South Corsica: What to do and see in a week?

To help you plan your stayI have prepared for you a one-week itinerary in Corsica which will allow you to explore the the most beautiful spots on the south side of the island.

This tour will take you to Ajaccio and Bonifacio, Porto-Vecchioits beautiful beaches, and the needles of Bavella. This is a nice little excursion.

Small note: You can also explore Northern Corsica (Bastia Cap Corse Calvi, Corte, Calvi) by following my other itinerary: 7 days in Northern Corsica

Or, if you wish to spend a week in Corsica staying in one place, click here.

This route includes the things to do each day and travel times. I also share my selections of the best accommodation at every stage and all my advice. Everything you need to visit easily South Corsica in one week

What can you do in Corsica in a week?

1st stage: Ajaccio 1 day

I recommend that you go to Ajaccio for your one-week trip to Corsica.

It is the best-served town in southern Corsica, with an airport and a port that welcomes boats from Italy, Sardinia and the mainland.

Compare flight and ferry fares in the "Getting to Corsica" section.

After arriving at Ajaccio port or airport, it is time to collect your hire car. It will be difficult to reach some areas, especially the most beautiful beaches of the south, without it.

This is the site I find most useful for compare prices of rental companies in Corsica. It is easy to see who is the cheapest and has the the most positive customer reviews.

Rentalcars also offers a all risks insurance which allows you to be reimbursed in case of damage or accident.

After testing it several times, I can guarantee that you will receive your refund quickly and without the need to send dozens of emails.

To get the best rate, you must book your car if you know your travel dates in Corsica. You don't have to do anything, because cancellation and modification are free of charge.

To discover the main points of interest, I recommend that you take a walk in the city centre of Ajaccio for this first day of holiday in Corsica.

• Passage through the Fesch Museumwhich houses many works of art by famous Italian artists.
• The imperial chapel The tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte and his parents are just next door.
• Find the place Fochwhere the market takes place every morning. If you don't feel like walking, you can take the little train that goes around the city.
• Visit the Bonaparte National Museumwhere Napoleon was born and spent part of his childhood.
• Go through the Ajaccio cathedraland the place du Général de Gaulle.
• Reassemble the Cours Grandval to the Place d'Austerlitz and to the Bonaparte cave.

I recommend you to visit the Sanguinaires islands for the rest of the day. For this purpose, several possibilities are available to you, depending on your arrival in Ajaccio or the time you leave on the first day.

1 Take your car (25 minutes drive) to the peninsula of Paratawhere you can walk to the pointand take advantage of the view on the Sanguinaires islands.

2 Take a cruise around the islandsYou can do this by stopping on the main island to walk to the lighthouse (or to swim).

You can easily walk to the historic centre of Ajaccio.

2nd stage: Bonifacio over 3 days

For the second stage of your roadtrip of a week in CorsicaI recommend that you to Bonifacio in the south of the island.

It takes about 2.5 hours to drive from Ajaccio to Bonifacio without stopping and going inland.

I recommend that you plan a dayand then follow the coast. There are manyplaces you can visit and many beautiful beaches that you can discover!

Start and go down towards Porticcio. After passing the seaside resort, you will find 3 beautiful beaches. perfect if you need to refresh yourself.

• Agosta Beach: is a long sandy beach, but the water is very deep.
• Ruppione beach: is a beautiful beach of sand with rocks at its edge. It is quite wild.
• The beach of Mare, e sole : also known as the silver beach. This large white sandy beach in the southern part of Corsica is one of the most stunning.

Continue to Propriano (1h10 from Mare e Sole), another popular seaside resort which has many bars and restaurants. Perfect for lunch!

At south of ProprianoYou can also drop by:

• Portigliolo beach, It is a wild and immense place, 9 km from Propriano.
• The Bay of CampomoroYou can walk around the cape. To make a sea kayaking.

Join Sartene to discover a charming village with stone houses.

You can take a walk in the old town starting with the place. A audioguide can be rented at the Sartene tourist office if you want to know more about the history of the village.

Although the area is small, it is very touristy (stop at the tour operators' buses). You will find souvenir shops, bars and restaurants.

After your visit to Sartene, take your car to Bonifacio for the last part of the journey (about one hour).

Halfway (about 30 minutes from Sartene), stop at Casa di Roccapinawhere you can see a natural curiosity: A large rock in the shape of a reclining lion. The view overlooks the beautiful beach of Roccapina.

If you want to end this day in BonifacioYou should do it:

• The beach of San Giovianni It is located in the Gulf of Figari and is very beautiful. It is made up of 2 coves, at the end of which is Caldarello.
• Paragan This beach is ideal for swimming as it is in a protected cove and the water is not too deep.
• Fazzio beach is located at the end of a small fjord and is a 15-minute walk from Paragan.
• The Tunara beach is a beautiful sandy beach that can be reached by car, but it is more touristy.
• The beach of Stagnolu is 5 minutes away from Tunara. It is wilder.

You have the possibility to take a swim before to Bonifacio in the evening.

I recommend that you continue your itinerary on Corsica for 1 week and devote the the next day in Bonifacio.

It is impossible to visit Corsica by car in a week without passing through the emblematic city of the island.

These houses, perched more than 70 m above the cliffs of The white limestone hills are depicted on many postcards. This is theone of the most beautiful panoramas in Corsica.

Start with visit the upper town and the citadel during a walking tour.

Continue to the Genoa Gate. This is the entrance to the citadel. Stop at thetourist office on your right.

You can obtain a map of the cityBut you can also buy the "Monument Pass" for 3.50 a head. This allows you to visit Bonifacio's main tourist attractions, the Bastion of Aragon and the King of Aragon's Stairs.

The bastion is located just behind the desk. It has several underground rooms where there are explanatory panels on the history of the city.

You can walk along the rampartsand take advantage of the magnificent views of the harbour from the cliffs.

Turn left at the exit of the bastion to reach the Market Place (another great view from the cliffs), then head to Sainte-Marie Majeurethe oldest building in the city.

Before reaching the King of Aragon's Staircase, you can also pass the other three churches in the upper town: the Church of St John the Baptist and the Church of St Dominic.

It is believed that this staircase was built in one night by soldiers of the King of Aragonwho wanted to invade the city. However, this fault line has existed for centuries. It was created to provide access to a source of fresh water.

The descent of the 187 steps can be particularly scary because you are almost 60 m above the sea. The ascent is the most difficult part.

After the ascent, take some time to relax and then head for the marine cemetery. The white chapels contrast beautifully with the blue sea. On the way out, you will come across which is the entrance to Rudder. This former blockhouse was used during the Second World War.

It can be visited for 2,50 (not included in the monument pass).

After visiting the upper part of the city, it is time to go and admire the view from the outside.

Go through the Genoa Gate, and take the Campu Romanilu road which begins at Saint Roch Pass (just before the door).

Here we go for a photo session with Bonifacio, from all angles! It is here that take the most beautiful pictures of Bonifacio.

The trail along the cliffs to the 3-point range in 1 hour and a half about . A second path leads to Cape Pertusato (still a 1 hour walk). This walk will take you to Saint-Antoine beach. It is famous for its rock that looks like a boat.

You can also take your car and park at the Pertusato lighthouse. There is only 20 minutes from there to the beach.

You can take theafternoon on this beachor go to Petit Sperone which is one of the most beautiful beaches of Bonifacio. It is easily accessible by car in only 15 minutes.

This beautiful creek is surrounded by fine sand and turquoise waters clear. This is really theone of the most beautiful places to swim during your week's holiday in Corsica. It is ranked among the ten most beautiful beaches on the island.

To get there, park on the road just before you reach the beach of Piantarella. Cross it on your right and walk for about 10 minutes to Petit Sperone.

Keep walking for 10 more minutes and you will reach the Grand Sperone beach. This one is larger, but just as beautiful, although it is less protected from the wind.

You don't have to spend too much time on the beach. There are other water sports you can enjoy in Piantarella, such as paddle boarding. Book it here! ).

Spend a second night in Bonifacio.

This last day in Bonifacio is the time to visit another a must for a circuit of a week in South Corsica: the Lavezzi islands.

I am sure you will enjoy the programme for the dayin walking around the island and in swimming in the beautiful beaches and coves with turquoise waters punctuated by large photogenic rocks.

To reach the Lavezzi Islands, you must take a boat from Bonifacio. The journey takes about half an hour and departures take place at least once an hour.

You will be disembarked at Lavezzi (or Lavezzu) Island. You will then have to find the best place to put your towel.

Personally, I prefer La Chiesa because the large rocks create a pool that prevents boats from anchoring too close to the shore (which is not always the case). ).

It takes about 1 hour to walk around the island. But that's without counting the photo stops that double the time!

Bring something to eat for the day. He there is no food or water on the island. There are no toilets either.

The boat offers a commented cruise to end the day in style. You will pass near Cavallo, where some stars have luxury villas. But you can also see the Sperone at the foot of the cliffs, which allows you to see the Aragon staircase, and the sand grains.

The cruise ends at the cave of Sdragonato where you can see a hole cut in the rock representing the map of Corsica.

You can find more information about the Lavezzi Islands in my article How to visit the Lavezzi Islands.

Spend the last night in Bonifacio.

3rd stage: Porto-Vecchio for a day

The next step in this road trip The best way to spend a week in South Corsica is to leave Bonifacio and go to Porto-Vecchio. It takes less than 45 minutes.

The around Porto-Vecchio are known for their beautiful beaches. Most of them are classified in the Top 10 beaches to visit in Corsica.

It is difficult to determine which is the prettiest (in the order of the road).

• The beach of Rondinara : A beautiful bay with fine sand that forms an arc.
• Families enjoy the calm, shallow waters of the range of Santa Giulia.
• The beach of Palombaggia is known the world over. It is one of the most fashionable and chic beaches in the region. The beach has fine sand, turquoise waters, umbrella pines and large rocks.
• Tamariccui beach: In the extension of Palombaggia, it is also very beautiful and the atmosphere is more family oriented.

Visit the old town of Porto-Vecchio in the late afternoon for a quick walk through the narrow streets lined with cafes and shops.

You can also go up to the Bastion de France and admire the panorama of the Gulf of Porto-Vecchio via its panoramic terrace (2).

There are many places to have a drink on the terrace or in the garden. dinner in the old town or at the Marina.

Spend a night in Porto-Vecchio.

4th stage: LOspedale & the Bavella pass for a day

It would be a shame to go to Corsica for a week and not to do at least a hike. This is what I recommend for this penultimate morning.

Take the D368 road from Porto-Vecchio. This road goes inland and offers breathtaking views on the bay below. You will pass the forest ofAspedale and the lake of the same name. It reminds me a bit of the Canada.

You can go hiking to the largest waterfall in Corsica, the Piscia di Gallu. It takes about 1.5 to 2 hours to walk there and back, with a very steep final section to reach the foot of the waterfall.

Continue by car to Bavella and park in one of the car parks. I suggest you do the the most famous hike in the Aiguilles de Bavella sector: the Bomb Hole.

You can reach the Bombe hole, a 8m diameter hole in the rock, following a shaded route (departure at the end of the paying car park).

The return time is 2h30.

You don't have to do both walks if you think it's too difficult for one day. Choose one, pack a picnic and enjoy the mountain.

If you don't want to do the trou de la Bombe, it's worth reaching the Col de Bavella for the breathtaking view from the car park.

To spend the nightYou must go to the village of Zonza. This one is about ten kilometres from the Bavella pass.

5th stage: Return to Ajaccio

You have arrived at the last day of your holiday in Corsica for 1 week.

It takes about 2 hours drive between Zonza and Ajaccio. I recommend staying in Ajaccio for your last night if you need to be at the port or airport early.

Don't forget your car hire when visiting Southern Corsica!

If you really only have one week to visit Southern Corsica, then you're going to need to waste no time! With more and more tourists wanting to come and discover the wonders of the region, it's hard to know where to turn for those who may lack organisation... And yet, if you choose to rent a carYou could save yourself a lot of trouble down the line!

However, if you still have no idea how to go about renting a car, this could also cause you to panic! If you find yourself in this type of situation, you should know that it is now possible to find a low-cost rental car to visit the South CorsicaAs long as you get in early enough!

The best thing you can do is go to a car rental platform and select your holiday beaches to check what cars are available!