10 THINGS TO DO IN SOUTH CORSICA
Corsica is called the "Island of Beauty." And when you visit this French island, located in the Mediterranean Sea just next to Italy, you will quickly understand why it's called that.
Here are our recommendations for the south of the island. The best way to visit the island is definitely to rent a car or to come with your own car, as public transport is not really convenient there. You can arrive in the south of the island via the airport of Figari or by boat to Bonifacio, Propriano, or Porto-Vecchio.
1. Visit Bonifacio. Bonifacio is the city at the southernmost point of the island. The old town, perched on the edge of a cliff, is quite impressive. It's beautiful with its charming little streets, restaurants, and shops. You can also step inside the beautiful little churches or visit Le Gouvernail for a few euros. This tunnel, built in 1880 by French military engineering, offers a view of the skyline and Sardinia. In fact, from the top of the old town, you can see the Italian island. When you leave the old town by the main pedestrian entrance, if you continue along the coast, you will discover a nice walk or easy hike with a beautiful panoramic terrace. The view is simply amazing. And down below, you have the beautiful port with amazing boats docked and nice restaurants, shops, and bars.
2. Take a boat and discover the Lavezzi Islands. The Archipelago of Lavezzi is a collection of small granite islands and reefs next to Bonifacio that separates Corsica from Sardinia. It's a beautiful spot where you can swim and do some snorkeling. To get there, you can rent a boat if you have your boat driver's license or book a full-day boat tour (but we would advise you to avoid the big shuttle boat tours and instead book something smaller to better enjoy your day). Whatever you choose, we really advise you to book a full-day boat trip to also stop at Cavallo Island, also called "Billionaires' Island," and explore some beaches mostly accessible by boat that you will find further towards Porto-Vecchio.
3. Visit Porto-Vecchio. This city is located on the southeast coast of the island. It has a nice port with beautiful boats and a charming old town on the top of a hill. We advise you to go down next to the Porte Génoise to have a beautiful view of the salt marshes and the bay of Porto-Vecchio. In the old town, you'll find a lot of bars, restaurants, and shops. It's always a nice and dynamic atmosphere. In summer, everyone is out until late, hanging out in bars, drinking, and enjoying the night. One of the place to be is Le Patio.
4. Go to the beach. The beaches in Corsica are simply amazing. The water is turquoise and calm, and the beaches are quite clean and surrounded by nature. Some of the beaches will have restaurants and activities such as jet skis, pedal boats, and canoes. You can also go for a horse ride on the beach; you just need to book in advance. Here is a list of some of our favorite beaches, but there are so many more:
- Santa Giulia / Palombaggia (South of Porto-Vecchio)
- Pinarellu (North of Porto-Vecchio)
- Rondinara / Piantarella / Petit Sperone (between Porto-Vecchio and Bonifacio)
- Roccapina / Stagnolu / Argent / Tralicetu (between Bonifacio and Propriano)
- Portigliolo (South of Propriano)
- Cupabia (North of Propriano)
5. Visit Propriano. Propriano is a popular seaside resort on the southwest coast. It has a real traditional feel and a relaxed atmosphere. It is the perfect place to lounge, indulge in a lazy lunch, or simply watch the world go by. It is also an important departure point for boat trips and water sports. And around the city, you will find beautiful beaches.
6. Gain altitude and enjoy the island from above. For thrill-seekers, try skydiving. Morgane went skydiving in Corsica, and it was one of her best experiences. Skydiving is an amazing experience, but doing it in Corsica is simply incredible. The landscapes are breathtaking! The blue sea on one side and the green mountains on the other. She went to the Valinco skydiving school, which is just a 10-minute drive from Propriano. The team was super nice, and it's something you will remember all your life! If you prefer calmer activities, you can also rent a helicopter to enjoy the "Island of Beauty" from above. It's also an amazing experience; you will be so amazed. Heli Sud Porto-Vecchio offers different kinds of routes to discover the island, starting from 89 euros per person.
7. Hike in the forest. In the middle of Corsica, you have mountains, lakes, waterfalls, rivers, forests, etc. To find all these spots, we recommend you take the roads D268 and D368 from Solenzara to Porto-Vecchio via Zonza. By the way, Zonza is a really cute village in the mountains. On the road D268, you'll find the Aiguilles de Bavella (rocky spikes of red granite that dominate the landscape), so around there, there are many hikes available, including a part of the GR20 trail. But be careful; they are not easy, so you have to be prepared. If you are a beginner like us, on the road D368, next to the Lake of Ospedale, you can do an easy hike to reach the Piscia di Ghjaddu waterfall. It's about an hour, and you will feel so grateful when you arrive in front of the 60-meter-high waterfall. And next to the Lake of Ospedale, which is beautiful by the way, you have Xtrem Sud where you can safely do some rock climbing and tree climbing.
8. Swim and jump in natural pools and rivers. Let us recommend two places next to Porto-Vecchio, but there are so many more. The first are the natural pools of Cavu, located only 15 minutes from Sainte-Lucie de Porto-Vecchio. It's a really nice and beautiful place, perfect for spending a day. The next spots are on the road D268 next to Solenzara. We recommend you be attentive on the road because it's not always very well indicated where you can exactly stop to reach the river. To help you, here are a few stops: Next to U Rosumarinu camping/restaurant (nice but crowded in summer), at the Snack de Gaglioli (you have a 3-meter-high rock where you can jump, and if you follow the river downstream, you will find higher spots to jump, like 7-8 meters), next to Camping U Ponte Grossu (just after this camping, you cross the river, and a few meters after, you have many parking spots), and just after the bridge of Fiumicelli (if you follow the river upstream, you will find nice and isolated natural pools). For thrill-seekers, we recommend you book a canyoning activity. It's a nice way to discover beautiful hidden spots. Be ready because it's quite physical! You have to book in advance; here are some names: Corsica Forest Canyoning, Corsica Canyon, Xtrem South Canyon, Bavella Canyon, etc.
9. Eat Corsican specialties. Corsican food is full of flavor and proudly local. We recommend you try some Corsican cheese. The most popular are brocciu (really soft, similar to ricotta) and tomme de chèvre (strong, full-flavored goat milk cheese). Usually, the goat cheese is served with fig jam, and it's excellent together! You also need to try Corsican charcuterie such as figatellu (smoked, dried pork liver sausage), coppa (shoulder and neck cuts of a pig, air-dried), lonzu (smoked and peppered pork loin), and prisuttu (Corsican cured ham). Our advice is to take a sharing platter of cheese and charcuterie – the best way to discover this delicious food. Some special dishes you should also try are wild boar casserole, which is super tasty, or Aubergine à la Bonifacienne, which has Italian vibes and will remind you of parmigiana. You can also taste fresh seafood and fish. And for dessert, they use a lot of chestnuts.
10. Listen to some live Corsican songs. In summer, you will find many events where you can listen to traditional Corsican songs. To know where they are happening, be aware that you will find flyers and posters promoting them in the city. Or, you can ask at the tourist office of the city. If not, some bars do live music with Corsican songs. In Porto-Vecchio, the Corsican music live bar is called La Taverne du Roi.
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