Photo : Pierre Bona / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Golfe de Porto
The Gulf of Porto stretches along the west coast of Corsica, between Punta a Scopa to the north and Capu Rossu to the south, over about 11,800 hectares. It was inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage in 1983, with the calanche of Piana, the Gulf of Girolata and the Scandola reserve. Its relief belongs to crystalline Corsica, west of the Calvi-Solenzara line.
The village of Porto lies at the head of the gulf, and a Genoese tower was built there in 1552. Further north, Girolata has a small fort of 1551; the Turkish corsair Dragut is said to have been captured there in 1540. The region was long sparsely populated because of difficult soil, epidemics and Ottoman raids in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
Maquis vegetation covers the slopes, and gulls, cormorants and ospreys frequent the coast. The waters around the caves and islets shelter rich marine life. From Porto, boat excursions let you discover the coast. Crossing conditions should be checked with local companies.
