With idyllic beaches, magnificent hiking trails, boat trips and clifftop villages, Southern Corsica has a great deal to offer visitors.
As the name suggests, Corse-du-Sud is in the southern half of the île de Beauté (to call Corsica by its French nickname) and is home to some magnificent towns like Ajaccio, Bonifacio, Porto-Vecchio and Figari. It’s a little piece of paradise which is very popular with tourists in summertime. Whether you are looking for an active holiday or a lazy stay, you will not regret your choice!
Ajaccio is the capital of Corse-du-Sud and it’s also the home town of the most famous Corsican of all: Napoleon Bonaparte. Here, you can visit his house, the Bonaparte Museum, where he was born and spent his childhood. You can see furniture and objects that belonged to him, but the museum also talks more widely about the history of Corsica and the story of the building besides the life of Napoleon himself. To get a taste of typical local Corsican charm, go for a wander around the port in the old part of town, where you will find plenty of little streets lined with colourful houses and bustling with pedestrians.
Another must-see in Southern Corsica is Bonifacio. Situated on the southern tip of the island, it is metropolitan France’s southernmost town, with just a few miles of sea separating it from the neighbouring island of Sardinia. Bonifacio is a charming fortified town nestling on high cliffs and looking out to sea with views of the Lavezzi Islands, which are famous for their magnificent sea beds. Visit the fortress, lose yourself among the narrow, shaded streets of the old town, then relax for a while on a café terrace at the port, gazing at the sea and the clifftop fortress.
Porto-Vecchio is the third-largest town in Corsica and every year it attracts thousands of tourists looking for sun, sea and sand, where they can bathe and unwind. A visit to the fortress gives you a taste of what the town was like when it was fortified. Porto-Vecchio has some of the prettiest beaches on the island: Palombaggia, Santa Giulia and Rondinara – you will be spoilt for choice. During your stay in Porto-Vecchio, don’t forget to head out of town too and explore the mountains nearby. If you go to the Plateau du Coscione for an invigorating walk, make sure you stop off and admire the marvellous Ospedale Lake.
There are various ways you can get to Southern Corsica. You can fly into Ajaccio Airport or Figari Airport. From the European mainland, it is also possible to take a ferry to Porto-Vecchio, Ajaccio or Propriano. It is a good idea to also rent a car so you are free to explore all the wonderful landscapes of Southern Corsica at your own speed.
Corse-du-Sud is packed with natural and architectural delights, and there is certainly no shortage of activities: walking, hiking, horse riding, canyoning, scuba diving, climbing etc. You are sure to find the right combination for a holiday that’s perfectly tailored to you!
