Porto-Vecchio Beaches

The White Sand, Turquoise Beaches South Of Porto Vecchio In Southern Corsica, Palombaggia And Santa Giulia Above All, Backed By Umbrella Pines · Porto-Vecchio, Corsica

The beaches south of Porto-Vecchio, in the far south-east of Corsica, are often compared to the Caribbean: fine pale sand, clear shallow water in shades of turquoise, and umbrella pines growing almost to the shore. Palombaggia, the best known, is a long curving beach with red granite rocks at each end and views of the small Cerbicale islands offshore. Santa Giulia, a little further south, is a wide, sheltered bay whose shallow water is ideal for children and paddling. Both have beach restaurants and rentals in summer, and both become very busy in July and August, when the paid car parks fill by mid-morning and prices across the area climb. Porto-Vecchio itself is a lively town with an old Genoese citadel on a hill above the salt marshes and harbour, full of bars and restaurants on summer evenings. Inland, the road climbs through the Ospedale forest to the jagged granite Aiguilles de Bavella, one of the island's great mountain drives. Figari airport is close by, and Bonifacio lies about half an hour south.

Palombaggia and Santa Giulia beaches, Porto-Vecchio, Corse-du-Sud, Porto-Vecchio, Corsica, France

The beaches are public and open at all times, with no entry fee, but in summer access depends on parking. At Palombaggia and Santa Giulia the car parks behind the dunes are mostly paid in the season, roughly from late spring to early autumn, and in July and August they are often full by mid-morning; arriving early or late in the day is the only reliable way to park. Beach restaurants, paillotes and lounger and water sports rentals operate from around May to September or October, some opening only in the peak months, and most close entirely in winter. Boat trips to the Cerbicale islands and along the coast run in the season, weather permitting, and dive centres open from spring to autumn. In Porto-Vecchio, shops and restaurants in the citadel stay open late in summer and many close from November to March. The road over the Col de Bavella is open all year but can be affected by snow or ice in winter and by very heavy traffic in August. Lifeguard posts, where present, are staffed in summer only; confirm dates locally.

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