Corse-du-Sud: what to see and do

Bonifacio

A fortified town perched on an impressive limestone cliff at the southern tip of Corsica, whose citadel overlooks a deep natural harbour.

Calanche de Piana

Located in southern Corsica, between the villages of Piana and Porto, the splendid jagged rocks in phenomenal colours stand proudly above a sea of magical reflections.

Golfe de Porto

A gulf on Corsica's west coast, UNESCO World Heritage, framed by the red cliffs of the Calanche de Piana and the Capo Rosso massif.

Ajaccio

Prefecture of Corse-du-Sud and chief town of the island, birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte, nestled at the head of a vast gulf facing the setting sun.

Anse de Rondinara

Pale sand, very pure water, unspoilt environment and perfect geometry... Rondinara is one of the most exotic bays on the island.

Archipel des Lavezzi

From Corsica to Sardinia, only a few kilometres separate these islands, but many sailors have wrecked their ships on these terrible reefs, as the marine cemeteries of Furcone and Archiarino and the memory of the wreck of La Sémillante in 1855 bear witness.

Cascade de Rivetu

The Rivetu waterfall hides in the Fiumicelli ravine, in Corse-du-Sud, on the heights above Solenzara. Its name is said to have been given by the mountaineer Charles Pujos, in homage to one of his climbing partners.

Cascades d'Aïtone

The Aïtone waterfalls and pools are about 4 km after Evisa, following the D84. They are easy to reach from the road (allow about 15 to 20 minutes with children).

Grotte du Sdragonato

The Sdragonato cave, or dragon cave, is a sea cave carved into the cliffs of Bonifacio, in Corse-du-Sud, accessible only by boat from the port.

La Cascade d'Endinosa

The Endinosa waterfall, in the Aïtone forest in Corse-du-Sud, is among the tallest falls on the island, with a height of more than 95 metres.

Les Pozzines de Coscione

The Coscione plateau is a middle-mountain area with a marked Eurosiberian appearance (beech, fir, fragrant alder, pozzines), corresponding to a relatively cloudy, damp and cold climate.

Les cascades des Anglais

The Anglais waterfalls are on the Agnone, in the heart of the Vizzavona forest.

Pains de sucre du Tretorre

The Tretorre peaks at 1,510 metres' altitude in the Cruzzini valley, in Corse-du-Sud, and stands out for three rocky pinnacles shaped like sugar loaves, cut in syenite, a magmatic rock close to granite.

Piana

The village of Piana overlooks the Gulf of Porto, close to an exceptional place: the calanques of sumptuous beauty marrying the blue of the sea with all the pink and red tones of the granite cliffs.

Plage de Roccapina

Turquoise bay in Corse-du-Sud dominated by the Lion of Roccapina rock and a Genoese tower.

Pozzines du Lac de Nino

Pozzines are spongy peat bogs riddled with water holes, formed on the edges of mountain glacial lakes.

Rochers du col de Verde

The bestiary of the Piana calanques is one of the most magical places in Corsica (natural sculptures). Fantastic figures and monsters form in the red granite rocks.

Vasques de la Richiusa

The Richiusa pools, also called the Cardiccia pools, form a wild canyon in the Vizzavona massif, at the foot of Monte d'Oro, in the commune of Bocognano in Corse-du-Sud.

A Cupulatta

Aquarium de Bonifacio

Arche du Capo Tafonato

Arche du Trou de la Bombe

Caps de Girolata

Capes of Girolata and Porto and the Scandola nature reserve, Piana calanques in Corsica. The reserve, part of the Corsica Regional Nature Park, occupies the Scandola peninsula, an impressive porphyry massif of tormented shapes.

Cascade de Bavella

At the Col de Bavella, at over 1,200 metres' altitude, rise the famous red porphyry needles that overlook the Corsican maquis.

Cascades de Polischellu

Château de la Punta

Built between 1806 and 1814, the château de la Punta is in a sad state. It was partly ravaged by fire in 1978.

Citadelle de Bonifacio

Falaises de Bonifacio

From the top of its cliffs, Bonifacio, the southernmost of Corsican towns, has a thousand years of history.

Gorges de Spelunca

L'archipel des Sanguinaires

The Sanguinaires archipelago is an exceptional natural site renowned for its magnificent sunsets.

La cascade de Piscia di Gallo

Le Musée de la Préhistoire

With nearly 20,000 visitors a year, the Sartène Museum is the second archaeology museum in Corsica, after Aléria.

Le lac de Creno

Les Aiguilles de Bavella

The Bavella needles (or "Towers of Asinao") are north-west of Porto-Vecchio, between Zonza and Solenzara in the Bavella massif.

Les cascades et les piscines de Purcaraccia

Les vasques de la Solenzara

Monte Renoso

Musée Fesch

Set in the Palais Fesch in the very heart of Ajaccio, the Fine Arts Museum gathers painting collections, a large part of which come from Cardinal Joseph Fesch (1763–1839), Napoleon's maternal uncle, Archbishop of Lyon, Primate of the Gauls, a great art lover and enlightened patron.

Musée de la Maison Bonaparte

Built at the end of the seventeenth century, the Maison Bonaparte is an important relic of the history of the imperial family, which has come down to us in an excellent state of preservation.

Piscines Naturelles De Cavu

Plage d'Arone

A long beach of golden sand in the Gulf of Porto, at the foot of the maquis, near the Piana calanques.

Plage de Cupabia

A long wild white-sand beach in the Gulf of Valinco, dominated by a Genoese tower.

Plage de Palombaggia à Porto-Vecchio

Palombaggia beach is in the commune of Porto-Vecchio in Corse-du-Sud between the hamlets of Picovaggia and Bocca dell'Oro.

Plage de Santa Giulia à Porto-Vecchio

South of Porto-Vecchio, the bay of Santa Giulia unrolls a turquoise lagoon ringed by pine groves and white sand, considered one of the most beautiful beaches in Corsica.

Pont Génois de Pianella ou Ponte Vechju

The construction of this bridge, called Ponte Vechju or Pianella Bridge, was decided in 1715 by the communities of Evisa and Ota, who were its builders.

Pozzi de Marmano

Presqu'île d'Omigna

Rocher de l'Oriu de Canni