Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1 Arrival in Bastia
Morning Arrival & check-in
Land at Bastia-Poretta Airport or disembark from the ferry at the port. Pick up your rental car (essential for this road trip) and check into the city.
Afternoon Old Port & Bastia Citadel
Explore Bastia's Old Port, lined with colorful shuttered houses and café terraces. Climb to the Genoese citadel (Terra Nova) for a panoramic view over the port, sea, and distant islands. Visit the Church of Saint Mary and the Governors' Palace.
Evening Dinner at Place Saint-Nicolas
Dine on Place Saint-Nicolas, Corsica's largest square (300m long), lined with plane trees and lively terraces. Try Corsican specialties: charcuterie (lonzu, coppa, figatellu), zucchini fritters, and veal with olives, all paired with a red Patrimonio wine.
Day 2 Cap Corse
Morning Cap Corse coastal road
Drive the coastal road of Cap Corse, the finger of land pointing north. Pass through Erbalunga (picturesque fishing village), Macinaggio (marina), and the Genoese towers dotting the coastline. Wild landscapes between maquis, sea, and mountains.
Afternoon Moulin Mattei & Centuri
Stop at Moulin Mattei, a former windmill perched on a windy pass with 360° views over the Mediterranean. Then descend to Centuri, a tiny fishing port ranked among Corsica's most beautiful, where colorful boats sway before green schist houses.
Evening Lobster dinner in Centuri
Centuri is Corsica's top lobster port. Dine practically feet-in-the-water and savor grilled or sauced lobster, caught that very morning. One of the island's most memorable meals in a postcard setting.
Day 3 Balagne & Calvi
Morning Drive to L'Île-Rousse
Cross Cap Corse via the west coast and head down to Balagne (2h). Stop at L'Île-Rousse, a seaside resort founded by Pascal Paoli. Stroll shaded Place Paoli, visit the covered market, and enjoy the fine sand beach in the town center.
Afternoon Calvi Citadel & beach
Discover Calvi, the pearl of Balagne. Climb into the imposing Genoese citadel overlooking the bay (Christopher Columbus is said to have been born here). Then enjoy Calvi Beach, 5 km of fine sand with views of the citadel and snow-capped mountains behind.
Evening Dinner at Calvi harbor
Dine on Quai Landry, Calvi's lively waterfront with restaurants, bars, and terraces facing the boats. The cuisine blends land and sea: Corsican veal, Bonifacio-style eggplant, fish soup, and fiadone (brocciu cheesecake) for dessert.
Day 4 Scandola & Piana calanques
Morning Scandola Nature Reserve
Board a boat excursion from Calvi or Porto to the Scandola Reserve (UNESCO), accessible only by sea. Red porphyry cliffs plunging into turquoise water, sea caves, ospreys, and dolphins. One of the most spectacular natural sites in the Mediterranean.
Afternoon Calanques de Piana
Drive the D81 through the Calanques de Piana (UNESCO), a chaos of red granite rocks sculpted by erosion into fantastic shapes. The road is carved into the rock with sheer drops over the Gulf of Porto. One of France's most beautiful road stretches.
Evening Dinner in Porto
Settle into a restaurant in Porto facing the Genoese tower and the glowing gulf at dusk. Enjoy locally caught grilled fish and interior Corsican specialties — the cuisine here harmoniously blends sea and mountain.
Day 5 Ajaccio, imperial city
Morning Drive to Ajaccio
Scenic drive from Porto to Ajaccio (1h30) via the Col de Vergio or the coast. Arrive in the Corsican capital, Napoleon Bonaparte's birthplace, bathed in Mediterranean light with its majestic gulf.
Afternoon Bonaparte House & market
Visit the Bonaparte House, where Napoleon was born on August 15, 1769, now a national museum. Then browse Ajaccio's market (Place Foch / Square César-Campinchi) for local products: canistrelli cookies, fig jam, maquis honey, and Corsican olive oil.
Evening Beach aperitif & Cours Napoléon dinner
Enjoy an aperitif on Saint-François beach or the Sanguinaires road with sunset views. Then dine on Cours Napoléon or in the adjacent lanes for generous Corsican cuisine in a lively atmosphere.
Day 6 Propriano & Sartenais
Morning Coastal drive to Propriano
Follow the south coast from Ajaccio (1h15) to Propriano, a small seaside resort nestled in the Gulf of Valinco. Optional stop at the prehistoric site of Filitosa (5,000-year-old sculpted menhirs, UNESCO tentative).
Afternoon Wild beaches of Campomoro
Head to Campomoro (30 min), a preserved end-of-the-world spot south of the Gulf of Valinco. Visit the best-preserved Genoese tower in Corsica, then swim in wild coves accessible on foot along the coastal path. Crystal-clear waters and fragrant maquis.
Evening Dinner in Sartène
Head up to Sartène (30 min), which Prosper Mérimée described as 'the most Corsican of Corsican towns'. Dine in this austere gray granite city perched on its hill, where the atmosphere is timeless. Interior cuisine: wild boar, sheep cheese, chestnuts.
Day 7 Bonifacio, clifftop citadel
Morning Drive to Bonifacio
Drive from Sartène to Bonifacio (1h) through maquis and the granite landscapes of the south. The arrival at Bonifacio is spectacular: the town appears perched on white limestone cliffs above a narrow fjord.
Afternoon Citadel & King of Aragon staircase
Explore Bonifacio's citadel, a fortified town perched 70m above the sea on overhanging cliffs (houses jut out over the void). Descend the King of Aragon Staircase, 187 steps carved into the cliff with a vertiginous view over the sea and Sardinia on the horizon.
Evening Dinner at Bonifacio harbor
Dine at Bonifacio's harbor, nestled at the bottom of the fjord with illuminated cliffs as a backdrop. The marina restaurants serve ultra-fresh fish and seafood specialties in a unique setting.
Day 8 Lavezzi Islands & Porto-Vecchio
Morning Lavezzi Islands excursion
Board a boat from Bonifacio to the Lavezzi Islands (30 min), a granite archipelago set in Caribbean-like waters in the Strait of Bonifacio. Snorkeling in turquoise waters of unreal clarity, white sand beaches between sculpted rocks. A little paradise in the Mediterranean.
Afternoon Palombaggia Beach
Drive to Porto-Vecchio (30 min) and head to Palombaggia, often voted Corsica's most beautiful beach. A crescent of white sand lined with umbrella pines, with shallow turquoise waters and red granite boulders. The color contrast is striking.
Evening Dinner in Porto-Vecchio old town
Dine in Porto-Vecchio's perched old town, a former Genoese city with cobbled lanes and shaded little squares. The atmosphere is relaxed and festive — Porto-Vecchio is Corsica's most popular summer destination.
Day 9 Bavella Needles
Morning Bavella Needles scenic drive
Take the D368 from Porto-Vecchio toward the Col de Bavella (1h), one of Corsica's most beautiful mountain roads. The Bavella Needles, jagged red granite peaks reaching 1,855m, soar above laricio pines in a Dolomite-like setting.
Afternoon Hike & natural pools
Hike to the Trou de la Bombe (2h return), a natural arch pierced through the mountain offering a spectacular panorama. Then descend to the natural pools of Purcaraccia or Cavu — basins of limpid water carved in granite, fed by waterfalls, perfect for a refreshing dip.
Evening Return to coast & dinner Porto-Vecchio
Head back down to the coast for a final dinner in Porto-Vecchio. Enjoy the old town's summer atmosphere for one last Corsican evening, between artisanal gelato and terrace cocktails.
Day 10 Last swim & departure
Morning Santa Giulia Beach
Enjoy one last morning at Santa Giulia Beach, a lagoon with shallow turquoise waters and immaculate white sand. The water is so calm and clear it feels like the Caribbean. A perfect setting to conclude the Corsican road trip.
Afternoon Drive to airport
Head to Figari Airport (25 min from Porto-Vecchio) or Bastia (3h if flying from the north). Return the rental car and take in the last Corsican landscapes.
Evening Departure
Fly from Figari back to the mainland. Corsica offers one last show from the window: the cliffs of Bonifacio, turquoise beaches, and endless maquis.