep.
Ajaccio
arrival and the west
The capital's transport links and the road to the calanques.
Corte
the mountains
The citadel town in the island's heart; the walking base.
Think twice about
- Bonifacio citadel itself with a car
Pedestrian and congested with brutal parking. Stay just outside and walk in.
- Bastia as a beach base
A working port with character, but the beaches are elsewhere. Fine for arrival night.
- One base for the whole island
The 4-hour north-south drive punishes single-base plans. Split south and north.
Best restaurants in Corsica
La Table de Bastien
Starred modern cooking at La Villa; the Calvi special dinner.
A Casa di Mà
The manor restaurant in the gardens; the Balagne dinner.
Casadelmar
The starred sea-view table of the south.
Restaurant Furana
Corsican tasting menu on the terrace; book in season.
Le Belvedere
Dinner by the water toward Santa Giulia.
Stella D'Oro
Candlelit old-town dinner; the Bonifacio night out.
Kissing Pigs
Charcuterie and farm pork by the marina; book or go early.
L'Auberge du Pêcheur
Just-caught fish in a rustic room on the harbour.
Outdoor things to do in Corsica
GR20
Day sections of the great trail; the serious mountain day.
Restonica Valley
Glacial valley with natural pools above Corte.
Calanques de Piana
Red granite sea stacks; drive slowly, walk the mule paths.
Lavezzi Islands
Granite islets with the clearest water; snorkelling boats.
Cap Corse
The wild northern finger; Nonza's black sand, slow day.
Best hotels in Corsica
Casadelmar
The luxury resort by the sea in the south.
Les Bergeries de Palombaggia
Boutique hotel above Palombaggia beach.
Domaine Les Oliviers de Palombaggia
Design hotel for the money near the beaches.
U Capu Biancu
Intimate cliff luxury just outside Bonifacio.
Version Maquis Citadelle
Modern hotel by the citadel.
A Speranza
Countryside boutique stay near Bonifacio.
La Villa Calvi
The hilltop luxury name above Calvi.
La Signoria
18th-century manor in gardens near Calvi.
Is Corsica expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | €80 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | €190 a person |
| Splurge | €420 a person |
| No limits | €850 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Plage de Santa Giulia: a few days ahead
- Scandola Nature Reserve: a few days ahead
- Lavezzi Islands: a few days ahead
- Casadelmar: weeks ahead
- Les Bergeries de Palombaggia: weeks ahead
- U Capu Biancu: weeks ahead
- La Villa Calvi: weeks ahead
- La Signoria: weeks ahead
- La Table de Bastien and Casadelmar: book with your dates.
- August boats and beach restaurants: reserve ahead.
- Summer hotels in Calvi and Porto-Vecchio sell out months ahead.
Is Corsica safe?
- Car break-ins at beach car parks and trailheads. Mountain roads: drive sober, prefer daylight. Emergency: 15 medical, 17 police, 112 European.
Corsica travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Beach clubs with layered pricing; check the full price list first.
- Hotel dinner shows; eat at the village restaurants.
- Driving the whole coast in one day; the calanques deserve half a day.
Getting around Corsica: public transport and more
- A car is essential; book ahead and take full insurance.
- Ferries: Santa Teresa (Sardinia) to Bonifacio; mainland ferries to Ajaccio, Bastia, Calvi.
- Boat trips in August book out; reserve before the trip.
- Use the signed lots below the citadel towns.
Who Corsica suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Corsica your trip
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