The 14 things to do in Southern Corsica

Visiting South Corsica is discovering a warm, heavenly and incredibly beautiful island. Here are the places to explore for a successful stay.

Visiting South Corsica and Upper Corsica is not at all the same experience. The landscapes are not the same, the beaches, the cliffs and the mountain slopes either. This is what makes the island of Beauty so unique and so beautiful: it is plural. Its very popular place in the Mediterranean Sea is a very long and rebounding story.

Very disputed between Italy , France and even France England , it is now a French department. Despite everything, she retains her strong identity and proudly claims it. South Corsica occupies the almost perfect half of the island. There are many beautiful things to see, whether in terms of villages or beaches, they are not the natural spaces that lack.

So let yourself be seduced by the most beautiful things to see and do in Southern Corsica!

1. Bonifacio

Bonifacio is a beautiful village south of the island. Built on the edge of an impressive limestone cliff, it is nevertheless divided into two parts: the high city and the low city. The first will offer you an amazing view of the Mediterranean, when the second will give you access to the pretty marina.

You can also push your visit a little further: caves, hikes, coves or boat trips ... Don’t miss the stairs of Roy d’Aragon ( see the trace ), dug to the cliff. It guides you to the sea, before you get along the limestone to the shore.

2. The Sanguinary Islands

Close the Gulf of Ajaccio to the north, the Sanguinary Islands are in fact an archipelago of four small islets. They owe their names to the bloody reflections of the sun lying on the magmatic rocks.

Still very wild, they are home to many protected animal and plant species. It is possible to visit the main island: Mezzu Mare, where you can enjoy nature and visit the lighthouse. Also, consider admiring the panoramic view of the Gulf of Ajaccio!

3. Corsican beaches

Visiting South Corsica for its beaches is quite possible. The southern coasts are so beautiful that many beaches have appeared and today they make the happiness of the inhabitants and tourists.

Some are prettier than others, but in general, they are blue, limpid and turquoise waters that await you. Few waves, but lots of sunshine. You just have to put your toes in the hot sand and enjoy these heavenly moments in the Mediterranean. They are also excellent starting points for amateur divers (with respect for the environment and safety instructions).

• Zonza: Pinarello beach
• Porto-Vecchio: Beach of Santa Giulia
• Belvedere-Campomoro : Beach of Cala d’Agulia
• Pietrosella: Mare E Sole beach (or Argent beach)
• Alata: Lava beach
• Casaglione: Liamone Beach
• Cargesis: Peru Beach

4. Ajaccio

Ajaccio is the most developed and inhabited city of Southern Corsica. Located at the bottom of the Gulf of Ajaccio, it is shared between its mountains and beaches. But it is also a very cultural place, between tradition and modernity, nature and architecture. In short, a rather contrasting city!

Discover the Cours Napoléon, huge shopping avenue that guides you from Place Diamant to the marina. The old town is also an imperative, with its entangled and authentic houses. Moreover, the National Museum of the Bonaparte House is there. It opens the doors of the house which the Bonaparte family visited between the 17th and the 20th century.

The Fesch Museum

Along with the Court of Napoleon, there is the Rue du Cardinal Fesch, as well as the museum of the same name. It is a palace-museum where many ancient works are grouped together. Created at the initiative of Napoleon’s maternal uncle, it now houses Italian pieces of painters like Botticelli but also those of Corsican artists.

5. The Calanques of Piana

The Calanques of Piana are recognized in Corsican territory as true natural wonders. They also attract many tourists who came to admire the color of this particular rock, the red porphyry, which completely contrasts with the green of the maquis and the blue of the sea.

You can visit the Calanques of Piana by car, or then take the time to observe them on foot.

6. Discovering the seabed

Given the beauty of its funds, visiting Corsica-du-Sud is done as well since the water. Equipped with your palms, mask and tuba, as well as a combination for the most frying, go to discover the Corsican seabeds. No need to be experienced, you can quite stay on the surface. The whole thing is to respect the living species around.

So be sure to be stunned in front of marine bio diversity: varied and colourful fauna and flora. You're going to take your eyes! Also, some places are of course more advisable than others, including:

• The Gulf of Sagone,
• The Lavezzi Islands,
• The Gulf of Porto.

7. Porto-Vecchio

At the bottom of the gulf bearing its name, Porto-Vecchio is the summer city excellence. Magnificent under the sun, Porto-Vecchio has a very charming old town and a nice marina. What also pleases is the beautiful surrounding beaches, especially those we have already mentioned: Palombaggia and Santa Giulia, respectively in the north and south of the city.

La Forêt de l’Ospédale and its dam

Take the time to excel a little bit of Porto-Vecchio to join one of the natural places to do in Southern Corsica: the lake of the Espedale and the surrounding forest of the same name.

Enchanting lake, it is closed by a huge roadblock. Nevertheless, bordered by its dense forest, there are very beautiful walks and hikes to do. Some of them guide you to the Punta di a Vacca Morta ( see the trace ), giving you a full view of Porto-Vecchio and the Mediterranean horizon.

8. The Lavezzi Islands

Between the Corsican tip and the north of Sardinia, there are the Lavezzi Islands and their 23 islands. They represent a certain danger to navigation because of their large immersed part. But when it comes to diving or walking, they become the very incarnation of Paradise on Earth.

Turquoise water, white sand, rocks and green environment, you will be unpaid for sure.

9. Monte Gozzi ride

The mastodon of red rock that is Monte Gozzi dominates the Ajaccian valley of all its height. To make an idea by yourself and to visit the South Corsica (almost) at a single glance, we advise you to climb this mountain.

No worries, you’re not going to climb it on the cliff side, but follow a hike that will gently guide you to the top ( see the trace ). At this point, you will delight yourself from the landscape!

10. The village of Zonza

Ranked among the most beautiful villages in Corsica, Zonza is not far from the famous Aiguilles de Bavella. It extends from the mountain to the Gulf of Pinarello and its beaches. But the most interesting and authentic part is on the mountain side.

True witness of the past time, the charm of Zonza will not leave you with marble. So go to discover the narrow streets, the stone walls and the greenery that contrasts with the blue sky!

Archaeological sites of Cucuruzzu-Capula

All next to Zonza is the archaeological sites of Cucuruzzu-Capula. These are ancient ruins dating from the Bronze Age, testifying to human activity in the territory of Corsica. Megalithic walls have logs and further, a tower has been built.

Its construction techniques have made a totally uncertain connection with nuraghi Sardines. In any event, it is an opportunity to make a small hike and discover these remains.

11. Lake Tolla

To visit South Corsica, you sometimes have to sink into the mountains. Thus, about thirty kilometers from Ajaccio and after many corners typical of the Corsican roads, discover the artificial lake of Tolla. It is in the continuity of the Gorges du Prunelli and has a dam on which a road passes and allows to reach other more isolated villages.

With an area of 5 square kilometers, it is the ideal place to try at pedalo, canoe-kayak or simply swim.

12. The Natural Reserve of Scandola

Small protected from South Corsica, the Scandola Nature Reserve is spared from sometimes destructive tourism. No pedestrian or road access exists, you can only discover it on board a boat.

That said, the whole area is not allowed to anchor, if you have your own boat, be careful and respect the instructions. The pleasure of the discovery is not dried, because the beauty of the landscape remains to breathe. And maybe you will have the chance to cross some very rare species that the reserve houses!

13. Polischellu cascades

Are you looking to discover corners where you could almost feel alone in the world? Polischellu stunts are what you need. These are real freshwater pools, crystalline and pure! They are waiting for you, after a small hike under the ferns and branches that only increase your haste to see it! You can also do a canyoning session upstream.

Attention: swimming in the mountain river is possible in Corsica, under certain conditions. Indeed, the landscapes are beautiful, but it is important to keep in mind that if the weather has not been favourable in previous days, there are quite significant risks of floods.

14. Park A Capulatta

In the Ajaccian hinterland, discover A Capulatta Park. It is a true sanctuary for the protection of species of terrestrial and aquatic turtles. Moreover, there are more than 170 different ones! Ideal to learn more about the life of these reptiles, and suitable for small and large, this park is unique in its kind in Europe.

It will allow you to see species like the alligator turtle, the Galápagos turtle or the red-headed turtle of South America. Also don't be surprised if you see it in a lubricated position, the park records hundreds of births every year!

How to get to South Corsica?

To go to South Corsica, you do not have the embarrassment of choice: it will be the plane or the boat . Obviously, they both have their advantages and disadvantages.

By plane

Indeed, the plane is more expensive, but you can sometimes find very interesting offers on comparisons of flights like Ulysses . Then it has the advantage of being quick: about 1h40 from flight Paris , or 45 minutes since Nice . Know that there are two airports in South Corsica: Ajaccio and Figari . The first one is much more important than the second one, but both are transferred internationally.

On the other hand, if you get on a plane, you will have to rent a car . But reassure yourself, renters are located near the airports.

By ferry

The ferry, for him, puts between 8 and 3 p.m. to cross the Mediterranean, separating Corsica and Hexagon. However, it allows you to travel with your own vehicle, more so if you decide to visit South Corsica in its entirety.

Concerning the arrival by ferry, it will be carried out mainly at Ajaccio , but it is possible to arrive Propriano or Porto-Vecchio . This depends on the crossing schedules available. From France, the ports of Marseille, Toulon and Nice are to be preferred.

Where to stay in South Corsica?

To stay in South Corsica, you must first ask yourself what you want. Do you like the hotels where you’re being pampered? Or do you prefer the warm atmosphere that you can find at home in bed and breakfast, for example? Regardless of your preference, it will be useful to use a Compare hotels to find the best price, even in summer.

Then we can only advise you to stay at least a few days on Ajaccio, Propriano or Porto-Vecchio, to discover these cities and their surroundings. It is also possible to stay on Porticcio, a pretty tourist town on the other side of the Gulf of Ajaccio.

Otherwise, why not enter the land and visit South Corsica from what protects it: its mountains? Discover, for example, excellent rooms in Aullène, right on the diagonal between Ajaccio and Porto-Vecchio. Finally, many offers of Airbnb are available on Southern Corsica, why not think about playing nomads to visit the south of the island?

Now that you know what to visit in South Corsica, it’s time to prepare your suitcases!