Pete Seaward

The Northwest Coast

The coastline that stretches away northwards from the classy and historic city of Ajaccio holds some of the most breathtaking scenery in all Corsica. Successive bays unfold in dazzling splendour, each peppered with villages that spring to life in summer. Many of the beaches are superb, and the sea is consistently enticing, but it’s the breathtaking coastal cliffscape, culminating in the iconic red-rock extravaganza of the Calanques de Piana, that you’ll never forget.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Réserve Naturelle de Scandola
The Northwest Coast
The jewel of the Golfe de Porto World Heritage Site, the Réserve Naturelle de Scandola extends both above and below the water, from the russet-hued cliffs…
Maison Bonaparte
Ajaccio
Unremarkable from the outside, the old-town house where Napoléon was born and spent his first nine years was ransacked by Corsican nationalists in 1793,…
Palais Fesch – Musée des Beaux-Arts
Ajaccio
Established by Napoléon’s uncle, cardinal Joseph Fesch (1763–1839), Ajaccio’s superb art museum holds the largest French collection of Italian…
Plage de Porticcio
Ajaccio
Dedicated beach bums generally prefer the sands of Porticcio to Ajaccio's busy city beaches. It’s 15km by road around the bay from Ajaccio, or 6km…
Genoese Tower
The Northwest Coast
Follow the stairway up the tiny headland in the centre of the port – a jumble of red-tinged boulders – to reach the sturdy little Genoese watchtower,…
Église St-Spyridon
The Northwest Coast
Cargèse’s Greek community had been established in the village for 150 years by the time they erected this Greek Orthodox church, between 1868 and 1874…
Cathédrale Ste-Marie
Ajaccio
Surprisingly small but in a commanding position facing out to sea, Ajaccio’s ochre-coloured cathedral dates from the 16th century. As well as a depiction…
Waterfront
The Northwest Coast
Porto’s main sights are clustered around the harbour. Once you’ve climbed the higgledy-piggledy headland up to the Genoese tower, stroll round to the…